Pittsburgh Pirates' Jack Suwinski becomes 1st rookie in MLB history with 3-homer game that includes walk-off blast

PITTSBURGH — Jack Suwinski hit his third homer of the game in the ninth inning, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-3, walk-off victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

The rookie drove a slider from sidearming Tyler Rogers (0-3) to right for his second game-ending home run of the season after connecting for one June 4 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Suwinski became the first rookie in major league history to have a three-homer game that included a walk-off home run, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He also became the first Pirates player with multiple walk-off home runs in a single month since Wally Westlake in September of 1947, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

«I was just like, 'No way, man. No way that's going,'» Suwinski said. «That guy is hard to hit off of. Coming from that low under there, it's not an easy at-bat.»

Pirates manager Derek Shelton spoke with Suwinski in the bottom of the eighth, asking if he was ready to go deep a third time. Shelton said he was told, «No.»

«I was not trying to think about that,» Suwinski said. «You start trying to do too much and then you just blow it or whatever. I was just trying to not think about that and just focus on what the pitcher had.»

The Pirates will be adding another potentially impactful rookie on Monday when they recall shortstop Oneil Cruz, the organization's top prospect, from Triple-A Indianapolis. Shelton confirmed after the game that Cruz and outfielder Bligh Madris will be brought up to the major league club. Cruz, who appeared in two games for the Pirates last season and hit a home run, is hitting .233 with nine home runs, 35 RBIs and a .761 OPS for Indianapolis this season.

Suwinski is the second Pirates