The sixth inning changed everything. Pittsburgh scored four runs to break open a tight game and defeat Houston 5-1 at Daikin Park, turning a narrow lead into a comfortable margin.
Ryan O'Hearn drove the Pirates' offense with a 2-for-4 performance that included a two-run homer and three RBIs. The first baseman went 2-for-4 with one run scored, extending his strong season numbers to a .295 average with nine home runs and 33 RBIs.
The decisive sixth inning began when Bryan Reynolds singled to center, bringing home Brandon Lowe to make it 2-0. O'Hearn followed with a 349-foot homer to right field that scored Reynolds and extended the lead to 4-0. Nick Gonzales added the fifth run when he scored on a fielding error by shortstop Jeremy Peña.
Kai-Wei Teng absorbed the loss for Houston, allowing five runs over five innings. The right-hander gave up seven hits and struck out just one batter while walking two. His record fell to 3-4 with a 3.06 ERA.
The victory snapped Pittsburgh's losing streak and improved their record to 33-29. Isaac Paredes provided Houston's only run with a solo homer in the sixth inning, reaching 100 career home runs in the process. Carmen Mlodzinski earned his first save of the season with four innings of relief work.