Story by
Pirates’ Flores on Game-Winning Home Run: ‘You Have to Lay Your Nuts Down’
- Story by
- Pirates’ Flores on Game-Winning Home Run: ‘You Have to Lay Your Nuts Down’
Pirates Late Surge Falls Short in Series Opener vs. Tigers
PITTSBURGH – For the second game in a row, the Pirates won on a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning.
After Brandon Lowe lifted the Pirates to a 6-5 win against the Royals on Saturday, Rafael Flores Jr. was the hero in Pittsburgh's 4-3 win at PNC Park on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Advertisement
"Late in the game, late in the season. The way that we've been swinging the bat, a huge two-run homer by Lowe yesterday, and then (Flores) following it up today, and he's had a knack for that," said manager Don Kelly.
With a runner on first base and nobody out in the bottom of the eighth, Nate Pearson brushed back Flores in a 1-1 count with a 98 mph four-seam fastball up and in. Instead of backing down from the chin music, Flores locked in.
"Felt good," he said of his game-winning home run. "Especially after 98 up and in. I don't know if he was trying to back me off the plate. But after he did it, I told myself, 'I will die in this situation. If he throws one more fastball up and in. I'm gonna stick my nose in it.' He threw me a slider right in the honey hole. Just couldn't miss it."
YEAH, FLO‼️ pic.twitter.com/gEY3u5seDL
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) September 20, 2026
Pearson's next pitch, a slider that was down and in, ended up in the left field seats. Flores clubbed a 426-foot go-ahead home run for his 10th of the season.
Advertisement
"It's either he whacks me, or I whack him," said Flores. "I whacked him."
Before the at-bat even began, Flores recalled Pearson's first appearance of the series. The Royals right-hander hit Nick Gonzales square in the back with a 96 mph sinker on the first pitch of the at-bat. Pearson ended up taking the loss after the Pirates rallied for three runs against him, but Flores didn't forget about what happened to Gonzales.
"I think any normal person will not forget that he smoked Nick Gonzales in the back," he explained. "You go in there, and you're a little sketched out. But like I said, I was willing to die in that situation. If he threw one at my dome, I was dead. If he didn't, I was gonna whack it. It's just a mindset. You have to lay your nuts down and stick your nose in there, just hope he doesn't hit your head."
Flores' latest blast is yet another display of a strong rookie season. The 25-year-old has taken over as Pittsburgh's primary catcher and has made the most of his opportunity. In 43 games on the season, Flores is batting .286/.354/.556 with six doubles, 10 home runs and 22 RBI.
Advertisement
Although there are still six games remaining on the schedule, Flores' game-winning home run on Sunday afternoon was like a cherry on top of an impressive rookie campaign.
"I don't think I'm trying to prove anything. I'm just trying to help the team win," he said of his rookie season. "I know the type of player I am and what I can provide."
Related Headlines
