Pittsburgh Pirates rookie first baseman Josh Bell came up clutch for the Pirates to start the post all-star break stretch of the 2017 MLB season, and he knew that he did right away.
Facing St. Louis Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh in the bottom of the 9th inning, Bell ripped a 94 mile per hour fastball to left field for a three-run walk-off home run to improve the Pirates record on the season to 43-47. It was the first career walk-off home run for Bell, and the third by the Pirates this season, the most in the National League per ESPN Stats & Info.
That 3-run home run brought Bell’s RBI total to 4 on the night to pair with a RBI single he had in the 3rd inning to score Gerrit Cole. In the top of the 9th after Oh came in for Trevor Rosenthal, Adam Frazier doubled to left, and then Josh Harrison flied out to right. St. Louis then intentionally walked Andrew McCutchen to face Bell, and then an estimated 376 feet later:
Bell is now batting .243/.328/.484 on the season with 17 home runs and 48 runs batted in. Bell would be getting more consideration for National League rookie of the year if Cody Bellinger wasn’t mashing the way he is for the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of baseball’s best teams.
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