Pittsburgh Pirates beat Kansas City Royals 8-5 as rookie Konnor Griffin gets four hits

On Friday night in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-5, overcoming an early four-run deficit. Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin had four hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning. Brandon Lowe hit his 32nd home run. The Pirates collected 15 hits and moved to 77-77, back to .500, as they chase their first winning season since 2018. Paul Skenes allowed five runs in six innings, and his ERA rose to 3.91. The series continues Saturday.