Bryan Reynolds' walk-off homer gives Pirates a win in Jared Jones' return

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 29, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — Jared Jones didn’t have a storybook return to the PNC Park mound. Bryan Reynolds made sure it got its perfect ending.

Reynolds hit a walk-off, two-run home run off Taylor Rogers in the ninth inning to give the Pirates a 6-5 win against Derek Shelton’s Minnesota Twins on Friday night at PNC Park.

The homer, Reynolds’ sixth, earned the Pirates a win in the series opener. Spencer Horwitz led off the inning with an infield single, then Reynolds brought him home with a blast to left two batters later.

Jones made his return to the PNC Park mound with a new choice of music, swapping Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” for Luke Combs’ “Back in the Saddle.” The meaning was obvious.

And Jones showed off quickly. He struck out leadoff man Byron Buxton on three fastballs — 100.6 mph, 100.4 mph, 100.7 mph — then induced a groundout from Brooks Lee.

But Kody Clemens, batting third, rudely welcomed Jones back to pro baseball’s highest level. Clemens blasted a 100.1-mph four-seamer over the Clemente Wall for a solo homer.

The Twins added two more in the second. Trevor Larnach’s single and two walks loaded the bases with no outs, then former Pirates prospect Tristan Gray brought in two runs with a single to left. And with two outs in the third, Larnach hit a two-run homer into the Allegheny (on a bounce) on a fastball Jones left down the middle.

Oneil Cruz hit a third-inning homer into the Allegheny River, just the seventh to land in the river on the fly in PNC Park history, to bring the Pirates within a run.

Jones responded with a scoreless fourth. He threw 77 pitches, striking out Clemens on his final pitch in the fifth.

The Pirates gave him support. They started with a three-run first against Twins starter Taj Bradley, aided by two walks and an error from third baseman Lee on Nick Gonzales’ slow hit grounder. Cruz brought in a run with a groundout, then Konnor Griffin added a two-out RBI single.

The Pirates looked to have lost when they came up with no runs after getting runners on second and third with no outs in the eighth. Cruz walked, then the Twins flubbed a possible Griffin double-play ball when second baseman Luke Keaschall whiffed on shortstop Gray’s throw.

After Griffin stole second, moving the go-ahead run into scoring position, Endy Rodriguez struck out. Jake Mangum, pinch hitting for Jhostynxon Garcia, grounded to first and Cruz was thrown out at home. Then Jared Triolo flew out to right field.

It was over when...

Reynolds’ homer hit the left field seats, igniting the crowd of 27,107.

On the mound

It’ll take time to see how much Carmen Mlodzinski will help the Pirates bullpen, but the verdict is in on fellow starter-turned-long-reliever Wilber Dotel. The 23-year-old has made a major difference.

Dotel threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts on Friday, keeping the deficit to one run by pitching the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. He allowed just one hit, throwing 38 pitches.

In six appearances spanning 13 2/3 innings, Dotel has a 1.32 ERA. He singlehandedly kept the Pirates in the game before Reynolds’ homer.

At the plate

Griffin made his first ever major league start at designated hitter and finished the game 2 for 4 with two singles.

The river balls from Larnach and Cruz were the 86th and 87th in PNC Park history. Cruz had the last homer into the Allegheny on the fly on June 22, 2024.

Bucs bites

— Before the game, the Pirates designated Justin Lawrence for assignment to clear a roster spot for Jones. Don Kelly said he hopes that Lawrence passes through waivers so the Pirates can work with him at Triple-A Indianapolis.

— Griffin is dealing with a low-grade muscle strain to one of his flexors in his forearm, Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said in a pregame update. He has not been cleared to throw, although he can bat. The Pirates plan to reassess him in the coming days.

— Ryan O’Hearn ran the bases pregame. Tomczyk said he was “completely asymptomatic” from his right lat strain. He could be a candidate to return to the majors in the coming days.

— As for Joey Bart, while he has progressed enough from the left foot infection that he can resume weight room activities and light tossing, he still remains weeks away from the majors.

Up next

The Pirates and Twins continue their three-game series at 4:05 p.m. Saturday. Right-hander Mitch Keller (5-2, 3.64 ERA) will face Twins right-hander Bailey Ober (6-2, 3.92).