Mickey Moniak Turned 28 and Demolished Pirates Pitching With 5 RBIs and a Three-Run Bomb

Birthday boy Mickey Moniak just put on a clinic at PNC Park. The Colorado Rockies shortstop collected four hits and five RBIs on his 28th birthday Wednesday night, falling one hit short of the cycle and leading the Rockies to a 10-4 win over the Pirates. That kind of performance will make any birthday memorable.

Moniak's biggest moment came in the fifth inning when he launched a three-run homer off Pirates starter Mitch Keller to snap a 3-3 tie and shift the entire momentum of the game. The 372-foot blast was his 12th of the season and ignited a six-run fifth inning that essentially put the game away. It matched his career high for RBIs, set all the way back on September 14 against San Diego.

The Fifth Inning Explosion That Changed Everything

Before that sixth-run fifth, this game looked like it was headed in a completely different direction. Rockies starter Jose Quintana was cruising through Pittsburgh's lineup, but Mitch Keller on the other side was even better, retiring the first 12 batters he faced. The Pirates had already scratched out three runs and held a 3-3 tie going into the fifth. Then Colorado's bats woke up. TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Kyle Karros all singled to load the bases. Jake McCarthy drove in Johnston with a double, and Ezequiel Tovar knocked in Karros with a single to tie it back up. That brought Moniak to the plate, and he didn't waste the opportunity. His three-run shot put the Rockies ahead for good.

The damage didn't stop there. Moniak added a double in the eighth off Pirates reliever Brandan Bidois and then tripled in the ninth off Justin Lawrence to drive in the 10th run for Colorado. That's what you call an all-around performance on your birthday.

Keller Couldn't Survive the Onslaught

Keller took the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk. He never recovered after that brutal fifth inning. Antonio Senzatela came in and pitched three scoreless innings, though Ryan O'Hearn's solo homer off him in the sixth cut the lead to 6-4. Rumfield answered right back with his sixth home run of the season in the eighth to stretch it back out to three runs.

The Rockies snapped a three-game skid with the win. Colorado gets back to it as the teams head into their next matchup.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.