Mickey Moniak Turns 28 With a 5-RBI Explosion, and the Pirates Had No Answer

Sometimes a birthday present to yourself beats anything wrapped in a box. Mickey Moniak walked into PNC Park on his 28th birthday Wednesday night and absolutely went to work, collecting four hits and five RBIs to lead the Colorado Rockies to a 10-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The guy came one hit short of the cycle, which is the kind of night you dream about when you're blowing out candles.

The Fifth Inning That Changed Everything

The game was tight at 3-3 heading into the fifth when Rockies starter Jose Quintana gave way to Antonio Senzatela, and that's when Colorado's bats woke up. Moniak hammered a three-run homer off Pirates starter Mitch Keller (4-2) that was good for 372 feet and gave the Rockies a lead they wouldn't relinquish. It was his 12th homer of the season and the centerpiece of a brutal six-run fifth inning that flipped the script entirely.

Keller had been cruising before that, retiring the first 12 batters he faced. Then suddenly Colorado strung together singles from TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Kyle Karros to get the party started. Jake McCarthy drove in Johnston with a double, Ezequiel Tovar tied it up with a single, and three batters later, Moniak's blast put the Rockies in the driver's seat for good.

A Birthday to Remember

Moniak didn't stop after the homer either. He doubled off Pirates reliever Brandan Bidois in the eighth and tripled in the ninth off Justin Lawrence to account for that 10th run. The five RBIs matched his career high from September 14th against San Diego last year. Not bad for a Wednesday night.

The Pirates got a couple of runs back when Ryan O'Hearn launched his sixth home run of the season off Senzatela in the sixth inning to make it 6-4. Then Rumfield pushed it back to three with his own sixth homer of the season off Bidois in the eighth. Rumfield finished with three hits himself.

Keller lasted 5 2/3 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Senzatela came in for Quintana and pitched three clean innings except for O'Hearn's blast, allowing just one run overall. Senzatela sits at 3-0 on the season.

The game started 25 minutes late due to weather, but once it got going, the Rockies snapped a three-game losing streak in convincing fashion. That's the kind of birthday performance that sticks with you.

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