Mickey Moniak Went Full Unicorn Mode on His Birthday and the Pirates Never Recovered

Picture this: it's your 28th birthday, you're at the plate in Pittsburgh, and you decide to absolutely demolish Mitch Keller. That was Mickey Moniak's Wednesday night at PNC Park, and the Colorado Rockies aren't complaining about how it went down. Moniak collected four hits and drove in five runs while coming one hit shy of a cycle, leading the Rockies to a 10-4 stomping of the Pirates.

The Birthday Blast That Changed Everything

The game was tied 3-3 heading into the fifth inning when Keller, who had absolutely dealt through the first 12 batters, started to crack. A couple singles put runners in scoring position, then Moniak stepped up and sent a three-run homer sailing 372 feet to right field. That blast, his 12th of the season, broke the tie wide open and sparked a six-run inning that essentially decided the whole thing. Moniak matched his career high for RBIs, which he had set back in September against the Padres.

But he wasn't done. Moniak added a double in the eighth off Pirates reliever Brandan Bidois and capped off the night with a triple in the ninth, each extending Colorado's advantage. TJ Rumfield also went deep twice, including a solo shot in the eighth that pushed the Rockies' lead back to three runs after Ryan O'Hearn had cut it to 6-4 with his own homer in the sixth.

Keller's Perfect Game Dream Dies in the Fifth

Mitch Keller looked like he was going to be scary effective early. He retired the first 12 batters without issue, putting the Pirates in position to maybe pull off something special. Then the fifth inning happened. TJ Rumfield, Troy Johnston, and Kyle Karros singled to get Colorado's first run across. Jake McCarthy drove in Johnston with a double, Ezequiel Tovar tied it with a single, and then Moniak went yard. Keller finished by allowing six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk over 5 2/3 innings.

Antonio Senzatela took over for the Rockies in the fifth and was sharp, allowing just one run over three innings. Jose Quintana started for Colorado before Senzatela came in.

Next Up

The Rockies snapped a three-game losing streak with this dominant effort and showed they can strike fast when things get going. The Pirates, meanwhile, got Paul Skenes' no-hit bid deep into the seventh the night before, only to see their next starter get roughed up just 24 hours later. That's baseball.

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