Welcome Home: M’s Cole Young slugs go-ahead HR at PNC Park

Cole Young returned home in style.

Playing in front of family and friends in his first MLB game at the ballpark he grew up dreaming of playing at, the Seattle Mariners’ second baseman slugged the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to lift the M’s to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park.

Seattle Mariners 3, Pittsburgh Pirates 2: Box Score

Young stepped up to the plate with a runner on second base and nobody out with the Mariners down 2-1 in the top of the seventh and launched a sweeper from Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller well into the seats in right field for a two-run homer that traveled 381 feet and came off the bat at 100.9 mph.

It was Young’s seventh homer this season and third in his past 11 games.

The Mariners improved to 41-39 with the win.

The 22-year-old Young was born in Pittsburgh and attended to North Allegheny High School in nearby Wexford, Penn., which is a roughly 13-mile drive from PNC Park.

Young’s homer on Tuesday was his first hit in three career games against his hometown team. He got the chance to face the Pirates twice when they came to Seattle for a three-game series at T-Mobile Park last July, going 0 for 5 at the plate over his two games played.

The big blast helped right-hander George Kirby pick up his sixth win of the season. Kirby allowed two runs over six innings while striking out five.

Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 14th save.

Seattle’s other run came on a solo home run from Cal Raleigh in the fourth, his first homer since returning from the injured list last Tuesday.

The Mariners and Pirates continue their three-game series at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday. Radio coverage begins on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app with the pregame show at 2:30 p.m.

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