Manager Clint Hurdle, though, put the feat in perspective.

Rookie Colin Moran isn’t big on showing emotion Christian Wilkins Jersey , so he took it in stride after hitting his second grand slam of the season.


”Two grand slams in a year is pretty cool. Some guys don’t hit one their whole career,” Hurdle said after Moran’s slam helped carry the Pirates to a 7-5 victory against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. ”In his rookie season, too. He hunts pitches. He’s got a lot of confidence when he goes to the plate. He prepares.”

In fact, none of Hurdle’s 32 home runs over a 10-year career came with the bases loaded.

Corey Dickerson and Elias Diaz also homered for the Pirates, who took two of three games.

Moran connected off Tyson Ross with two outs in the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 6-3. He also hit a grand slam in the home opener on April 2, a 5-4 victory against Minnesota.

Ross, who singled and then had his first career stolen base a half inning earlier, faltered with two outs in the fifth. Austin Meadows doubled, Josh Bell walked and Josh Harrison beat out an infield single to load the bases. Moran then drove a 1-0 pitch to right for his eighth homer.

”It’s cool Michael Deiter Jersey ,” Moran said of hitting two slams in one season. ”But I guess it was just kind of nice to get some runs in there and get us the lead, so that was the biggest thing.”

The only other rookie in Pirates history to hit two grand slams in a season was Wally Westlake in 1947. Moran was the first Pirates player with two grand slams in a season since Jose Bautista in 2006.

”Those are cool things,” Hurdle said. ”They don’t happen for everybody. They don’t happen to many guys whatsoever. It goes back to preparation, opportunity and then production, and he’s been able to pull that off. … He’s ready to hit. He knows what he’s hunting to hit.”

Moran made his big league debut with Houston in 2016, appearing in nine games. He appeared in seven games with Houston last season before being sent to Pittsburgh along with Joe Musgrove and two other players in the deal for Gerrit Cole. Moran had 34 big league at-bats coming into this season.

”He’s one of the calmest people I’ve ever played with,” Dickerson said. ”He just has no emotion. He has a good plan. He does the same thing every day. You don’t ever change stuff up. He’s very simple. Simple sometimes is the best in great moments like that. He came through.”

Dickerson homered in the second, his sixth, and Diaz homered leading off the sixth, his sixth.

The Padres closed to 7-5 on Wil Myers’ infield RBI single with one out in the sixth and then loaded the bases on Eric Hosmer’s walk. But Steven Brault got Hunter Renfroe to hit a flyball to right that wasn’t deep enough to bring in Jose Pirela, and Kyle Crick struck out pinch-hitter Christian Villanueva.

Crick (1-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win. Felipe Vazquez pitched the ninth for his 17th save.

Ross (5-6) Daniel Jones Jersey , who has been mentioned in trade rumors, was chased by Diaz’s homer. Ross had his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs and seven hits, with three walks and no strikeouts.

”I didn’t throw the ball particularly well,” Ross said. ”I could’ve been a lot better with two outs and two strikes. That’s kind of where I really got myself into trouble.

”That big fifth inning, had two strikes on Meadows and two outs, and double to left and then everything kind of unfolded from there. Days like this happen. I still had a chance to win that game, just wasn’t able to put hitters away when I had two-strike counts.”

Said manager Andy Green: ”You’ve got two outs and nobody on and Tyson on the mound, you kind of like that situation right there. Next thing you know, bases are loaded and one pitch is hit out of the ball park, and that kind of changes the trajectory of the game. It’s a frustrating one.”

Pirates starter Jameson Taillon went 4 2-3 innings Dexter Lawrence Jersey , allowing four runs, three earned, and seven hits while striking out four and walking three. He got the first two outs of the fifth before allowing Renfroe’s homer to left, his fifth, that pulled the Padres to 6-4. Taillon allowed singles to Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje before making way for Edgar Santana, who struck out Freddy Galvis.

Ross hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the second. He singled with two outs in the fourth and then got the first stolen base of his career. He was stranded when Manuel Margot grounded out.

Renfroe also hit an RBI double in the third.

WEATHERS SIGNS

The Padres agreed to terms with LHP Ryan Weathers, their first-round selection, seventh overall, in June’s amateur draft. He is the son of former big league pitcher David Weathers.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Nick Kingham (2-3, 3.82) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will counter with LHP Alex Wood (4-5 Deandre Baker Jersey , 4.00).

Padres: LHP Clayton Richard (7-7, 4.29) is scheduled to start Tuesday night’s opener of a two-game series at Oakland, which counters with RHP Chris Bassitt (1-3, 2.82).

Perhaps you’ve heard, Kliff Kingsbury is young. And he works hard, drawing clever offensive schemes.But the new Cardinals coach also knows there are things he doesn’t know, and has been willing to seek out the help he’s going to need in his first year as an NFL head coach.In a lengthy profile by Darren Urban of the team’s official website, there are good stories about Kingsbury’s work ethic and background in the college game, and his rapid rise to an unexpected NFL job.That has also created some resentment and skepticism in the business, about a guy who was fired after going 35-40 at Texas Tech. Kingsbury probably hasn’t seen those stories.“I don’t read things, I have people sort out my mail and e-mails Oshane Ximines Jersey ,” Kingsbury said. “I’m a positive-vibe person. I just don’t let the negativity get near me.”Until the Cardinals reverse their on-field fortunes, there will likely be more of that, but Kingsbury does seem to realize the challenges.Cardinals scout Adrian Wilson was part of the coaching search process, giving owner Michael Bidwill and General Manager Steve Keim a different perspective on the candidates. One of the things he said stood out about Kingsbury was “the confidence in terms of him having self-awareness that he will need some type of help.”Bringing in former Broncos head coach Vance Joseph as his defensive coordinator is a step in that direction. If nothing else, Joseph can help with the unforeseen pitfalls a rookie coach can encounter.