Hayes’ Homer in 9th Defeats Pirates, 8-7

Von Hayes was looking for another two-base hit with two outs in the ninth inning Thursday in the Phillies’ game against the Pirates. He wound up with a long home run to right.

“My swing dictates line drives,” said Hayes, who leads the National League with 30 doubles. “And I was looking for a pitch I could drive in the gaps. It was a fastball up and it really felt good.”

Hayes, who was 3 for 3 in the game, hit a 3-2 pitch off Pittsburgh reliever Barry Jones, 1-2, over the right-center field fence at Philadelphia to beat the Pirates, 8-7.

The homer was Hayes third straight game-winning RBI.

“He (Jones) got behind 3-0, then threw two balls trying to keep the ball away. Then I got a pitch I could drive,” Hayes said.

“We hit some balls good today,” Phillies Manager John Felske. “Hayes really hit it hard and Gary Redus is swinging the ball well.”

Pirate Manager Jim Leyland was upset with a missed sign by R.J. Reynolds in the Pirates’ seventh. With Johnny Ray on third with one out and the Pirates up 7-5, Reynolds swung and missed on what should have been a squeeze bunt. Ray was caught in a rundown.

“That’s what happens when people don’t apply themselves,” said Leyland. “But it’s part of the game and nobody feels worse than he does.”

Kent Tekulve, 5-1, pitched one inning for the victory.

Redus tied the game for the Phillies in the eighth with his third homer in two games and ninth of the season. He drove a 3-1 pitch from Jones to center field.

The Pirates scored five times in the sixth for a 7-5 lead.

Ray led off the sixth against Charles Hudson with his fifth home run of the season. Sid Bream and Reynolds singled and Tony Pena’s double scored Bream.

Mike Jackson relieved Hudson, walked Jim Morrison, then gave up a two-run double by pinch-hitter Bobby Bonilla. Morrison scored on a groundout by Pirates starter Bob Walk, who also doubled in a run in the second.

Philadelphia’s Ron Roenicke singled in a run in the seventh.

The Pirates had taken a 1-0 lead in the first on Barry Bonds’ 13th homer of the year and made it 2-0 in the second on Walk’s double.

The Phillies tied it in the third when Juan Samuel tripled in one run and scored on a single by Hayes.

The Phillies went ahead in the third on Redus’ first homer and a two-run single by Glenn Wilson.