Pirates' Jack Suwinski displays power to left, right fields in victory against Rockies

Before Tuesday night, Pittsburgh Pirates left-hand hitting Jack Suwinski never had hit a home run to the opposite field in the majors.

But he homered into the left-field and right-field seats at Coors Field to lead the Pirates to a 5-3 victory against the Colorado Rockies. It marked his second career multi-homer game, following the three he hit last year against the San Francisco Giants.

The homers Tuesday flew in his first two at-bats, giving him three in a row going back to his final plate appearance Monday night when he blasted one 461 feet in the Pirates’ 14-3 victory.

The home runs didn’t clear the walls by accident. Suwinski said they were the results of hard work with his coaches.

“Being able to hit the ball all over the field is something I can do and something we’ve been working on,” he said on AT&T SportsNet. “For that to happen in the game is knowing we’re on the right track.

“It goes to our prep work and the guys who have been helping me. I couldn’t do it alone, just staying in my faith and thanking God that I’m here with the abilities and talents I have in the position that I’m in.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton is happy to see Suwinski’s bat come alive after he started the season 1 for 15. Suwinski left Coors Field on Tuesday night with a six-game hitting streak, a slash line of .265/.350/.647 and a team-leading .997 OPS. He also has been the Pirates’ starting center fielder more than anyone else (eight of 18 games). Ji Hwan Bae (six) and Bryan Reynolds (four) also have started games in center this season.

“When he gets the ball out front, he can crush it,” said Shelton, who also was pleased that Suwinski drew a walk without chasing any bad pitches in the fifth inning. “Starting to see more consistent at-bats out of him is really good.”

Suwinski popped out to second base in his final at-bat in the eighth inning. If he had homered, he would have been the first Pirates player since Ralph Kiner in 1949 to hit four in a row.

Suwinski hit 19 home runs as a rookie last season, but he slashed .202/.298/.411, with a .709 OPS. At one point, he was hitless in 10 consecutive games before he was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis in July.

“We saw Jack have good at-bats last year,” Shelton said. “He went through that tough stretch. If you take that tough stretch out, his numbers are very respectable for a rookie, more than respectable for a rookie. It’s just knowing what he has in there that makes us have confidence in him.”

Shelton admitted that Suwinski likes hitting in Coors Field, where home runs are plentiful in any direction.

“He likes PNC, but I’m pretty sure he would sign up for this one to be second,” Shelton said.