Just imagine how different the MLB history books would look if Pirates manager Don Kelly had acted on his instincts. Once the Pittsburgh Pirates built a comfortable lead over the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park, Kelly considered giving the 32-year-old a breather. But he ultimately decided against it, unwilling to rob his star of a chance to make history. Then came the sixth inning, and it all made sense.

“Today’s a day I’ll remember forever,” Ryan O’Hearn said.

Indeed, O’Hearn, and so will the baseball fans, especially after the curtain call.

On Tuesday, the left-handed slugger took to the plate and delivered what was an exceptional performance with three swings, three home runs, and ten RBIs. The same was posted on X by Jacob Calvin Meyer.

Now, who would’ve thought that such an exceptional performance was to unfold just seven months after he was signed by the Pirates in January during the offseason? Even his backstory makes it all the more interesting. Though he has played baseball all his life, he didn’t reach the majors until the age of 25, and to top that, he got the All-Star honor just last season when he turned 31.

Now let’s come back to the Pirates’ 12-4 win over Atlanta. What the 32-year-old did was something the Pirates haven’t seen since their inception in 1882. Until now, the single-game record was held at nine RBIs, set by Johnny Rizzo against St. Louis on May 30, 1939. Across the 145 seasons they have played, this is the first time a player has driven in 10 runs in the game. So, what made it possible?

A grand slam in the opening inning, followed by a three-run homer in the third off Braves starter Hurston Waldrep and another three-run blast against reliever Connor Thomas in the sixth, completely changed the game. During this deep run, he also bagged the 100th home run of his nine-year career. Then his 10 RBIs were equally historic as well.

It stands as the most in the majors by a player this season, and it’s not just limited to that. He also became the 11th big leaguer since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920 to have at least three home runs and 10 RBIs in a game. And it also happens to be the first since September 2024 when Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani did it against Miami. Even the slugger couldn’t believe the numbers he put up.

“After I got in the dugout, I was like, ‘No kidding, 10 RBIs, that’s insane,’” O’Hearn said. “That’s good for a month.”

As of now, the right fielder’s stat line boasts 16 homers, 61 RBIs, .293 avg with .851 OPS in  77 games played. And those are the numbers when we aren’t even through the first half of the season. He is just shy of one home run to equal his career high, set last season. That is certainly the kind of momentum the Pirates need after losing the series against the Colorado Rockies and the Cincinnati Reds. And all the Pirates fans have to do now is trust the process and keep believing in the 22nd player to hit four homers in a game.

“We’re going to keep rocking,” O’Hearn said. “We have good players.”

In fact, just hours before this game, the Pirates faced a setback as their rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin endured a left-hand injury, which puts him out for at least 2 months. But their outing against the Braves proved that they are on the right track, as O’Hearn’s was not the only performance that stood out.

Pittsburgh Pirates see an eventful Tuesday

Sure, O’Hearn’s efforts were immense as the Pirates look for a fourth straight win, but another positive storyline to emerge from the bullpen was that of

Paul Skenes. He gave up two runs on eight hits over six solid innings, walking one and striking out four. The reigning NL Cy Young winner, who had been previously replaced by his teammate Braxton Ashcraft, kept his velocity consistent as well during play.

After seeing a dip into the mid-90s during a loss to Philadelphia last week, he struck in the 97-98 m.p.h. range. Over the past few weeks, most of the questions the starting pitcher faced during his postgame interviews have been about

his poor performance. But Tuesday finally ended his winless streak, which had dated back to May.

“Paul is a competitor that wants to win, and he does block out the noise very well, and it’s hard to do that when you’re as good as he is and the expectations that he puts on himself. To be able to navigate that and come out tonight against a good Braves lineup and pitch the way he did, especially with the way the first inning went (was huge). He’s such an elite competitor,” Don Kelly said after the game.

Much like in his previous outings, Skenes allowed three straight Braves to reach base after retiring the first two batters he faced, giving Atlanta a 1-0 lead. It was not ideal, but he did manage to come out of it, and right now, the Pirates have bagged the series opener. And of course, the Pirates fans have their fingers crossed for the remaining two games. Do you?