Short Swing Helps Ramirez Go Long

A day off and a little extra work in the batting cage paid immediate dividends for Aramis Ramirez.

Ramirez homered three times in his first three at-bats Sunday, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Houston Astros, 9-3.

Ramirez drove in a career-high six runs. He tied the club record for home runs in a game, becoming the first Pittsburgh player to do it since Darnell Coles against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 20, 1987.

A day earlier, Ramirez was given a game off to help him shake out of a two-for-15 slump. He used the time to work with hitting coach Dave Clark.

“I wasn’t feeling good like I am right now,” Ramirez said. “My stride was too long, so I worked at shortening it. Today was the first game I went back to my old stance.”

Manager Lloyd McClendon noticed the difference.

“He shortened his swing and it obviously helped,” he said. “He had been opening up his stride. Dave worked with him on that. We need him to have a good year and this was a good way to break out.”

Joe Beimel (1-0), who went five innings to win in his major league debut, was glad to see Ramirez’s big day.

“He really had a tremendous day. When a team gives you that kind of run support, it takes a load off you,” Beimel said.

Ramirez, who had three home runs after five innings, only got to the plate one more time in his bid to tie the major league mark for homers in a game. He drew a four-pitch walk from Wayne Franklin in the seventh, then was left on-deck when the Pirates were retired in the ninth.

“With a runner on third, I knew they would not give me anything to hit that time,” Ramirez said. “That happens.”

Ramirez hit his first homer of the season, a two-run shot off Scott Elarton, in the first inning. He connected for a three-run homer in the third off Elarton that gave the Pirates a 7-1 lead. Ramirez topped off his day with a solo homer in the fifth off reliever Nelson Cruz.

It was Ramirez’s second multi-homer game in the majors. He hit two last July 28 against San Diego.