CLEVELAND (Interstat) — The Cleveland Guardians stormed back from a three-run deficit with a three-run eighth inning and then second baseman Travis Bazzana crushed a two-run home run in the ninth to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday at Progressive Field.

The Pirates jumped ahead early, scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth innings against Guardians starter Will Dion. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth, but Cleveland’s offense finally broke through against the Pirates bullpen.

Pirates starter Khristian Curtis delivered a dominant outing, allowing just two hits over five scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Curtis retired the first six batters he faced and did not allow a runner past second base until the third inning, when Steven Kwan singled and Bazzana followed with another single, but a groundout and a flyout ended the threat. Curtis left after the fifth with a 3-0 lead, having thrown 67 pitches.

The Pirates manufactured their runs through patient at-bats and timely hitting. In the second, Ryan O’Hearn walked, Marcell Ozuna singled and Brandon Lowe sacrificed O’Hearn home with a fly ball to right field. In the third, Nick Gonzales doubled and scored on Esmerlyn Valdez’s double to right-center. In the fourth, Brandon Lowe walked, Rafael Flores Jr. walked and Jake Mangum’s soft grounder to catcher Austin Hedges scored Lowe when Hedges threw wildly to first base for an error.

Pittsburgh’s offense went quiet after that. The Pirates managed only three more hits over the final five innings and struck out 12 times overall, including six strikeouts in the last three frames. Will Dion of Cleveland worked a perfect sixth and struck out the side in the seventh before giving way to a parade of Guardians relievers.

Cleveland’s comeback began in the eighth against Pirates reliever Dennis Santana. Kwan led off with a single to center. After Bazzana struck out, Brayan Rocchio singled to center, moving Kwan to second. Chase DeLauter then lined a single to right field, scoring Kwan to cut the deficit to 3-1. Kahlil Watson followed with an opposite-field single to right, plating Rocchio to tie the game at 3. Santana walked Daniel Schneemann, then struck out Kyle Manzardo and Gabriel Arias to escape further damage.

In the ninth, the Guardians finished the rally. Patrick Bailey led off with a single to right off Santana. Kwan doubled to left field, but Bailey was thrown out at home on a relay from left fielder Bryan Reynolds to third baseman Nick Gonzales to catcher Rafael Flores Jr. That left Kwan at second with one out. Bazzana then jumped on a 2-1 pitch from Santana and drove it over the center-field wall for his eighth home run of the season, ending the game.

Santana took the loss, falling to 2-6. He allowed four runs on five hits over 1 2/3 innings. Cade Smith earned the win for Cleveland, tossing a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts to improve to 4-1. Seven Guardians relievers combined for five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and striking out 10.

Shawn Armstrong struck out the side in the sixth. Colin Holderman worked a clean seventh with one strikeout. Franco Aleman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. The Guardians bullpen did not issue a walk over the final five innings, allowing just one hit.

The Pirates managed six hits in the ballgame. Bryan Reynolds doubled and walked in four plate appearances. Nick Gonzales and Esmerlyn Valdez each doubled and drove in a run. Jake Mangum singled and drove in a run. Marcell Ozuna had two singles.

Cleveland collected 11 hits. Kwan went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Bazzana drove in three runs. Rocchio had two hits and scored a run. Watson added two hits and an RBI. The Guardians grounded into two double plays but did not commit an error.

The first game of the twin bill drew an attendance of 32,997. The game lasted 2 hours, 53 minutes.

The victory evened the season series between the two teams at one game apiece. Pittsburgh won the series opener Friday night, 7-1. The Pirates’ record moved to 53-48, while Cleveland improved to 52-48.

Both teams are scheduled to play the second game of the doubleheader later Saturday afternoon at Progressive Field. The Pirates will send right-hander Mitch Keller to the mound against Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams. Keller is 9-6 with a 3.89 ERA, while Williams is 6-7 with a 4.12 ERA.