Pirates’ Pedro Alvarez eliminated in first round of Home Run Derby

Until Monday night four Pittsburgh Pirates players in history have taken part in the Home Run Derby event, part of Major League Baseball’s all-star festivities. Those four players had combined to hit six total home runs.

Jul 15, 2013; Flushing , NY, USA; National League infielder Pedro Alvarez (24) of the Pittsburgh Pirates at bat during the Home Run Derby in advance of the 2013 All Star Game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Pirates’ slugger Pedro Alvarez equaled all of those former Bucco sluggers Monday night in the 2013 Home Run Derby by smacking six homers, but it wasn’t enough as El Toro was eliminated in the first round at Citi Field in New York.

Alvarez started slowly but came on strong after four quick outs and hit two of the longest homers in the competition, including a mammoth 461-foot shot to right-center field. The six homers that Alvarez hit averaged 402 feet.

However, Alvarez needed one more dinger to tie the Colorado Rockies’ Mike Cuddyer, whose seven homers earned him a trip to the second round.

Unfortunately for Alvarez, a New York native, he had to follow Oakland A’s slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who put on a show for the crowd at Citi Field by hitting a first round-leading 17 homers.

Despite the early exit from the derby, Alvarez is putting together a terrific season. His 24 homers make him only the third Pirates player to hit at least 24 homers by the All-Star break, joining Ralph Kiner and Willie Stargell.

In addition El Toro joined Bobby Bonilla (1990), Barry Bonds (1992), Jason Bay (2005) and Andrew McCutchen (2012) as Pirates players to compete in the Home Run Derby.

The final first round standings were as follows: