PITTSBURGH — They finally did it.

After spending weeks fighting their way back toward .500, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn't stop when they finally got there.

They climbed over it.

And once again, Brandon Lowe delivered the swing that changed everything.

Trailing Kansas City 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth, Lowe launched a go-ahead two-run home run into the right-field seats, sending PNC Park into a frenzy and lifting the Pirates to a dramatic 6-5 victory over the Royals.

It was Lowe's 33rd home run of the season.

His fourth homer in five games.

And unquestionably his biggest one yet.

Pirates 6. Royals 5.

Pittsburgh is 78-77.

For the first time since July 29, the Pirates are above .500.

Ronny Simon Starts the Party

Before Lowe provided the dramatic finish, another Pirate created a moment he'll remember forever.

Ronny Simon stepped to the plate in the second inning with Ryan O'Hearn aboard.

Kansas City starter Noah Cameron left a pitch where Simon could handle it.

Simon drove it just inside the left-field foul pole.

Gone.

His first Major League home run.

The two-run shot gave Pittsburgh an early 2-0 lead and gave Simon a memory that won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Kansas City Answers

The Royals cut Pittsburgh's lead in half one inning later.

Carter Jensen connected against Bubba Chandler for a solo home run in the third.

It was Jensen's 25th homer of the season, establishing a new Kansas City rookie record.

But Pittsburgh answered again.

Jake Mangum Goes Deep

The Pirates added to their lead in the fourth.

Simon reached base again, and Jake Mangum stepped in against Cameron.

Mangum drove a two-run homer to left field.

Pirates 4. Royals 1.

It was Mangum's fifth homer of the season and Pittsburgh's second two-run blast of the night.

For a while, it looked like that might be enough.

Kansas City had other ideas.

Chandler Battles Through Traffic

Bubba Chandler didn't have a clean night.

Kansas City consistently put runners on base against the young right-hander.

But Chandler kept finding ways to limit the damage.

He allowed eight hits and one walk while striking out six.

Chandler returned for the fifth but allowed a Bobby Witt Jr. single and a walk to Jac Caglianone before Pittsburgh went to the bullpen.

Both runners eventually scored.

Vinnie Pasquantino brought Witt home on a groundout before Michael Massey laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Caglianone.

Pirates 4. Royals 3.

Suddenly, the comfortable lead was gone.

O'Hearn Pulls Off One of the Plays of the Night

Massey's bunt didn't just produce a run.

It also produced one of Pittsburgh's best defensive plays of the season.

Ryan O'Hearn charged the ball from first base and made a glove flip between his legs toward Brandon Eisert covering the bag.

Eisert caught it and beat a head-first sliding Massey to first.

It didn't erase the run.

But it prevented the inning from continuing and preserved Pittsburgh's one-run lead.

The Lead Disappears

The Pirates carried that 4-3 advantage into the seventh.

Then things unraveled.

Kansas City collected four hits in the inning against Camilo Doval.

Jac Caglianone delivered an RBI single to tie the game.

Nick Loftin, who finished the night with four hits, followed with another RBI single.

Royals 5. Pirates 4.

After leading 4-1, Pittsburgh was suddenly six outs away from falling back to .500.

The Pirates needed another comeback.

Brandon Lowe Does It Again

The eighth inning began with Rafael Flores Jr. falling behind 0-2.

He battled.

Then he singled.

That brought Lowe to the plate against Kansas City reliever Steven Cruz.

One swing changed the entire night.

Lowe launched a pitch into the right-field seats for a two-run home run.

Pirates 6. Royals 5.

PNC Park exploded.

Lowe rounded the bases.

And a team that had spent much of the summer buried below .500 suddenly found itself on the other side.

Lowe Is Absolutely On Fire

This isn't simply a hot streak anymore.

Lowe is putting together one of the best power seasons by a Pirates hitter in years.

Saturday's homer was his 33rd of the season.

It was also his fourth home run in five games.

And his 19th homer at PNC Park this season.

That set a new PNC Park single-season record, surpassing Brian Giles' 18 home runs at the ballpark in 2001.

Lowe has become the veteran power bat Pittsburgh hoped it was acquiring.

And right now?

There might not be a hitter in this lineup Pirates fans would rather see at the plate with the game on the line.

Another Pirates Home Run Record Falls

Lowe's homer also made some team history.

Pittsburgh has now hit 96 home runs at PNC Park this season.

That's the most home runs the Pirates have ever hit at home in a single season.

The previous franchise record belonged to the 1947 Pirates, who hit 95 at Forbes Field.

Think about that for a second.

A record that had stood for nearly eight decades.

Gone.

Montgomery Slams the Door

Lowe gave Pittsburgh the lead.

Mason Montgomery made sure Kansas City didn't take it back.

Montgomery walked the leadoff hitter in the ninth, immediately putting the tying run aboard.

That runner stole second.

No panic.

Montgomery retired the next three hitters.

The final out came when Henry Davis made a sliding catch in foul territory near the Royals dugout.

Ballgame.

Montgomery earned his 15th save and extended his scoreless streak to 22 2/3 innings.

That is now the second-longest scoreless streak by a Pirates reliever in franchise history.

Steel Tahn Sports Player of the Game

Turning Point

Three Homers. Six Runs.

Pittsburgh didn't need another 15-hit performance.

Saturday was about power.

Simon hit a two-run homer.

Mangum hit a two-run homer.

Lowe hit a two-run homer.

Six runs. All six driven in by home runs.

The Pirates finished with nine hits.

Oneil Cruz, Flores and Lowe each had two.

But every Pittsburgh run came via the long ball.

For a team that has spent years desperately searching for power, that's a pretty significant development.

Above .500

Friday night, the Pirates reached .500.

Saturday night, they climbed above it.

78-77.

Seven games remain.

Pittsburgh has won three straight.

The Pirates have already secured this series against Kansas City.

And their pursuit of the franchise's first winning season since 2018 suddenly looks very real.

Pittsburgh needs to go just 4-3 over its final seven games to finish 82-80.

A 3-4 finish would produce an 81-81 record.

For months, a winning season felt like something far off in the distance.

It's not far away anymore.

The Bigger Picture

Look at what's happening around this team right now.

Lowe is crushing the baseball.

Simon just hit his first Major League homer.

Mangum delivered another big swing.

Cruz continues to reach base.

Flores is producing.

Montgomery has become one of the most reliable relievers in baseball.

And the Pirates have won three consecutive games.

They're not going to October.

But they're doing something important.

They're giving Pittsburgh a reason to care about the final week of the season.

The Bottom Line

They got to .500 Friday.

They could have stopped there.

Instead, they kept climbing.

Simon gave them the first lead.

Mangum extended it.

The bullpen gave it away.

And then Brandon Lowe took it right back.

Pirates 6. Royals 5.

78-77.

Above .500.

Seven games left.

And suddenly, the Pirates are four wins away from their first winning season since 2018.

What's Next?

Pittsburgh will look to complete the three-game sweep Sunday afternoon at PNC Park.

Kansas City is scheduled to start veteran right-hander Michael Wacha, who enters at 9-9 with a 3.34 ERA.

The Pirates had not announced a starter immediately following Saturday's victory.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET.

Friday was about reaching .500.

Saturday was about climbing above it.

Sunday is about the sweep.