In Zisk's rookie season, 1973, he batted .324 with ten home runs. On June 9, 1974, he hit for the cycle in a 14–1 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park. For the season, he led the Pirates with 100 runs batted in while also clubbing seventeen home runs. He made his only post-season appearances with the 1974 and 1975 Pirates. While batting an impressive .400 in the post-season, Zisk only scored one run and had no RBIs as the Pirates lost in five games to the Dodgers in the 1974 NLCS and were swept by the Reds in the 1975 NLCS. Following the 1976 season, the Pirates traded Zisk along with Silvio Martinez to the Chicago White Sox for Terry Forster and Rich Gossage.