Connor Joe hit a solo homerun against his former team and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching staff held the San Francisco Giants in check throughout for a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night.
This was a bullpen-heavy game for both teams, as a total of 11 pitchers were used on the night. Johan Oviedo started for Pittsburgh, giving up one run on three hits with five walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Dauri Moreta (2-1) earned the victory, and David Bednar tallied his 10th save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Sean Manaea (2-3) suffered the loss for the Giants, giving up one unearned run on four hits in four innings. Both pitching staffs were solid in relief, as the two offenses combined for just 11 hits.
Joe’s solo homerun came in the first inning and put the Pirates in front early. Michael Conforto’s single in the bottom of the inning, however, scored Mike Yastrzemski to tie the game. The game remained tied until the fifth inning, when the game-winning run scored on a wild pitch by Manaea. Rodolfo Castro scored the run, and from there, the Pirates’ bullpen was the hero of the game.
With the narrow victory on Tuesday, the Pirates have now put themselves in position to win this series in San Francisco. The rubber match of the series takes place Wednesday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 3:45pm. Mitch Keller will be on the mound for Pittsburgh against Alex Wood for the Giants. The final game of May is a crucial game for the Bucs before heading home to Pittsburgh for a three-game series this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
Record vs. Giants: 1-1
Record vs. N.L. West: 8-6
Record on the Road: 15-14
Overall Record: 27-27
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
