After dropping the first two games of the series against the San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates were hoping to avoid being swept in the finale on Sunday afternoon. They would battle back to get the game to extras, but missed opportunities and a big tenth inning for San Francisco got the Giants a win by the final of 8-4.
Pittsburgh led early when Bryan Reynolds drove home Jared Triolo with a single to center in the second inning. The Giants answered in the third with two runs. J.D. Davis drove in a pair with a single to right center and Joc Pederson added a run when he crossed the plate on a Luis Matos ground out. Triolo got the Pirates back within one in the sixth when he grounded out to score Henry Davis. He would then hit a sac fly in the eighth to tie the game at three.
San Francisco plated five runs in the tenth to put this game away. Pederson started it with a sac fly. That would be followed by Michael Conforto bringing in a pair with a double to right center. The final two runs came home on a Patrick Bailey double to left center. Pittsburgh got their final run when Andrew McCutchen scored on a Davis single to center.
Both teams used a lot of pitching to cover the ten innings this afternoon. Pirates starter Osvaldo Bido only worked 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. After five pitchers came out of the bullpen, Yerry De Los Santos was roughed up in the tenth. He would give up five runs, four earned, on three hits with two walks and one strikeout.
Alex Wood lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up one run on five hits with three walks and one strikeout. Ryan Walker got the win after striking out one of the three batters he faced in the ninth. Scott Alexander allowed the final run in the tenth, to go with one walk.
The best chance that Pittsburgh had today to earn the win came in the eighth. They were down a run with the bases loaded and zero outs. The offense only got a run out of that to tie the game, and send it to extras where they would eventually lose. The Pirates will now welcome the Cleveland Guardians to town for a three-game series starting Monday night. Cleveland has struggled this year, but are still in the mix to win a weak American League Central Division.
Record vs. Giants: 2-4
Record vs. N.L. West: 14-14
Record at Home: 22-24
Overall Record: 41-52
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
