Pirates cobble together needed victory over Giants

It wasn’t pretty. But style points don’t matter at this point.

The Pirates won another series with a 5-2 victory over the Giants on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, keeping hope alive for a potential playoff push.

Mario Lemieux would’ve been proud of this one. Just look at the ways the Pirates scored their five runs:

• Oneil Cruz bases-loaded walk
• Jake Mangum hit by pitch
• Mangum bunt and a Giants error
• Jared Triolo beating out a potential double play
• Mangum scored on sacrifice fly

Who cares, right? The Pirates once again leveraged a bullpen game to perfect and earned a win they absolutely needed to have.

"We talked a lot about the littler details that matter with situational hitting and finding a way to keep the line moving," Pirates manager Don Kelly said. "I thought today might’ve been our best day overall of manufacturing runs, finding a way to score in different ways."

The Pirates have led MLB in hits for a good chunk of the season, but they didn’t use a single one to score a run. Instead, they took advantage of myriad Giants mistakes.

They also pressed the issue with solid at-bats.

In the first, San Francisco starter Blade Tidwell walked three and hit Mangum. A walk to Oneil Cruz made it 1-0, the ball that plunked Mangum 2-0.

Mangum helped extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-0 when Giants reliever Reiver Sanmartin threw away a bunt attempt before Jared Triolo beat out a double-play ball, allowing Mangum to score.

The Giants answered with a pair of runs in the seventh charged to Khristian Curtis, who was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to the game. Jung-Hoo Lee lined a first-pitch fastball for a double. Second baseman Nate Furman’s grounder to first cut it to 4-2.

Mangum scored on Triolo's sacrifice fly in the eighth to run out the scoring, a perfect way to end a game where the "spark plug" outfielder was everywhere.

"All the little things that he does, a lot of different ways that help you win," Kelly said of Mangum. "He’s been a real key contributor for us and was again today."

'Really amazing'

Khristian Curtis, recalled before the game, worked three innings, allowed two runs and earned his first Major League win.

It was a day he won't soon forget. Curtis got a call late Wednesday that he might be needed and drove to Pittsburgh from Toledo. He got about four hours of sleep and woke up at the team hotel around 8 a.m.

Curtis didn't arrive at PNC Park until about 11:40 a.m. but wound up being needed in the fourth inning. He took on the assignment and thrived.

"What he did was really amazing," Kelly said.

And historic.

In the past 80 years, only four Pirates pitchers have began than MLB careers with a scoreless streak of 11 innings or longer.

It's the longest since Paul Maholm started with 11 scoreless innings in 2005.

Season by the numbers

69-72: Overall record

5.0: Games back in NL Wild Card race

5: Series wins in past 6 chances

2019: Pittsburgh’s last home series victory against the Giants came April 19-21 of that season.

Bachar opens

It happened just minutes before the MLB Trade Deadline. But the addition of Lake Bachar continues to pay dividends for the Pirates.

Bachar opened again and fared well, allowing no hits or runs through 2 1/3 innings. He did walk two but also struck out three. Since joining the Pirates, Bachar has pitched to a 2.84 ERA through 19 innings, with four starts in his nine appearances.

The right-hander has walked 11 and struck out 19 while holding opposing hitters to a .143 batting average against.

Bachar struck out right fielder Drew Gilbert and designated hitter Rafael Devers to start. Jacob Gonzalez helped Bachar by making a spinning play to get first baseman Bryce Eldridge to end the first.

Finding a Flo

When Rafael Flores Jr. threw out left fielder Turner Hill in the second inning, it represented a a continued ascent with how Flores has thrown the ball. He started the season 0 for 12 through nine games when it comes to throwing out runners. But since Aug. 13 at the Marlins — a game where Flores also homered twice — he’s thrown out 4 of 13 over his past 15 games.

Griffin to return

Surprise, surprise … OK, very little surprise, Konnor Griffin said he expects to return on Friday, the first day he’s eligible to come off the 60-day injured list.

Griffin last played in a game on July 5 after suffering an injury to the sagittal band in his left ring finger.

The Pirates were 22-27 without Griffin prior to Thursday’s game, while the 20-year-old has hit .276 with a .736 OPS in 59 MLB games. Griffin has 10 doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 35 runs scored.

“The rehab stuff went well,” Griffin said. “If they’re ready to activate me, I’ll be ready to go.”

Treatment required Griffin to have his finger in a split for six weeks. When the splint came off, he was pleasantly surprised — so were the Pirates — with how much grip strength he retained.

Griffin appeared in three rehab games, two with Indy and one in Altoona, going 3 for 11. Now, the focus will shift to helping the Major League club execute a playoff push.

“Just ready to get back after it, try to go win some games,” Griffin said. “It’s been driving me nuts watching the games on my phone. It’ll be fun to finally be back in there competing.”

Up next

The Pirates will welcome the Angels for three this weekend, as Jared Jones (2-6, 4.83) is expected to start. Pittsburgh has played just nine games against the Angels since PNC Park opened, fewest vs. any team in stadium history.

Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.