SAN FRANCISCO -- If the Giants are going to find a way to climb out of their early season rut, they’re going to need their core group of position players to start showing more fight at the plate.
They showed progress in that regard on Sunday, when Heliot Ramos homered and drove in two runs, and rookie Jesus Rodriguez delivered a walk-off single to help the Giants edge the Pirates, 7-6, in 12 innings and clinch a series victory at Oracle Park.
The Giants trailed, 6-4, after Joel Peguero gave up a two-run double to Spencer Horwitz in the top of the 10th, but they managed to tie the game on Willy Adames’ two-out, two-run single to left field in the bottom half of the inning.
San Francisco went on to load the bases after Pirates right-hander Yohan Ramírez plunked Matt Chapman and Drew Gilbert, but it missed a chance to walk it off after Rodriguez went down swinging on a sweeper to end the inning.
The Pirates threatened in the top of the 11th after Henry Davis walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. But former Bucco Ryan Borucki escaped the jam by striking out Oneil Cruz and getting Brandon Lowe to line out to Adames, who then threw over to first baseman Bryce Eldridge to double off Davis and complete a 6-3 twin-killing.
Still, the Giants couldn’t score their automatic runner in the bottom of the 11th. The Pirates intentionally walked Luis Arraez and Eldridge to load the bases with one out for Christian Koss, who entered the game to pinch-run for Rafael Devers in the 10th and stayed in to serve as the designated hitter.
Koss, who came into the game with only 14 plate appearances this season, bounced a grounder to the left side. Third baseman Nick Gonzalez threw home to get Rodriguez. Ramos then grounded out to send the game to the 12th.
Borucki returned to the mound for a second inning and worked around a pair of walks -- one intentional -- to post another scoreless frame, giving the Giants a chance to complete their comeback in the bottom of the 12th.
The Giants caught a break when Pirates right fielder Ryan O’Hearn couldn’t track down an opposite-field drive from Chapman, allowing it to fall for a double that put runners on second and third with one out. Pittsburgh intentionally walked Gilbert to load the bases for Rodriguez, but the young backstop came through with a game-winning bloop single to right-center field that finally ended the three-hour and 51-minute marathon.