SAN FRANCISCO — So much for the Pirates ending their six-game road trip on a positive note.
Instead, they’ll fly back to Pittsburgh plenty frustrated after what happened at Oracle Park on Sunday afternoon, the result of a 7-6 loss to the Giants in 12 innings.
With runners on second and third, catcher Jesus Rodriguez singled to right to seal the victory in a game the Pirates had multiple opportunities to win, including holding a two-run lead with just one out remaining.
The Pirates went two for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13. Meanwhile, Henry Davis was doubled off in the 11th, and there’s growing concern within the bullpen.
It completes what could’ve been a 4-2 trip, one where the Pirates (22-19) must settle for 3-3 instead.
“Any time you go .500 on the road, that’s a good thing,” Ryan O’Hearn said. “Obviously feel like we could’ve come away with a win [Sunday]. It was a battle.
“You can always look back and see what you could have done better, but I think we have a great team. We’re just gonna keep this thing rolling.”
Spencer Horwitz pushed the Pirates in front, 6-4, with his two-run double in the top of the 10th. However, the Giants rallied to tie the game on shortstop Willy Adames’ two-run single.
After a stalemate in the 11th, the Pirates failed to score in the 12th. The Rodriguez hit was preceded by a ball O'Hearn did not catch, one that was close to an error but ultimately ruled a double.
“Fighting the sun the whole way,” O’Hearn said. “That was the only ball where the sun was involved to my left, up hight like that. When I got close to it, I’m trying to stay on the side of it to keep it out of the sun. Just didn’t make the play.”
Pittsburgh led by scores of 2-0, 4-2 and 6-4 but couldn’t close it out, falling to 3-4 in extra-innings game this season. It was their third walkoff loss of the year.
The Pirates were bidding to win their fifth consecutive series against National League opponents, which hadn’t happened since September 2015.
A huge part of why the Pirates couldn’t close this out involved concerning storylines with the bullpen. Yohan Ramirez, who couldn't protect the 6-4 lead, once again experienced control issues. Isaac Mattson got hit when he left too many two-strike fastballs over the plate. Dennis Santana was hardly the 2024-25 version of himself.
As the season has gone on, the Pirates have shown they’re capable of scoring runs. They have a terrific rotation. But the bullpen and defense have emerged as concerns, the one of those costing the Pirates a series victory against the Giants.
Griffin, Cruz homer
Strong game from Oneil Cruz, who walked stole second and scored in the first on Nick Gonzales’ single through a drawn-in infield.
Cruz added a solo home run in the 10th to tie Brandon Lowe for the team lead. Two-strike splitter middle-away. Cruz appropriately took it to left-center.
Griffin gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead in the second, the rookie crushing a hanging slider from Giants starter Tyler Mahle 413 feet to center for his third of the season.
It continued a strong stretch for Griffin, who entered Sunday’s game hitting .352 with six extra-base hits, six walks, five stolen bases and seven runs scored in 15 games since his birthday (April 24).
"He’s doing a great job," Kelly said. "He killed that ball. That was a line drive. That’s hard to do here in San Francisco. He’s got the power to leave anywhere, but to do what he did [Sunday], he just showed how special he is."
Another lead blown
Pittsburgh extended its lead to 4-2 on a double from Spencer Horwitz in the sixth, the first baseman lining a splitter in a similar spot to center.
Once again, the Giants closed the gap, scoring twice off Mattson in the sixth. Three doubles did the trick, all of them coming when Giants hitters pounced on two-strike fastballs that caught too much plate.
Ramos and third baseman Matt Chapman picked up the RBIs before Mason Montgomery entered the game and shut things down, recording five outs and keeping the ball in the infield the entire time.
Chandler takes step
It wasn’t a terribly eventful outing from Bubba Chandler, which wasn’t the worst thing. Chandler threw strikes and attacked. Walk total: one.
It was absolutely progress, as Chandler (three strikeouts) gave the Pirates five innings of two-run ball, leaving after 77 pitches (53 strikes).
"Get ahead, stay ahead, usually stuff works out in your favor," Chandler said. "For most of the day, 0-1 was really good. The one time it wasn't, I gave up a solo homer. Pitching with a lead, pitching ahead in counts makes the game a lot easier."
It was a somewhat awkward ending because Chandler slipped when fielding what became a bunt base hit from right fielder Jung Hoo Lee in the fifth. Chandler looked briefly shaken but was removed for pitch count, not injury.
Chandler threw 62% fastballs on the day and hardly used any breaking stuff — just 16%. It didn’t generate a ton of swing-and-miss, but the good part was that Chandler was around the plate a bunch.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.