Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

Even though the date on the calendar says April 20, weather and timely hitting by the Pittsburgh Pirates helped them out in the long run.

Cole Tucker hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, helping the Pirates defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-1 in a game called after just five innings due to rain.

It was a three-hour 20-minute rain delay that saw Tucker pickup his first major league hit when he launched a 431-foot home run to centerfield that sent the Giants to their fourth straight defeat.

Steven Duggar tied up the game in the top of the fifth inning, as he picked an opposite field single that scored Kevin Pillar from second base.

In what could have been a big inning came to a heartbreaking halt, as Gerardo Parra lined into a double play that doubled Derek Holland off of first base. Holland reached on a bunt single down the third base line.

Pillar ended up going 2-for-2 in the rain shortened game that saw the game lasted just around 90 minutes after the 4:05 (eastern time) start.

Jung Ho Kong put the Pirates on the board, as he hit his third home run of the season, a solo home run off of Holland that gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Jameson Tallion pitched five innings, allowing just one run, scattering four hits, walking one and striking out three, as he won for the first time this season after losing two.

Holland saw his record fall to 1-3, as he also five innings, allowing three runs, also scattering four hits, walking just one and striking out seven.

NOTES: Once again, the Giants did not score in the first inning, making it 22 consecutive games that they have not scored, tying the 1952 Chicago White Sox and the 2007 Washington Nationals for second place. The 1948 Chicago White Sox hold the major- league record for not scoring a run in their first 28 games.

Tallion retired the Giants on nine pitches in that first inning, as they are now 6-for-69 in the opening frame on the 2019 season.

In his major-league career, Buster Posey does not have a home run against the Pirates in 184 career at-bats against the Pirates.

UP NEXT: Dereck Rodriguez looks to stop the losing streak, as he takes the mound on Sunday afternoon. This will be the second career start for Rodriguez against the Pirates, as he is 1-0 against the Pirates all-time.

On August 12, 2018, Rodriguez went seven innings, allowing one run on two hits, walked one and struck out four, as the Giants defeated the Pirates 2-1.

Chris Archer will go to the mound for the Pirates, as they go for the series sweep. Archer will make his first start after returning from the suspended list. Archer is 1-0 on the season.

Archer was suspended for five games after throwing a pitch behind Derek Dietrich on April 7.