Photo credit: @sfchronicle

By Jeremy Kahn

Buster Posey came up with the biggest hit of the weekend at the most opportune time in the game for the San Francisco Giants.

Posey launched a three-run home run off of Chris Archer in the top of the fifth inning, as the Giants hung onto the last batter to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 at PNC Park.

It was the first career home run of Poseys career against the Pirates, and it helped the Giants avoid the three-game sweep against the Pirates.

When Posey got back to the dugout, he was mobbed by his teammates and you could a smile on his face as well.

Just in front of Posey to scorewas Dereck Rodriguez, who singled to lead off the inning and then Steven Duggar singled.

Things got dicey for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth inning, as former Giants farmhand Bryan Reynolds hit a double into the right-field corner that kicked around to Duggar, who threw to Joe Panik, who in turn, threw to Posey to get Jung Ho Kang at the plate to end the game.

Closer Will Smith walked Francisco Cervelli with one out, and then Kang grounded into a force out that saw Brandon Crawford unable to turn the double play; however, they were able to get Cervelli at second base for the second out and then the game came to an end, when Kang was thrown at the plate.

Rodriguez made one mistake, but other than that, the right-hander was on point for the Giants.

Rodriguez gave up a two-run home run to Josh Bell in the bottom of the fourth inning, but was solid before and after that home run by Bell.

He went 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking just one and striking out four, as he improved to 3-2 on the season.

After not pitching yesterday, the Giants bullpen was well rested, as the trio of Reyes Moronta, Tony Watson and Smith went a combined 3.1 innings, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out three and it ended with Smith picking up his fifth save of the season.

Archer went five innings, giving up three runs on six hits, walking two and striking out two; however, that one-pitch to Posey sent to his first loss of 2019 against one win.

NOTES: Posey last hit a home run on June 19, 2018 off of Dan Straily of the Miami Marlins, a span of 237 at-bats. The Pirates were the last team that Posey never hit a home run against in his career, a total of 49 games.

UP NEXT: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants begin a brief two-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Jeff Samardzija will take the mound against the Blue Jays, as he wants to bounce back from his last start, where he went five innings, allowing four runs on five hits, walking two and striking out seven, as he lost to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.

Samardzija will face Trent Thornton, who is 0-2 with a 5.40 earned run average for the Blue Jays under first year manager Charlie Montoyo.