Sacramento A’s starter Jeffery Springs will make the start against the Houston Astros on Tue Sep 23, 2025 at Sutter Health Field in West Sacramento (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 The Sacramento A’s on Sunday were trounced in the last leg of their road trip against the Pittsburgh Pirates 11-0 at PNC Park. The Pirates Jared Triolo and Joey Bart both hit a home run and got four hits in the slugfest.
#2 For Triolo it was his seventh homer of the season and it landed in the left center field bleachers off A’s pitcher Mitch Spence.
#3 To add insult upon injury the Pirates Joey Bart slugged a three run home run off A’s reliever Osvaldo Bido to make it 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
#4 For the A’s Spence went 3.1 innings allowing seven runs, nine hits and reliever Bido allowed three runs, four hits in 2.2 innings of work.
#5 The A’s return back to Sacramento and this will be their final homestand for the 2025 season. The A’s will be hosting the Houston Astros starting Tuesday night. Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) first pitch 7:05pm PT
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Pittsburgh Pirates Joey Bart circles the bases after hitting a three run bottom of the fifth inning home run against the Sacramento A’s at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sun Sep 21, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s Silenced in Pittsburgh as Pirates Dominate 11-0
By Mauricio Segura
The A’s had a dismal Saturday afternoon running headfirst into a Pittsburgh Pirates buzzsaw that chewed them up and spit them out in an 11-0 loss. From the very first inning, it was clear this one was not going to go the Green and Gold’s way.
Mitch Spence got the start for Sacramento and had trouble from the jump. After quickly collecting two outs in the bottom of the first, he gave up a single to Bryan Reynolds, walked Spencer Horwitz, and then watched Andrew McCutchen slap an RBI single to right.
Nick Gonzales followed with a double, and suddenly the A’s were in a 2-0 hole. Still manageable, but a negative vibe could be detected at this point as it lowered like a mist over the visiting dugout.
The A’s bats made contact but had nothing to show for it. Lawrence Butler flied out to start the game, but Brent Rooker and Nick Kurtz responded with back-to-back singles, hinting at a rally. Tyler Soderstrom’s strikeout and Jacob Wilson’s routine flyout ended that early threat. That sequence would pretty much sum up the day, squandered chances and little to no pressure on the Pirates’ pitching staff.
Pittsburgh kept adding on. In the second inning, Jared Triolo launched a two-run homer after Nick Yorke reached on a fielder’s choice. That made it 4-0, and the A’s offense continued to look like it had left its bats back in Sacramento.
By the time the fourth inning rolled around, the Pirates put the game on ice. Joey Bart singled, Yorke doubled, and Oneil Cruz ripped a two-run single to right. Another RBI hit from Triolo pushed the score to 7-0, and Spence’s day was done. He was lifted after just 3.2 innings, tagged for seven runs on 10 hits.
Osvaldo Bido tried to steady the ship out of the bullpen, but the Pirates were not slowing down. In the fifth, McCutchen drew a walk, Jack Suwinski doubled, and then Bart struck again, this time with a three-run homer that stretched the lead to 10-0. Bart, who entered the game with just three home runs on the season, looked like an All-Star against Sacramento pitching, finishing with a homer, a double, and three runs scored.
The A’s, on the other hand, went down meekly inning after inning. They scattered a handful of singles, Rooker had two, MacIver chipped in one late, and Schuemann reached in the seventh, but never advanced a runner past second base.
By the eighth, the Pirates tacked on one more for good measure when Jared Triolo doubled and later scored on a groundout. It was insult on top of injury for Sacramento, like waiting in line for a nice five-star restaurant, but having the maître d not let you in because he doesn’t like your new tie.
In total, the Athletics managed seven hits, all singles except for Brett Harris’s eighth-inning double, but not a single one came through in the clutch. They struck out 11 times and left eight runners stranded. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff, led by starter Mike Burrows and relievers Carmen Mlodzinski, Yohan Ramírez, and Dauri Moreta, completely shut down the lineup.
It’s back to Sacramento now for a three-game stint against the Astros beginning Tuesday, then the final three-game weekend series with the Royals. It’s been a fun season for sure.
Starting pitchers for the Astros RHP Cristian Javier (2-3 ERA 4.45) for the A’s LHP Jefferey Springs (10-11 ERA 4.17) first pitch 7:05pm PT
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s starter Luis Morales pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the bottom of the first inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 20, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s go quiet in Pittsburgh as bats freeze against Pirates pitching
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento Athletics rolled into Pittsburgh’s PNC Park Saturday night with the swagger expected of a club that had taken seven of its last eight. But baseball has a way of humbling even the hottest teams, and Saturday night, the bats of the Green and Gold fell silent in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates.
From the first pitch at 6:42 p.m., it was clear the A’s weren’t going to find many friendly bounces. Bubba Chandler, Pittsburgh’s rookie right-hander, entered the night with a 5.66 ERA but looked like he was back on the Florida showcase circuit, mowing down the A’s lineup with a calm efficiency that belied his numbers.
Chandler punched out six Sacramento hitters through five innings, including a first-inning one-two-three of Lawrence Butler, Brent Rooker, and Nick Kurtz, all swinging or fouling into outs. That set the tone for the kind of night it would be.
Luis Morales, the A’s own rookie arm, took the mound with a 4-1 record and a crisp 3.08 ERA. He didn’t implode, but he also didn’t have much room for error. Morales surrendered just four hits in his outing, but two left the yard.
Nick Yorke struck first in the second inning with a solo shot to left, his first in the big leagues, giving the home crowd something to cheer about and putting the A’s in an early hole. An inning later, Bryan Reynolds added his 16th homer of the season, this one a blast to right-center that doubled the Pirates’ lead.
And that was all Pittsburgh needed. The rest of the night belonged to their bullpen, which combined with Chandler to scatter just three Sacramento hits, Wilson’s double in the second, Harris being plunked in the third, and nothing else that resembled a threat. From the fourth inning on, the A’s never put a runner past first base.
Shea Langeliers, who has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters since the All-Star break with 18 home runs and 34 extra-base hits in that stretch, couldn’t find the spark. He struck out three times, leaving his bat mostly ornamental.
Rooker, fresh off reaching the 30-homer plateau for the third straight season, also wore the collar, fanning in all four trips. Even Kurtz, the rookie phenom whose 33 long balls have him leading all Major League first-year players, looked mortal as he went down swinging twice and grounded out weakly once.
The A’s had some defense to hang their hats on. Jacob Wilson, Sacramento’s other Rookie of the Year candidate, doubled in the second and made several sharp plays at shortstop, including a heads-up throw to catch Yorke trying to stretch his luck on the bases in the fourth.
Morales himself settled after the Reynolds blast, retiring seven of the final eight he faced. But when your offense can’t get out of neutral, tidy defense and solid pitching performances turn into footnotes instead of headlines.
By the seventh, the game had the feel of inevitability. Pirates reliever Braxton Ashcraft entered and didn’t blink, striking out five of the nine hitters he faced. Dennis Santana came on in the ninth to finish it, needing just a groundout, a flyout, and one more strikeout of Rooker to slam the door shut.
The 2-0 defeat was the A’s 82nd of the season, officially guaranteeing a fourth straight losing campaign, something the franchise hasn’t endured since the dark days of 1993 through 1998. Yet, perspective matters. This team had already secured more wins than any A’s club in the past four years, and the Green and Gold still boast a pair of rookies in Kurtz and Wilson who look like franchise cornerstones.
Baseball fans in Sacramento won’t take much solace in moral victories, but they can at least see the outlines of a competitive future. For now, though, the reality is simple: when the A’s don’t homer, they don’t win. They are 46-9 this season when out-homering opponents, but just 10-46 when the other side takes them deep more often. Saturday fell squarely in that latter column.
The series wraps up Sunday with a day game before the A’s return home to close out 2025 against Houston and Kansas City. The Pirates, long out of the playoff picture, were just playing spoiler. And on this night, spoil they did.
Starting pitchers for Sunday: For Sacramento RHP Mitch Spence (3-5 ERA 4.48) for Pittsburgh RHP Mike Burrows (2-4 ERA 4.10) first pitch 10:35 am PT.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s second baseman Zack Gelof is laid out with a dislocated left shoulder while surrounded by A’s manager Mark Kotsay, the trainer and teammates in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Fri Sep 19, 2025 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Lincoln Juarez:
#1 Lawrence Butler’s three-run homer in the fifth inning powered the A’s past the Pirates Friday night. It was his 21st home run of the year.
#2 Luis Severino picked up his seventh win of the season Friday night throwing five innings allowing one earned run.
#3 Nick Kurtz tied Jose Canseco for the most home runs by an A’s rookie with his 33rd of the season Friday night.
#4 The A’s have won seven of their last eight games after taking game one against the Pirates.
#5 Looking ahead to the rest of the weekend Luis Morales will start for the A’s and the Pirates have yet to announce a starter for Saturday.
#6 Zack Gelof dislocated his shoulder in the bottom of the fifth inning and will miss the rest of the season.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) is greeted at home plate by teammates Carlos Cortes (26) and Zack Gelof (20) after hitting a three run home run in the top of the fifth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Sat Sep 19, 2025 (AP News photo)
Athletics Grind Out Narrow 4-3 Win Over Pirates
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s had to claw their way through mistakes, momentum swings, and a stubborn Pittsburgh Pirates lineup, but when the dust settled at PNC Park, they escaped with a 4-3 victory Friday night.
A’s starter, Luis Severino, labored through early trouble after Darell Hernaiz’s throwing error opened the door for a three-run first inning capped by Bryan Reynolds’ RBI single and Nick Gonzales’ sacrifice fly. Down 3-0 before they even picked up a bat in the second, the Green and Gold looked like they might be in for a long night. Instead, they steadied themselves, relying on power and patience to flip the script.
Nick Kurtz put Sacramento on the board with his 33rd home run of the season in the fourth, then Lawrence Butler delivered the knockout punch an inning later, launching a three-run blast to right-center that put the A’s ahead 4-3.
From there, the bullpen took control. Elvis Alvarado, Brady Basso, Justin Sterner, and Michael Kelly combined to cover the final four innings, striking out six and stranding runners in scoring position to preserve the one-run edge.
The ninth was not without drama: Rafael Flores doubled to lead off for Pittsburgh, and a Bryan Reynolds grounder moved pinch-runner Alexander Canario to third with only one out. But Kelly refused to buckle. After walking Andrew McCutchen to set up the force, he induced Tommy Pham into a game-ending double play, with Brett Harris starting a crisp 5-4-3 turn that sealed the win.
While Sacramento managed only six hits and struck out ten times, their ability to capitalize on two swings, the homers from Kurtz and Butler, proved the difference. The Pirates, meanwhile, outhit the A’s and forced multiple delays due to injuries and substitutions, but they never answered after their early burst.
Sacramento’s offense showed just enough pop, the bullpen showed resilience, and the defense, shaky at the start, tightened when it mattered.
Saturday’s starters for Sacramento Luis Morales (4-1 ERA 3.08) and Pittsburgh has not announced a starter first pitch 3:40pm PT.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
A Fenway Park groundskeeper helps prepare the field before the Sacramento A’s and Boston Red Sox Wed Sep 17, 2025. The A’s and Sox completed their three game series on Thu Sep 18, 2025. (AP News photo)
A’s Hold Steady in 5-3 Win Over Red Sox
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s wasted no time setting the tone, launching an early offensive surge that carried them to a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Lawrence Butler got the Green and Gold rolling with a leadoff double in the top of the first, and Brent Rooker followed with his 30th home run of the season, a no-doubt shot into the left-field seats that put Sacramento ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled into their seats.
Nick Kurtz added a double, and Tyler Soderstrom’s RBI single pushed the lead to three runs. Though the Red Sox scratched one back in the bottom half on a Trevor Story sacrifice fly, J.T. Ginn settled in and delivered a composed start, working into the seventh inning and handing the game to a bullpen that has quietly become one of the best in the majors since the All-Star break.
Boston briefly threatened in the second when David Hamilton’s solo homer cut the lead to 3-2, but Sacramento’s defense and Ginn’s efficiency quieted the bats through the middle innings. Jacob Wilson’s RBI single in the third widened the gap to 4-2, and in the seventh Butler manufactured a run with a single, stolen base, and hustle around the bases, scoring on a Trevor Story error.
That insurance tally loomed large after Story went deep in the eighth to trim the deficit to 5-3, but Hogan Harris slammed the door in the ninth, striking out Nick Sogard to seal it.
For Sacramento, the formula was clear: timely power, clean defense, and steady pitching. Rooker’s 30th blast gave the A’s three players at or near the 30-homer plateau, a reminder of how dangerous this lineup has become in the second half.
Ginn’s line, six innings, two runs, wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what manager Mark Kotsay needed from a rotation that has struggled with length all season. The bullpen, with Harris earning the save, continued its dominance since the All-Star break, a stretch in which it owns one of the best ERAs in baseball.
The victory reflected the resilience of a team that once lost 20 of 21 games earlier this year but has since played above .500 ball. The Athletics are 30-24 since the All-Star break, their best second-half showing since 2019.
The offense, now among the league leaders in doubles and slugging, looks nothing like the light-hitting squad from the past five years. Sacramento’s road record has climbed back to .500, ensuring their best showing away from home since 2021.
Butler’s speed and all-around game, Kurtz’s rookie power numbers, Wilson’s steady bat, and Rooker’s consistency have created a balanced attack that opposing pitchers can’t take lightly. Even as the standings show the A’s with a sub .500 record, the trajectory is upward.
Thursday’s win in Boston was another snapshot of a team starting to find its identity, a group no longer defined by its rebuilding struggles but by its growing core and knack for grinding out wins.
It’s onto Pittsburgh as the A’s will face the Pirates on Friday night at PNC Park and the A’s will start RHP Luis Severino (6-11 ERA 4.82) the Pirates have not announced a starter yet.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
San Francisco Giants Patrick Bailey congratulates Jung Hoo Lee after Lee scored on a double by Dominic Smith in the top of the ninth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wed Aug 6, 2025 (AP News photo)
San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:
#1 Dominic Smith slugged a ninth inning double that got the San Francisco Giants the lead as the Giants picked up a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
#2 Giants Jung Hoo Lee hit a double to right field off Nat’s pitcher Dennis Santana. Smith was pinch hitting for Christopher Koss that scored Lee on a double to right that put the Giants up 3-2 and Patrick Bailey added to the lead with an RBI single.
#3 The Giants got the relief pitching they were looking from Ryan Walker who struck out three batters in order in the eighth. Closer Randy Rodriguez also pitched a perfect ninth to get his third save of the season.
#4 Giant starter Robbie Ray in in six innings of work and allowed two runs and six hits.
#5 Giant starter Kai-Wei Teng is probable on the mound for San Francisco with a 0-0, 13.50 ERA. The Nationals will start Jake Irvin with a 8-6 win/loss record and a 4.89 ERA. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 7:15 PM this Friday night.
San Francisco Giants Dominic Smith standing on second base is joyful after slugging an RBI double in the top of the ninth inning against Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Wed Aug 6, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
The San Francisco Giants came away with a win in game three against the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the series. The final score was 4-2. The Giants had trailed for most of the game but came alive in the eighth inning to put this game away. The only downside in this game was when Jerar Encarnacion pulled up at first base after being called out in the seventh inning with an apparent hamstring issue.
Game recap: The Pirates wasted no time getting up on the scoreboard taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Nick Gonzales hit a single driving base runner Liover Peguero home for the early lead.
It was a very sleepy start for San Francisco with only one hit through the first four innings. The Giants slugger Jerar Encarnacion came to the plate in the fifth inning knocking a bomb out of the yard (442 feet) to tie up this game 1-1.
The Pirates answered in the bottom of the fifth inning taking back the lead 2-1. Tommy Pham sacrificed allowing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to cross home plate. Kiner-Falefa had reached third base off a Robbie Ray wild pitch. He had stolen second base before taking third base and the eventual run.
The Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney was relieved in the fifth inning. He went 4 2/3 innings allowing 2 hits, 1 run with one strikeout. Dauri Moreta took the mound going into the sixth inning.
After a scoreless sixth and seventh for both teams the game went into the top of the eighth inning. Neither team was having a lot of success at the plate, the Giants with only 2 hits and the Pirates with 6.
San Francisco starting pitcher Ray went six innings allowing 6 hits, 2 earned runs 2 walks with 8 strikeouts. Jose Butto pitched a perfect seventh inning. Ryan Walker took over in the eighth inning with the game tied. He gave up back-to-back hits with two outs in the inning. The San Francisco bullpen immediately got busy.
San Francisco pinch hitter Patrick Bailey got the Giants third hit of the game in the top of the eighth inning, a single, and with two innings left in the game San Francisco was looking to at least tie up the game.
Rafael Devers had his second walk of the game and the Giants had two runners on base with one out. Willie Adames blooped the ball into middle right field and San Francisco had a golden opportunity with the bases loaded.
They had a great chance to not only tie up the game but to take the lead for the first time Wednesday. This was their chance right here right now with Matt Chapman at the plate looking for his first hit. Chapman came so close to leaving the yard but sacrificed and Bailey scored to tie up the game 2-2. Another oh so close hit from Casey Schmitt was caught deep in right field and that was the inning with the Giants all tied up in this one. Two swings in a row coming so very close to home runs but with the one run San Francisco was back in this ball game.
San Francisco pitcher Ryan Walker got out of a sticky two on two out situation in the bottom of the eighth inning striking out Oneil Cruz for the third out and it was on to the ninth inning this game knotted at two.
The ever consistent Jung Hoo Lee hit a double to start off the ninth inning with only one out. Dom Smith came to the plate hitting for Christian Koss and knocked another double driving Lee home taking their first lead of the day 3-2.
San Francisco was not finished. Patrick Bailey singled Smith home and it was a 4-2 Giants lead. San Francisco was three outs away from winning this game after trailing for most of it. The Giants finished off the series with a 4-2 win in game three.
Game notes: Tuesday the Giants beat up on the Pirates by the score of 8-1 to tie up the 3-game series at 1-1 and Wednesday came into the game and took the series before heading San Francisco to Oracle Park for a series with the Washington Nationals starting Friday.
Wednesday Giants starting pitcher Robbie Ray pitched six inning allowing six hits, two earned runs, two walks, and eight strike outs. Pirates starting pitcher Andrew Heaney pitched 4.2 innings allowing two hits, one earned run, and struck one batter.
The San Francisco Giants will open up a three game series in San Francisco to take on the Washington Nationals. Giant starter Kai-Wei Teng is probable on the mound for San Francisco with a 0-0, 13.50 ERA. The Nationals will start Jake Irvin with a 8-6 win/loss record and a 4.89 ERA. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 7:15 PM this Friday night.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Logan Webb was dealing in his win over the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Tue Aug 5, 2025 (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
After losing a heart-breaker Monday to the Pittsburg Pirates (49-65) in a walk-off 5-4 the San Francisco (57-57) rallied the troops and dominated the Pirates in game two winning 8-1 on Tuesday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. Every Giant in the line up had a hit in the game and the Giants also had three home runs.
Both Heliot Ramos and Willie Adames had terrific games. Wednesday the Giants will be looking to finish the series with a win in game three.
Game recap: After the disappointing loss on Monday, the Giants needed to get more production at the plate and tie up this series. In Game One they had seven hits, the Pirates with six.
Neither team scored in the first or second inning. The Giants Christian Koss got the game going in the right direction for San Francisco hitting a two run home run in the third inning.
The Pirates cut the Giants lead in half in the third when Bryan Reynolds singled Isiah Kiner-Falefa home still trailing 2-1. Pittsburgh had the bases loaded with two outs but failed to put any more runs up on the board.
The Giants were just getting this game going in a three-inning rally scoring six runs. Jerar Encarnacion scored in the fourth inning with a home run to center to extend their lead to 3-1. This was his first home run of the season.
Rafael Devers singled in the fifth inning and Heliot Ramos who was having a great game scored for a 4-1 San Francisco lead. Ramos had been on base three times so far in the game. The Giants tacked on two more runs in the fifth when Willie Adames homered with Rafael Devers on base taking a 6-1 lead.
San Francisco had scored in three straight innings so why not make it four straight innings. Patrick Bailey got in on the action hitting a single in the sixth inning driving both Dominic Smith and Jung Hoo Lee home for a dominating lead 8-1. Through six innings the Giants had ten hits. Every single player on the San Francisco line up card had a hit in a great offensive game.
Pittsburg pitcher Mike Burrows had a rough outing almost completing five innings but was relieved by Braxton Ashcraft in the fifth. He finished going 4 2/3 innings allowing five hits, six earned runs, three walks and three strikeouts.
San Francisco’s Logan Webb had a terrific game going six innings allowing seven hits, one earned run, no walks, and ten strikeouts. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Matt Gage.
The Giants would take the 8-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Tristan Beck closed out the game and San Francisco had finally won their first game against the Pirates this season and tying up the series. They finished the game with 11 hits.
Game notes: After losing a heart-breaking walk-off Monday to the Pirates 5-4 the Giants tied up the series in game two with a convincing 8-1 win. The Giants took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning Friday when it all came apart.
The Pirates tied up the game in the ninth and then added a second run to take the first game of the three-game series. Tuesday Giants starter Logan Webb pitched six innings, seven hits, one earned run, and struck out ten hitters.
The Pirates starter Mike Burrows pitched 4.2 innings, allowing five hits, six earned runs, three walks and struck out three. The game got underway under cloudy skies with no rain expected and a temperature around 80 degrees at first pitch.
Wednesday the Giants will be looking to win the series sending their ace Robbie Ray to the mound. He has a 9-5 win/loss record and a 2.85 ERA. The Pirates will start Andrew Heaney who comes into the game with a 5-9 win/loss record and a 4.89 ERA. First pitch for game three is scheduled for 9:35 AM.
Pittsburgh Pirates runner Jack Suwinski (left) slides in safely for the game winning run ahead of San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey’s (14) tag as umpire Ryan Addison makes the safe call in the ninth inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh (AP News photo)
By Barbara Mason
It was looking pretty good for the San Francisco Giants (56-57) going into the bottom of the ninth inning in the first game of their series with the Pittsburgh Pirates (49-64). Despite it being a one-run game, San Francisco brought in their most successful closer Randy Rodriguez.
It was a surprising inning from Rodriguez who walked the first batter followed by hitting the next batter Jack Suwinski. Joey Bart tied up the game 4-4 with a single.
With only one out, Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a fielder’s choice Suwinski scored from third and that was the ball game with the Pirates coming from behind and winning 5-4. The Giants again fall under five hundred for the third time this season and the Pirates won the first game of the series after sweeping San Francisco at Oracle last week.
San Francisco scored two runs in the first inning taking a 2-0 lead. Dominic Smith singled Willie Adames home and Casey Schmitt walked with the bases loaded bringing Francisco Devers home for the second run.
It was a horrible start for Pirates pitcher Oviedo who allowed two singles and three walks. He loaded the bases to start the inning giving up a single for the the first run and with the bases remaining loaded walked Casey Schmitt home for the second run of the inning.
The Pirates got up on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning with a single run. Spencer Horwitz scored from second base . He reached second base on a fielding error from Heliot Ramos and scored on a Nick Gonzales sacrifice. They had cut the Giants lead in half.
Neither team was able to score in the second, third or fourth innings and going into the fifth inning the Giants were hanging onto a 2-1 lead. San Francisco had a few singles in the third inning but neither team had runners in scoring position for the next three innings.
Justin Verlander finished the game going five innings only allowing three hits, one run, one walk and four strikeouts. He was relieved by Carson Seymour in the sixth inning. Seymour pitched into the seventh inning.
Jung Hoo Lee had a monster hit in the fifth inning, a triple that brought both Willie Adames and Matt Chapman home taking a 4-1 lead.
When it looked like the Giants would take the 4-1 lead into the eighth inning the Pirates Jack Suwinski hit a two run home run and it was a one-run game, the Giants leading 4-3. Giants pitcher Carson Seymour unfortunately walked the first at bat that he faced to start the bottom of the seventh giving up the two runs.
Spencer Bivens took over on the mount in the bottom of the eighth inning looking to protect the Giants one run lead after San Francisco went three and out to start the inning. Bivens gave up a single and with two outs Randy Rodriguez came in to try and get the final four outs. The Giants were able to tag Nick Gonzales out at second for the third out and the Giants were three outs away from winning the first game of the series.
The top of the ninth inning got underway with the Giants looking for at least one insurance run. Pittsburgh pitcher Dauri Moreta carved up the Giants with a fly out, a strikeout and a lineout. It would be up to Randy Rodriguez to save the game for San Francisco.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, Rodriguez had walked Andrew McCutchen and went on to hit Jack Suwinski putting two runners on base. After going hitless for the entire game Joey Bart got a hit to center field allowing McCutchen to score from second base tying up the game 4-4.
In a most disappointing finish to this game Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a fielder’s choice and Suwinski scored for the 5-4 walk-off. It was an especially tough loss for Giants closer Randy Rodriguez who had been dominant this season.
Game notes: After taking a series off the New York Mets over the weekend, the Giants took on the Pirates ( at PNC Park. The Giants had a blowout win over the Mets yesterday winning the game 12-6. In late July, the Pirates swept the Giants at Oracle and Monday night the Pirates continued on that path taking the first game of the series at PNC.
After winning the series over a very good Mets team the Giants looked to have turned a corner going forward and are hoping to finish strong in the next two months. Monday night Justin Verlander was looking for his second win of the season but didn’t get the decision as the Giants lost it after Verlander had left.
After a rough start in this three game series the Giants will be looking to even up the series in game two. Logan Webb will take the mound in Tuesday’s game. He comes into the game with a 9-8 win/loss record and a 3.31 ERA. The Pirates plan on starting Mike Burrows who has a 1-3 win/loss record and a 3.88 ERA. First pitch for this game is scheduled 3:40 PM.
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