Tag: Pittsburgh Pirates

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.

San Francisco Giants right fielder Mike Yastrzemski (5) leapt over a padded wall to make a spectacular catch and into the right field netting for the out against the Pittsburgh Pirates Jack Suwinski at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jul 30, 2025 (AP News photo)

San Francisco Giants podcast Morris Phillips:

#1 The Giants continue with their downward trend now further dropping their record to 3-13 the worst loss mark since July 9th in the Majors after getting swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.

#2 The Giants once again failed to get run support for starter Logan Webb. The Giants got six hits and one run in the 2-1 loss.

#3 The Giants losing to a last place visiting team on their home field was just another added pin in their collection of recent loses further putting them six out for that last coveted wild card spot.

#4 For starter Logan Webb another great outing in his start pitching 5.2 innings, five hits, one earned run, four walks and 11 strikeouts. With reliever Ryan Walker pitching the score tied 1-1 in the top of the tenth the Pirates Henry Davis hit a ground out to second base that allowed ghost runner O’Neil Cruz to score what would be the game winning run.

#5 The Giants DFA’d pitcher Sean Hjelle who leave the Giants who had a 1-1 ERA 7.80. The Giants also traded pitcher Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets for pitchers Blade Tidwell and José Buttó, and outfielder Drew Gilbert. 

#6 Giants will be off Thu Jul 31 before opening up a three game series against the New York Mets Fri Aug 1. The Giants have not announced a starter and the Mets will go with LHP David Peterson (7-4 ERA 2.83) with a 4:10pm PT first pitch at Citi Field in New York.

Join Morris Phillips for the Giants podcasts Thursdays at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers heads back to the dugout after flying out in the bottom of the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Wed Jul 30, 2025 (AP News photo)

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Oracle Park

San Francisco, California

Pittsburgh Pirates 2 (47-62)

San Francisco Giants 1 (54-55)

Win: Isaac Matson (3-1)

Loss: Ryan Walker (2-4)

Time: 2:41

Attendance: 38,144

By Stephen Ruderman

SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants, who were 12 games over .500 on June 12, have just been swept by the Pirates with a 2-1 10-inning loss Wednesday afternoon after wasting another strong start by Logan Webb, and have fallen all the way to under .500 (54-55) for the first time this season, as the Giants suddenly now appear prepared to kick the tires on this season.

There is no way to sugarcoat it; this homestand and the second half thus far have been an absolute nightmare. The Giants came into today looking to avoid their first 0-6 homestand since 1896. That’s right; not 1996, 1896, before the modern era of baseball when Grover Cleveland was president.

The Giants have dropped 11 of their last 13, and have fallen from 12 games over .500 on June 13, all the to .500, and faced falling under .500 for the first time this season with a loss today. Thursday is also the Trade Deadline in Baseball, which meant Wednesday was the final day to determine who’s contending and who’s not. To be blunt: Wednesday was a must-win.

The Giants once again turned to Logan Webb to be the stopper. The Giants needed a strong performance from Webb, who was coming off a pair of rough starts to open the second half. 

Webb worked in and out of jams through the first five innings on July 19 in Toronto, but he ran into a brick wall, as the Blue Jays got to him for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. He then got torched by the Mets for six runs this past Friday.

The sun did everything it could to peak through the peaceful blanket of fog over Oracle Park this afternoon. It was great weather for pitching, and that was good news for Webb, who wiggled his way out of a couple of jams early on and looked more like his normal self

Unfortunately, it was the worst weather for the Giants’ faltering offense. Pirates’ starter Mike Burrows retired the first nine men he faced Wednesday, and we had ourselves a pitcher’s duel.

Early in the game, the Giants traded their longtime submariner, Tyler Rogers, the third-longest tenured Giant, to the New York Mets for reliever Jose Butto and a pair of prospects. This was a shocking move and a sign that the Giants are going to be sellers at the deadline tomorrow.

The Giants already came into Wednesday’s game at risk of falling under .500 for the first time this season. Now with the fact that they were ready to start selling, today suddenly felt like a last-ditch effort for the 2025 San Francisco Giants.

The Giants desperately needed something to go their way, and they got it in the bottom of the fourth. Heliot Ramos and Willy Adames both got base-hits, and the Giants had runners at first and second with two outs for Dominic Smith. Smith got a fastball right down the pipe, and lined it to right field for a base-hit. Ramos scored, and the Giants struck first.

Hey, the Giants finally got a line-drive base-hit with a runner in scoring position. They did a lot of that early in the season, and that is precisely what carried them to their 24-14 start. Jung Hoo Lee finally went the other way after trying to pull the ball the last several weeks, but it was right into the glove of the diving Jack Suwinski in left.

The Pirates had a response against Webb in the top of the fifth. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa lined an opposite-field base-hit to right to lead off the inning, and Spencer Horwitz followed that up with a double into the gap in right-center to tie it.

The Pirates then loaded the bases one out, and were threatening to do more. However, Webb got Nick Gonzales to hit a chopper back to the mound that Webb used to start a one to two to three double play, and he got out of it with the game still tied.

Burrows threw another one, two, three inning in the bottom of the fifth, and after Henry Davis singled with one out in the top of the sixth, Webb was done. Spencer Bivens then came in and retired the next two to end the inning.

Webb gave up five hits and walked four over five and a third innings, but he gave up just a run and struck out 11. Unfortunately, the Giants’ offense did what they’ve always done, and gave Webb very little support.

Burrows ended up giving up three hits, walking one and striking out seven over six innings.

The game fittingly went extra innings, and Ryan Walker took the ball for the top of the tenth. Oneil Cruz started the inning as the ghost runner runner at second and got to third on a ground out by Nick Gonzales. Jack Suwinski walked, and that brought up Henry Davis.

Davis hit a chopper back to the mound, and Walker had Oneil dead to rights between third base and home plate. However, for whatever reason Walker tried to turn a double play, and he failed to get Suwinski at second. Oneil scored, and the Pirates had the lead.

The Giants were three outs away from falling under .500 for the first time this season. Isaac Mattson, who had pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth, was back out for the bottom of the tenth. 

Lee was the ghost runner at second, and the Giants caught a break, as Casey Schmitt hit a blooper to left that Suwinski lost in the sun. Mike Yastrzemski then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners up to second and third.

It felt as if the Giants were mounting one last rally to try and save what many believe was going to be a magical season. Patrick Bailey took three-straight out of the zone to work a 3-0 count, but in typical fashion for this team, Bailey struck out. Heliot Ramos was the last hope, and he too struck out to end the game.

Fittingly, the Giants completely wasted their last-ditch rally, and they indeed lost to fall under .500 for the first time this season.

Isaac Mattson got the win, and Ryan Walker took the loss.

The Giants have now dropped 12 of their last 14 games, and they have gone 13-26 since June 12, the worst record in all of Baseball during that stretch. 

The Giants’ record is now 54-55, and with the Padres completing a sweep of the Mets down in San Diego today, the Giants are now six games back of the Padres for the third wild card.

The Giants will have the deadline off Thursday, as they will head back out on the road for a road trip that will mimic this homestand, with three in New York against the Mets, and three in Pittsburgh against the Pirates.

The Giants have yet to announce their starters for their series at Citi Field this weekend, and we may not even know what this team will look like after Thursday. At this point, the only thing I can say for sure is that if the Giants want to make a run at this thing, it will take a miracle.

First pitch on Friday will be at 7:10 p.m. in Queens, 4:10 p.m. back home in San Francisco.

Giants News and Notes:

• The two prospects the Giants received for Tyler Rogers are right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell and outfielder Drew Gilbert. Both could feasibly be ready to be called up to the big leagues as soon as this season.

• It’s also being reported that Giants’ closer Camilo Doval could be available to be traded before Thursday. It is a pretty clear signal that they are truly preparing to sell and start focusing on the future.

• Mike Yastrzemski made what may have been the catch of the year for the Giants in the top of the eighth, as he ran a long way towards the right field line to catch a foul ball off the bat of Jack Suwinski, and was able to come up with it, as he bounced into the netting over the side wall.

It is quite unfortunate that this catch couldn’t have been part of the story of a much-needed win for the Giants.

Final Thoughts:

In 2022, the Giants were 10 games over .500 after a win in Pittsburgh on June 18. They then collapsed and fell all the way to eight games under .500 on Sept. 18. Though they did go on a tear to make it to play a meaningful game in the fifth-to-final game of the season on Oct. 1, and they ended up going 81-81. 

In 2023, the Giants were 13 games over .500 after winning the resumption of a suspended game on July 19. They suffered a massive collapse in the final two months of the season, and finished under .500 at 79-83

Here in 2025, the Giants went from 12 games over .500 on June 13, all the way to a game under .500 today. What looked to be a bounceback season for the Giants after three-straight mediocre seasons is now about to be their fourth-straight mediocre season.

It’s technically not over yet. The Giants are six games back of the Padres for the third wild card spot with 53 games to go, and mathematically, they still have a lot of opportunities. Baseball is a weird game, and this Giants’ team is certainly capable of winning 15 of their next 20 games to surge back into the race.

Buster Posey built this team around doing a little bit of everything. They hit home runs; they played situational baseball; they played small ball; they even stole bases; and they pitched and played defense. That’s why they got off to their 24-14 start.

Then for whatever reason, they revived the failed Farhan Zaidi strategy of relying on home runs, and they completely fell apart. It makes absolutely no sense, and I truly have no idea why they did that. Maybe they were pressing. I don’t know.

Really, all it took was the Giants going back to playing the way they did in Spring Training in April. It wasn’t rocket science.

Unfortunately, the Giants could never truly get it going again, and just 22 days after one of the most magical wins in Giants’ history, they suddenly now appear ready to focus on next season.

I still felt like the Giants could make a run, but this mediocre core is not a viable long-term strategy, and they’re going to get old in a couple of years. They need to develop guys around it to make it a stronger core. 

Buster inherited one of the worst farm systems in all of Baseball from Farhan, and he needed to start building it and preparing for the future. Blade Tidwell and Drew Gilbert are a good start, and the Giants could get even more for Camilo Doval.

It is unclear whether Buster is buying and selling, or strictly selling, though it seems to be the latter. Robbie Ray could also nab some good prospects, and the Giants would be wise to deal him if they are truly selling.

They still can compete over the next few years as they build the farm system, and I imagine that is what Buster has in mind. The Giants’ top prospect, Bryce Eldridge, should be up next season, and Helliot Ramos will be entering his prime. A trio of Eldridge, Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee could be akin to that of Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Ellis Burks in 2000.

I still wouldn’t rule out a miracle for this season, but that is quite unlikely. This has been a disappointing season, but if the Giants truly want to return to winning baseball next season, changes need to be made. 

The one positive you can take out of this collapse is that those necessary changes will be made, and that the future is about to get a whole lot better.

By Vince Cestone

SAN FRANCISCO–The San Francisco Giants mustered only 2 hits, wasting a strong Justin Verlander start, falling to the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Tuesday night at Oracle Park.

With the Giants’ seventh-straight loss at Oracle Park, they fell five games out of the Wild Card race. With the trade deadline only two days away, it’s going to be hard for the Giants to justify buying.

San Francisco opened the scoring in the fourth inning, with a solo home run from the hot-hitting Willy Adames. After a horrendous first half, Adames smashed his seventh home run of July.

The Giants were up 1-0. They finally were ahead first, but then the mistakes happened.

Rewind to the first inning. Giants had runners at first and second with one out, when third baseman Matt Chapman hit a popup on the infield. The infield fly rule was called, but left fielder Heliot Ramos got caught between second and third. Rally killed there.

But it was the eighth inning where weirdness happened. With one on and one out and the scored tied at one, Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham hit an infield dribbler that Rogers fielded as he ran towards the third-base line. Rogers couldn’t get a grip on the ball and the runner was safe.

On the very next play, a ground ball to second turned ugly off the bat of Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt fielded the ball but his throw hit Hayes as he approached first base. Rogers appeared to be looking at second base instead of the incoming throw.

Then, with the bases loaded, former Giants catcher Joey Bart singled on a grounder to left field, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead. A lead they would not give back.

Before the eighth-inning chaos, the Pirates tied the game on a fifth-inning solo home run by ninth-place hitter Liover Peguero.

Lost in the weirdness of the late innings, was a great start by Verlander. He went five innings, giving up just 6 hits, one run, one walk, while amassing seven strikeouts.

Despite the defensive miscues, the Giants’ lack of offensive is forcing them to play perfect baseball, which is hard for any team to do. And it doesn’t help when their big trade acquisition Rafael Devers went 0-for-4 in the game and is hitless in his last 14 at-bats.

The Giants will try to get right on Wednesday in the series finale against the Pirates. Giants ace Logan Webb (9-8, 3.38 ERA) will take on Pirates’ pitcher Mike Burrows (1-3, 4.15 ERA) at 12:45 p.m. at Oracle Park.

Time is running out for the Giants. If they want to stay in this Wild Card race, the time for them to win is now.