Tag: Pittsburgh Pirates

Three Suwinski Home Runs Beat Giants 4-3

The Pittsburgh Pirates Jack Suwinski hits his third home run of the day in the bottom of the ninth a walk off to defeat the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park on Sun Jun 19, 2022 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

Sunday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (37-28) took on the Pittsburg Pirates (26-39) in the final game of their three-game series looking for a sweep. The Giants won a close game Saturday 7-5 turning in ten hits. They were looking for another big offensive day in Sunday’s game but the Pirates got enough pitching and hitting to edge the Giants 4-3 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

The Giants got a nice start in the first inning scoring two runs and taking the early 2-0 lead. Joc Pederson hit a single that drove Luis Gonzalez and Mike Yastrzemski home.

The Pirates got up on the board in the third and fourth innings with solo home runs. Hoy Park hit one to right in the third inning and Jack Suwinski had another in the fourth inning to knot the game 2-2.

Pittsburg would break the tie in the sixth inning when Suwinski hit his second solo home run of the game to give the Pirates the lead 3-2.

San Francisco would tie up the game in the ninth inning off a Thairo Estrada solo home run. Going into the bottom of the inning the score was 3-3. It was a monster day for Pittsburg’s Suwinski hitting his third homer of the day and giving the Pirates the walk off 4-3 and avoiding the sweep.

Monday evening the Giants start a four game series with the Atlanta Braves in Cobb County. Logan Webb (6-2, 3.43 ERA) will be on the mound in game one for San Francisco. The Braves will start Max Fried (7-2, 2.90 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 4:20.

San Francisco Giants’ Austin Slater, right, celebrates with Wilmer Flores (41) after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana during the fifth inning at PNC Park Pittsburgh on Sat Jun 18, 2022 (AP News photo)

Giants Win Second Game In Series Over Pirates 7-5

By Barbara Mason

Saturday afternoon the San Francisco Giants (37-27) took on the Pittsburg Pirates (25-39) in game two of their series. Friday the Giants got the win 2-0 to open the three game series. The Giants continued winning 7-5 on Saturday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Wilmer Flores got the Giants going in the first inning with a home run to left for the early lead 1-0. The Pirates would answer with a Diego Castillo sacrifice that would drive Ke’Bryan Hayes home to tie up the game 1-1.

In the third inning Darin Ruf singled driving in Curt Casali for a short-lived lead 2-1. The Pirates scored four runs off a Diego Castillo home run driving in Hayes and Michael Chavis taking back the lead 4-2.

The Giants scored in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Austin Slater hit a solo home run in the fifth inning narrowing the Pirate lead to 4-3. Brandon Crawford singled in the sixth inning driving in Thairo Estrada tying up the game 4-4. San Francisco was not finished. Joc Pederson scored when Mike Yastrzemski hit a sacrifice fly giving San Francisco back the lead 5-4.

The Giants would get an insurance run in the seventh inning. Luis Gonzalez doubled driving in Joc Pederson for a 6-4 lead.

A solo home run in the eighth inning from Daniel Vogelbach cut the Giants lead to 6-5. The Pirates had a great opportunity in the inning when they loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to cash in and it was on to the ninth inning.

The Giants would put another insurance run up on the board that would solidify the win and with their second win guaranteed taking this series.

San Francisco will finish this series tomorrow with a 10:35 start. Alex Cobb will start for the Giants and Mitch Keller will take the mound for the Pirates.

San Francisco Giants starter Carlos Rodon throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates line up in the bottom of the fourth inning at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Fri Jun 17, 2022 to open the three game series (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

PITTSBURGH — Carlos Rodón pitched a two-hitter over eight innings in a brilliant performance as the San Francisco Giants shut out the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Friday evening at PNC Park.

San Francisco has won six out of its last seven games and gained a game in the NL West standings as both the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers suffered lost on Friday.

Rodón had eight strike outs and just two walks on just 98 pitches in his dominating eight inning mastery over an anemic Pirates lineup that was never had a runner get past second base. He lowered his ERA to 2.84.

For Rodón, he has now won back-to-back starts after being winless in his previous five starts (including three losses) and improved to 6-4 on the season. Keeping the Pirates lineup off balanced for most of the night, Rodón no hit Pittsburgh for the first four and two-thirds innings before giving up a single to Jack Suwinski with two outs in the fifth inning.

“I’ve been building off that inning,” Rodón said. “Week to week I’m still working on stuff, just refining and getting a little more crisp with my fastball-slider. … Just a couple things that (pitching coaches J.P. Martinez and Andrew Bailey) looked into. It’s got me in the right spot.”

The Giants offense wasn’t that much better as they scored both runs off of solo homers. Luis Gonzales opened the game with a leadoff home run, his third of the season, that went over the bleachers in right field off of Pirates starting pitcher Zach Thompson.

Joc Pederson hit a bomb that traveled 413 feet into the right fielder bleachers for his team leading 14th home run of the season off of Thompson in the fourth inning to conclude the scoring on the night.

“As crazy as it sounds,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said, “When he’s striking everybody out but running really deep counts and (getting) a ton of foul balls, it’s gonna be more difficult for him to get through eight innings like he did today.”

Thompson finished the evening going four and one-third innings with two earned runs on four hits, striking out two while walking five Giants hitters and is now 3-5 on the season.

Camilo Doval pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.

GAME NOTES: San Francisco left five men on the base paths. Pittsburgh left three on.

UP NEXT: San Francisco and Pittsburgh continue its three-games series on Saturday 6/18 at 1:05pm at PNC Park.

San Francisco Giants LaMonte Wade Jr (31) rounds first and looks back at first base coach Antoan Richardson (right) after hitting a third inning home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sun Jul 25, 2021 at Oracle Park in San Francisco (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-After losing the first two games of the series to the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants got some big hits when it was needed the most.

LaMonte Wade, Jr., hit two home runs in his first two at-bats, helping the Giants to a 6-1 victory over the Pirates before a crowd of 30,303 at Oracle Park.

Wilmer Flores also went deep for the Giants, who have hit a major league leading 151 home runs on the season.

Alex Wood went 5.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits, walking two and striking out eight on his way to ninth win of the season for the Giants.

The Pirates got to Wood in the top of the first inning, as Bryan Reynolds singled with two outs and then John Nogowski followed that up with a double that easily scored Reynolds that gave the Pirates the lead before the Giants first appearance at the plate.

That lead lasted one batter into the bottom of the first inning, as Wade, Jr., hit a JT Brubaker pitch into the centerfield seats to tie up the game at one.

Wade, Jr., gave the Giants the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, as he launched his second home run in as many at-bats and his 12th of the season. It was the first multi-home run game of Wades career.

Wade ended up going 3-for-5 on the afternoon, as he also added a double in the bottom of the fifth inning.

The Giants broke the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth inning, when the Giants scored three runs and Flores got it started when he lined a Duane Underwood, Jr., pitch down the left field line and over the 339 mark to extend the lead up to 4-1. Steven Duggar then followed it up with a double, and then Thairo Estrada singled, which sent Duggar to third base.

When Estrada stole second base, the throw by Jacob Stallings sailed into centerfield that allowed Duggar to score from third base and Estrada moved up to third base.

Estrada then scored the final run of the inning, when Curt Casali singled with one out.

Nick Mears gave the fourth home run of the afternoon, as Estrada hit his third home run of the season, just over the outstretched glove of Reynolds in centerfield.

The Giants bullpen of Jay Jackson, Jarlin Garcia, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee pitched a perfect final 3.2 innings, where the quartet did not allow a baserunner to reach base.

Jackson came up with the biggest stop of the game in the top of the sixth inning, as Wood loaded the bases with one out; however, Jackson came on to get Kevin Newman to ground into a double play that ended the inning and the threat.

Adam Frazier was replaced at second base by Wilmer Difo in the bottom of the eighth inning, and then it was learned that Frazier along with cash was traded to the San Diego Padres for Michael Milliano, Jack Suwinski and Tucupita Marcano.

NOTES: With four more home runs on Sunday, the Giants have now hit 151 home runs on the season, passing the Toronto Blue Jays for the most home runs in Major League Baseball during the 2021 season.

Eight different players have reached the double figures in home runs this season for the Giants, and two players have nine home runs. The eight players are: Brandon Crawford, Mike Yastrzemski, Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Flores, Darin Ruf, Alex Dickerson and Wade, Jr., while both Evan Longoria and Austin Slater each have nine home runs.

The Giants record for most players in double figures in home runs in a season is nine, which was accomplished in 1952, 1958, 1987 and 2000.

Following a loss, the Giants are now 25-12 and 62-37 overall, the best in the majors on both records

Al Michaels, who broadcasted games for the Giants in 1974 was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame earlier today as the 45th winner of the Ford C. Frick Award.

UP NEXT: After an off-day on Monday, the Giants will begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, when Logan Webb will take the mound for the Giants, while Julio Urias will take the mound for the Dodgers.

All San Francisco Giants starter Kevin Gausman could do leaving the mound in the fifth inning on Sat Jul 24, 2021 is talk in the glove after the Pittsburgh Pirates shelled him at Oracle Park. Giants manager Gabe Kapler in black jacket calls for a new pitcher (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After getting off to a great start during the 2021 season, it seems that San Francisco Giants (61-37) pitcher Kevin Gausman is in a kind of rut.

Gausman lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits, walking four and striking out two, as the Pittsburgh Pirates (38-60) made it two wins in a row after a 10-2 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park.

This is the second start in a row that Gausman, who was going for his 10th win of the season could not get past the fifth inning in a start.

In his previous start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night at Dodger Stadium, Gausman lasted just three innings, two runs (both on home runs), walked three and struck out five and did not fare in the decision.

Pirates starter Wil Crowe went the first 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out nine on his way to his second win of the season.

The Pirates got to Gausman in the top of the first inning, as they loaded the bases with nobody out, and then Gregory Polanco hit a sacrifice fly to Alex Dickerson in left field that scored Adam Frazier from third base after Frazier led off the inning with a single to centerfield, then went to second on a wild pitch by Gausman.

After KeBryan Hayes walked, Bryan Reynolds also drew a walk against Gausman that loaded the bases and then Polanco drove in Frazier with his sacrifice fly to left field.

Once again, the Pirates loaded the bases, as John Nogowski reached on a fielders choice and Jason Vosler committed a fielding error.

Gausman was able to get out of the inning and the jam, as he induced Ben Gamel to hit into a double play.

Thairo Estrada got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the second inning, as he grounded into a double play that scored Wilmer Flores from third base to tie up the game.

Flores singled to lead off the inning when he singled off of Crowe and then went to third on a Vosler single, and then scored the tying run on the Estrada double play.

The Pirates took the lead for good in the top of the third inning, when Polanco picked up his second RBI of the game, as he drove in Reynolds with the tie-breaking run. Gamel then added to the lead, as he singled Polanco.

Polanco added his third RBI of the evening in the top of the fifth inning, as he hit his 11th home run of the season.

Kevin Newman broke the game wide open, as he hit a two-run single, when he singled to centerfield that scored both Nogowski and Gamel to give the Pirates a five-run lead.

LaMonte Wade, Jr., became the eighth different Giants player to reach double figures in home runs, as he hit his 10th home run of the season off of Crowe in the bottom of the season.

Michael Perez added to the lead in the top of the eighth inning, as tripled in Newman, who singled to lead off the inning. Wilmer Difo came off the bench to pinch-hit for former Giants pitcher Chris Stratton and hit a sacrifice fly to score Perez from third base.

Frazier then doubled following the Difo sacrifice fly, and after Hayes lined out to Steven Duggar for the second out. Reynolds then singled to right field to score Frazier from second base.

Mike Tauchman came on to pitch the final inning for the Giants, as the outfielder made his first ever appearance on the mound, as he pitched one inning, allowing one run on three hits.

Tauchman allowed a single to Newman put the final touches on the scoring, as he singled in the top of the ninth inning off of Tauchman to score Nogowski, who led off the inning with a double.

NOTES: After being out of the broadcast booth since June 6, when the Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park, Duane Kuiper made a surprise return to the booth and shocked his longtime broadcast partner Mike Krukow.

Kuiper, 71 is undergoing chemotherapy for an undisclosed condition came back to Oracle Park to broadcast a game.

In his first game in almost seven weeks, Kuiper spoke with Greg Papa on Giants Pregame Live and said.

“Hey, I missed me. Sorry,” Kuiper said. “Sitting on that couch after a while, my wife is so happy that I walked out of the house today, where she gets six hours where she doesn’t have to worry about me tripping or falling or what I’m going to eat or what’s going on. Anyway, I’m thrilled to be back, and the one thing I definitely learned while I was gone, for whatever it was, two months or so, is how much I appreciate my partners because I got a chance to watch them for all those games, and I certainly do appreciate them.”

UP NEXT: Alex Wood takes the Oracle Park mound on Sunday afternoon, as he looks for his ninth win of the season. The Pirates will send JT Brubaker to the hill, as he looks for his fifth win of the season.

The San Francisco Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr (center) can’t get a handle on the ball that allowed two runs to score as Giants pitcher Jarlin Garcia (66) and Donovan Salano (right) watch after the Pittsburgh Pirates Ben Gamel hit the ball in the seventh inning (AP News photo)

By Jeremy Kahn

After amazing back-to-back victories over the reigning World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants (61-36) could not make it three in a row.

Adam Frazier walked with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning that scored Jacob Stallings from third base, as the Pittsburgh Pirates (37-60) defeated the Giants 6-4 at Oracle Park.

Stallings walked to lead off the inning against Dominic Leone, then Kevin Newman reached on a fielders choice and pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo walked to load the bases.

Following the Frazier walk that scored Frazier, KeBryan Hayes grounded into a force out that saw Newman thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning.

Jarlin Garcia came on to replace Leone and got Bryan Reynolds to strike out looking for the second out of the inning.

It looked like the Giants were going get out of the inning with just one run allowed; however, LaMonte Wade, Jr., was unable to field a ball hit for an error on a ball hit by Ben Gamel that scored Difo and Frazier to extend the lead up to 6-3.

Gregory Polanco hit a triple to right field in the top of the second inning that scored Gamel to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead.

The run-scoring triple gave the Pirates the lead and Reynolds extended the lead in the top of the third inning, as he hit his 18th home run, a two-run home run that upped the lead to 3-0 for the visitors from Pittsburgh.

Steven Duggar got the Giants on the board in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit his seventh home run of the season.

Johnny Cueto then walked and stole second base when Wade, Jr., struck out and it was the first career stolen base for Cueto.

Unfortunately, Cueto did not fare in the decision, as he went five innings, giving up three runs on three hits, walked just one and struck out seven before giving way to John Brebbia.

Alex Dickerson tied up the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he hit his 10th home run of the season. Buster Posey scored in front of Dickerson, as he doubled off of Pirates starter Chad Kuhl. Following the home run by Dickerson, Kuhl was replaced by former Giants pitcher Chris Stratton.

Donovan Solano treated the former Giants pitcher rudely, as he walked and after Jason Vosler struck out for the second out of the inning, Thairo Estrada singled Solano to third; however, Stratton was able to Duggar to end the threat.

Kuhl pitched 5.1 innings and like Cueto did not fare in the decision. In those 5.1 innings of work, Kuhl allowed three runs on six hits, walking one and striking out eight.

Darin Ruf walked with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and went to second on defensive indifference. Wade, Jr., then tripled to right field that scored Ruf from second base; however, Mike Yastrzemski struck out looking to end the game.

NOTES: Over the last two nights, the Giants came from behind in the 9th inning or later to defeat the Dodgers, winning 4-2 on Wednesday and 5-3 last night…according to Elias, it’s the first time the Giants won back-to-back games while trailing in the 9th inning or later since April 8-9, 2011 vs. St. Louis…the last time they did it against the Dodgers was August 9-10, 2008.
With Duggar and Dickersons home runs, the Giants have now hit 146 home runs on the season, as they passed the Toronto Blue Jays for the most home runs in the major leagues.

Prior to Cuetos stolen base in the bottom of the third inning, the last pitcher to steal a base for the Giants was Kirk Rueter against the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 29, 2003 at what was then called Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.

The Giants have signed their first-round pick in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft, as Will Bednar, the 14th overall selection out of Mississippi State is now a member of the Giants. Bednar helped lead the Bulldogs to their first-ever national championship after defeating SEC rival and defending champion Vanderbilt in the College World Series in Omaha.

A native of the Pittsburgh-area, Bednar, who went Mars Area High School, does family have in the ballpark, as his older brother David is in the opposing dugout, as he is a reliever for the Pirates.

UP NEXT: Kevin Gausman takes the mound on Saturday night, as he attempts to win his 10th game of the season for the Giants. While the Pirates will send Wil Crowe to the hill, as he looks for his second win of 2021.