PITTSBURGH—Nick Gonzales hit the first pitch in the bottom of the 10th inning for a run-scoring single that lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates to an unlikely 7–6 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.
Gonzales’ leadoff hit up the middle off Erik Miller (0–2) scored automatic runner Connor Joe from second base and ended a season-high four-game winning streak for the Giants, who blew a 6–2, ninth-inning lead. The Pirates have won four of their past five games.
“My plan was to get the guy over,” Gonzales said. “Obviously, not bunting there, but trying to do the next-best thing and get the guy over to third base so we can drive him in.”
Gonzales ended up driving in the winning run himself.
That came after the Pirates scored four times in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and pin San Francisco closer Camilo Doval with his first blown save in nine opportunities this season.
“The guys just fought,” Gonzales said. “Everyone fought, one through nine. Some really good [at-bats].”
Ji Hwan Bae singled in the first run. Giants rookie shortstop Marco Luciano’s fielding error brought in another, and Bryan Reynolds’ RBI fielder’s choice got the Pirates within 6–5. Oneil Cruz then smashed a two-out double to right field, at 122 mph, to tie it up.
“You bring [Doval] in with the score 6–2 and you feel pretty good about your chances,” Giants Manager Bob Melvin said. “They got some hits off him, and that rarely happens.”
The Pirates put two runners on base against reliever Luke Jackson before the Giants went to Doval with one out.
Pittsburgh closer David Bednar (3–3) worked a scoreless top of the 10th. Cruz had three hits, and Andrew McCutchen and Gonzales finished with two apiece.
Cruz’s dropped pop-up at shortstop with two outs in the first inning allowed the Giants to score the game’s first two runs. Cruz then hit a single clocked at 120.4 mph in the bottom of the inning.
“I was really [upset] when I went to hit, and I think that’s part of why I hit it so hard,” Cruz said.
Thairo Estrada and Matt Chapman homered to help the Giants build the 6–2 advantage.
Estrada’s two-run shot to left-center field in the fourth inning off Martin Perez pushed the Giants’ lead to 4–1. Chapman’s solo shot in the seventh made it 5–2.
Estrada also drove in a run with an eighth-inning groundout to finish with three RBIs.
Giants starter Logan Webb allowed two runs in six innings. He has pitched at least six innings in eight of his 11 starts this year.
Perez lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up four runs, two of them earned. He is winless in eight starts since April 4.
Chapman also doubled. He, Wilmer Flores, and Luciano had two hits each for the Giants.
