Missed Call Costs Pirates Late; Keller’s Quality Start Not Enough in Loss to Padres

Henry Davis appeared to have drawn a game-tying walk with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth, but home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez didn’t see it that way.

Jimenez called strike three to end the eighth inning and prevent the Pittsburgh Pirates from tying that game with a chance to do more. Ultimately, the Pirates fell 3-2 to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Friday night.

How We Got There

Mitch Keller retired the first 11 batters he faced before Manny Machado doubled to right with two outs in the fourth. Following the double, Jackson Merrill was credited with an RBI infield single on a ball that shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa couldn’t handle.

The Pirates (21-37) had runners on the corners with nobody out in the sixth but needed a pair of two-out base hits to right field to score. Bryan Reynolds brought in the Pirates’ first run of the game and Spencer Horwitz put them ahead 2-1.

The Padres (32-23) quickly answered in the bottom of the sixth. Luis Arraez tied the game with an RBI double down the left field line and scored on a contact play when Merrill hit a grounder to second baseman Adam Frazier, who unsuccessfully threw home.

Key Moment

The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs against Jason Adam, but the Padres went to closer Robert Suarez to try and work out of the jam. Henry Davis worked the count full, but Edwin Jimenez called strike three on a ball down and out of the zone.

Manager Don Kelly was ejected for the third time this season after the missed call, and several Pirates’ personnel had words for the umpire crew after the game ended.

Ball four would have scored the tying run… instead it's a K 🧐

DK gets ejected sticking up for his guys 😤 pic.twitter.com/tiLHoC29jW

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 31, 2025

Star of the Game

I was tempted to give it to Jimenez, but instead, Nick Pivetta improved to 6-2 after striking out eight and holding the Pirates to two runs in 6.0 innings.

Notable Performances

• Mitch Keller (1-7): 6.0 innings, three hits, three runs, two walks, one strikeout, 78 pitches/49 strikes
• Andrew McCutchen: 2 for 4, one double
• Bryan Reynolds: 2 for 3, one RBI

Stat to Know

With his first-inning single, Andrew McCutchen tied Arky Vaughan for ninth place on the Pirates’ all-time hit list with 1,709. He later passed him — and tied Jason Kendall (2,195) — on the MLB all-time hit list with an eighth-inning double.

Noteworthy

• Mitch Keller has now gone 11-straight starts without registering a win — his last was his second debut on Mar. 28 in Miami.
• Keller has registered five-straight quality starts dating back to May 7. He has a 2.90 ERA (10er/31.0ip) during that stretch.
• The Pirates still have yet to win three-straight games this season.

Up Next

LHP Bailey Falter (3-3, 3.47 ERA) will start for the Pirates on Saturday night. RHP Dylan Cease (1-3, 4.58 ERA) will be on the mound for the Padres. First pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET.