Pirates
Pirates Blow Late Lead, Fall to Padres; McCutchen Ties Clemente
The Pittsburgh Pirates (22-38) ended their six-game road trip at Petco Park on Sunday in a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres (33-24).
The Buccos are now 5-5 in their last 10 games after blowing their 18th lead of the season, which is tied for third in MLB.
How We Got There
After a stellar month of May, posting a 2.96 ERA, Andrew Heaney entered June coming off of a rough, snakebit performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, he was able to turn that around with a solid bounce-back performance against the San Diego Padres, going 5 2/3, allowing five hits and just two runs, while striking out three.
At first glance, it seemed as if the venom Heaney took from the snakes carried onto his start in San Diego, allowing a first-inning home run to Manny Machado. However, that lead lasted for about five minutes, when Randy Vasquez took a beating on the mound.
The offense got off to a hot start in the third, posting three runs thanks to a history-making two-run home run from Andrew McCutchen. With that cannonball, he tied Roberto Clemente for third on the Pirates’ all-time home runs list with No. 240.
240 home runs as a Pirate for #22 đź‘Ź
Andrew McCutchen has tied Roberto Clemente for third on the Pirates' all-time home runs list. pic.twitter.com/iHEw2UUVLs
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) June 1, 2025
Ke’Bryan Hayes added onto the McCutchen homer with an RBI single that scored Spencer Horwitz off of his ground-rule double, giving the Pirates an early three-run lead. Fast forward to the top half of the fourth, and Adam Frazier hit his third cannonball of the season, adding on what was insurance.
Until… you guessed it. Another. Blown. Lead.
The Padres rallied back from being down 4-1 with a Jackson Merrill RBI double in the sixth, and then came the seventh… a four-run seventh. A collective group of Padres took advantage of poor bullpen play when Tanner Rainey (0-1) took the loss following three allowed walks, one lone hit, and four earned runs.
The Pirates did not collect a hit for the remainder of the game.
Key Moment
The entirety of the bottom half of the seventh inning. The Padres’ offense woke up when their stars found ways to draw walks and collect singles that led to the Pirates’ loss.
Star of the Game
Andrew McCutchen simply made history. With his two-run shot to left, he tied “The Great One” of baseball for third on the Pirates’ all-time home runs list. Alongside that stat, with 1,113 career RBIs, McCutchen surpassed Cleveland’s Carlos Santana for the fourth-most among active MLB players.
Notable Performances
- Andrew Heaney: 5.2 innings, five hits, two runs, no walks, three strikeouts, 87 pitches/58 strikes
- Andrew McCutchen: 1 for 3, one home run, 2 RBI
Stat to Know
Oneil Cruz now leads the National League with 20 stolen bases.
Noteworthy
- Andrew McCutchen has now homered in back-to-back games, marking the first time he’s done so since last season. Coincidentally, the streak mirrors last year’s run, which began at Petco Park and continued at Dodger Stadium on August 7 and August 11, respectively.
- Since Don Kelly’s first game as manager on May 9, the Pirates have had the fourth-best fielding percentage in MLB at .992.
 Up Next
The Pirates are off on Monday but will start a nine-game homestand against the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. RHP Paul Skenes (4-5, 2.15 ERA) will be opposite RHP Lance McCullers (0-1, 5.89 ERA). First pitch: 6:40 p.m. ET.
