Pirates Fall to Padres After 10th Inning Drama Caps Off Wild Game at PNC Park

PITTSBURGH — For the first time since May 7-10, the Pittsburgh Pirates dropped their third-straight game, and it came at a time when they badly needed a win.

The San Diego Padres struck for three runs off of Colin Holderman (3-4) in the 10th inning and despite scoring two runs in the bottom of the 10th, the Pirates were unable to push across the tying run and fell 9-8 on Wednesday night.

Recap

In the 10th, Xander Bogaerts ripped a single to left field to plate automatic runner Luis Arraez and set up the Padres (63-52) with runners on first and third. Manny Macahdo followed with a sacrifice fly to center to add onto the lead.

With one out, Jackson Merrill hit a fly ball to left field which was caught by Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds fired home and looked like he caught Bogaerts at the plate, but the ball was dislodged from catcher Yasmani Grandal’s glove, resulting in the Padres’ third run of the inning.

The Pirates (56-57) loaded the bases in the 10th after Tanner Scott issued back-to-back walks. Scott walked a third batter in Reynolds to plate a run for the Pirates. The third-consecutive walk prompted a pitching change from Padres manager Mike Shildt.

Left-hander Adrian Morejon relieved Scott and threw a wild pitch on his first offering to bring the Pirates within a run. With two in scoring position and nobody out, Morejon induced a force out at the plate against Isiah Kiner-Falefa before he struck out Connor Joe and retired Yasmani Grandal for the final out of the game.

The game went to extras after David Bednar, who had converted 19-straight saves entering play allowed a game-tying home run off the bat of Jackson Merrill. It was Merrill’s second home run of the game.

The back-and-forth affair started with the Pirates claiming a 2-0 lead in the first. After an Kiner-Falefa triple, Rowdy Tellez had a checked-swing single the other way to bring him home. Later in the inning, Ke’Bryan Hayes shot an RBI-single the other way to plate another run.

The Padres cut the Pirates’ lead in half when rookie Merrill clobbered a solo homer to straightaway center to lead off the top of the second. 

Bryan Reynolds answered right back with an RBI single in the bottom of the frame.

Pirates starter Marco Gonzales delivered a 1-2-3 third inning but ran into trouble in the fourth. Donovan Solano and Merrill opened the frame with singles and Kyle Higashioka belted a three-run homer to put the Padres ahead 4-3.

Andrew McCutchen evened the score with a long home run down the left field line, a solo shot for his 14th homer of the season. 

Merrill once again came through for the Padres with a two-out RBI-single to give them the lead once again.

Gonzales allowed five runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings. He walked a pair, struck out eight batters and threw 60 of his 91 pitches for strikes. 

With the Pirates trailing 5-4 in the sixth, McCutchen delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Pirates ahead by a run. 

Key Moment

The Pirates loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth but were unable to push across the game-winning run. Ji Hwan Bae bounced into a force play at home and Oneil Cruz grounded out to first against left-hander Tanner Scott. It was a similar story to what happened in the 10th.

Star of the Game

Jackson Merrill finished 4 for 6 with two home runs, three RBIs and three runs scored. It was his second two-homer game this season.

Stat to Know

With his solo home run in the fourth, McCutchen became the seventh player to record 800 RBIs with the Pirates. After his two-run single, he tied Ralph Kiner for sixth place on the franchise’s all-time list with 802. Hall of Famer Willie Stargell is first in team history with 1,540.

Absolutely crushed by Andrew McCutchen 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/U4G9eowayo

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 7, 2024

Noteworthy

• On consecutive pitches in the seventh inning, Aroldis Chapman hit 105.1 mph and 104.7 mph on the radar gun.
• McCutchen extended his hitting streak to seven games. He was one of four Pirates with multiple hits along with Kiner-Falefa, Reynolds and Hayes. 
• Oneil Cruz, who was again out of the lineup with an illness, pinch hit for Jared Triolo in the sixth and remained in the game. He went 0 for 1 with a strikeout and a hit by pitch.

Up Next

Right-hander Luis Ortiz (5-2, 3.21 ERA) will start for the Pirates in the series finale on Thursday. Fellow righty Randy Vásquez (3-6, 4.62 ERA) will go for the Padres. First pitch: 12:35 ET.