A Jared Hughes throwing error on Jean Machi’s sacrifice bunt allowed the Giants (21-11) to get by the Pirates (12-20) 11-10 in 13 after trailing 8-2 heading into the sixth inning.
With the Giants leading 2-0 in the third after a shaky start by Pirates starter Jeff Locke, Josh Harrison, Neil Walker (RBI) and Andrew McCutchen all singled. Pedro Alvarez then came up and looked to have walked on four pitches, but home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi called ball four a strike. Alvarez took the next pitch he saw into the bullpen to put the Pirates ahead 4-2.
The Pirates put another four-spot up in the fifth thanks to an Alvarez RBI single, Barmes sacrifice fly and two wild pitches to take a 8-2 lead. It wouldn’t hold, though as the Giants put a five spot on in the sixth. Locke, who had retired 13 consecutive Giants prior to the inning, gave up three straight singles to start the inning. After a strikeout to Michael Morse, Locke allowed a RBI single to Pablo Sandoval knocking him out of the game. Bryan Morris came in to try to stop the bleeding, but allowed three more runs to score cutting the Pirates lead to 8-7.
“The sixth inning was just the first inning all over again,” said Locke. “I just left a couple balls up, a couple balls hit hard and they add up. You definitely don’t go out there and think that’s going to happen with an 8-2 lead and the damage had already been done. I think there were times last year where I let that snowball, but today I just kind of put my foot down.”
After getting a run back in the sixth on a Walker RBI groundout, the Giants tied things up by scoring two off of Tony Watson and Justin Wilson. Wilson however, induced an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners to keep the game knotted at nine.
The two teams exchanged a run apiece in the eighth and ninth innings. Mark Melancon blew the save in the ninth and almost the game when the Giants had a runner on first with one out. Hector Sanchez singled to right and Jose Tabata threw out Ehire Adrianza trying to take third.
The game went to extras where the Giants scratched 1 run across on a throwing error by Jared Hughes after he walked Hunter Pence and hit Juan Perez.
Sergio Romo came in and retired McCutchen and got Alvarez to ground into a double play to end things.
“We couldn’t stop them late and we still had a shot in the ninth,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “I think in the sixth inning, all I saw was Marte running around balls in left field and then I saw Walker dive for three or four at second and couldn’t come up with anything, so it’s just a night we gave everything we got and we just came up one runs short in the end.”
Final Score: Giants 11, Pirates 10 / 13
Starters Lines
Locke (ND): 5 1/3 IN, 8 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 K. 69 pitches (45 strikes).
Petit (ND): 4 1/3 IN, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 1 IBB, 4 K’s, 1 HP, 1 HR. 92 Pitches (55 Strikes).
These two will be back out there later today for the second game of the three-game set.
Later Today’s Starters
(RHP) Charlie Morton (PIT): 0-4, 4.21 ERA
(RHP) Tim Hudson (SF): 4-1, 2.17 ERA
First pitch is set for 7:05.
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(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
