Field Level Media
Aug 11, 2018
Andrew McCutchen hit Clay Holmes' third pitch of the game for a home run Friday night, triggering a 16-hit attack that sent the San Francisco Giants to a 13-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in San Francisco.
Buster Posey and Alen Hanson combined for seven hits and six RBIs for the Giants, who evened the four-game series with National League wild-card implications at a game apiece after the Pirates had taken the opener 10-5 on Thursday night.
The Giants scored three runs in the first inning, four in the third and three more in the fourth to build a 10-2 lead and held on despite getting out-hit by the Pirates 17-16.
Francisco Cervelli highlighted the Pittsburgh comeback attempt with a grand slam in the seventh inning.
After McCutchen's 13th home run of the season in the first, Austin Slater and Hansen drove in runs with singles to create a 3-0 lead.
McCutchen drew a bases-loaded walk, Posey delivered a two-run single and Evan Longoria chipped in with an RBI single in a four-run third that increased the lead to 7-1 and spelled the end for Holmes (1-2), who had been promoted earlier in the day from Triple-A.
The right-hander lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs and eight hits. He walked four and struck out one.
Steven Duggar had a two-run double and Posey an RBI single in the fourth inning, pushing the San Francisco lead to 10-2.
Cervelli's grand slam, the fourth of his career, got the Pirates back within 11-7 in the seventh, and he followed an RBI triple by Colin Moran with a run-scoring single to make it 12-9 in the eighth.
But Tony Watson got Josh Bell to ground out to end the eighth before the Giants tacked on yet another run on an RBI single by Slater in the bottom of the inning, giving closer Will Smith a four-run cushion with which to work in the ninth.
Adeiny Hechavarria, acquired Monday in a trade with Tampa Bay, hit a solo homer, his first as a Pirate, off Smith in the ninth to complete the scoring.
Giants left-hander Derek Holland (6-8) was credited with the win, going 6 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs (four earned) and 10 hits, walking one and striking out five.
Posey had four hits, Hanson three and Slater and Joe Panik two apiece for the Giants, who had totaled just 16 runs in their previous six games.
Posey and Hanson accumulated three RBIs apiece, while McCutchen (four walks) scored three times for San Francisco, which snapped a three-game losing streak and won at home for just the second time in its last 10 games at AT&T Park.
Cervelli had three hits, five RBIs and scored twice for the Pirates, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Cervelli's grand slam was his 11th home run of the season.
Bell totaled three hits, and Jordy Mercer collected two hits and two RBIs for Pittsburgh, which retained a 3-2 lead over the Giants in the season series.
--Field Level Media