PITTSBURGH — The Giants allowed five scattered hits to the Pirates on Thursday, all of which were singles. On most days, that’s a recipe for success. Not on an afternoon when the pitching staff surrendered seven walks.
Beginning with Blade Tidwell’s rocky afternoon, one where he walked five batters and plunked one, the Giants lost 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates to drop the rubber match of their three-game series.
Tidwell gifted the Pirates a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, walking Oneil Cruz with the bases loaded, then plunking the next batter, Jake Mangum, in a 1-2 count. The right-hander returned to the first-base dugout having already thrown 40 pitches.
Pittsburgh then scored two more runs in the sixth without really driving in a run. Mangum, with Cruz on second, laid down a sacrifice bunt, and reliever Reiver Sanmartin delivered an errant throw to first base that allowed Cruz to score. Later that inning, Jared Triolo beat out a potential inning-ending double play to score a run, giving the Pirates a 4-0 lead.
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The Giants halved that deficit in the top of the seventh. Jonah Cox, batting cleanup, drew a leadoff walk, stole second base and scored on a double by Jung Hoo Lee. Two batters later, Nate Furman drove in Turner Hill, who also walked, on a groundout.
Pittsburgh manufactured an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning off Ryan Walker when Mangum, who drew a leadoff walk, scored on a sacrifice fly by Jared Triolo.
Up next
The Giants will travel to Queens for a three-game series against the New York Mets. Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson and Anthony Molina are slated for Friday and Saturday, but Sunday’s starter has yet to be announced.
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