Flailing away offensively into the eighth inning, the Giants broke up a pitchers' duel courtesy of Michael Conforto and beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1, Saturday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.
The game was a 1-1 tie going into the eighth, with the lone runs coming on solo home runs by the Giants' Mike Yastrzemski, his 11th, in the top of the second inning, and the Pirates’ Henry Davis, his second, in the bottom of the second.
It was the second straight win on a crucial 11-game road trip and improved the Giants’ record to 51-41 and 40-25 since May 1, with only the Atlanta Braves having a better record since the close of April.
Pittsburgh, which was as good early on as the Giants were bad, fell to 41-51. The Pirates started the season 20-8 but have since had a record of 21-43 and are 41-51.
The Giants scored twice in the eighth against relievers Carmen Mlodzinski and All-Star closer David Bednar for a 3-1 lead, with Conforto reaching Bednar for a run-scoring single and Joc Pederson racing home when Conforto got hung up between first and second base.
LaMonte Wade Jr. started the rally with a one-out walk against Mlodzinski, with Pederson pulling a single to right and prompting the Pirates to go to Bednar, who struck out J.D. Davis before Conforto delivered.
Conforto’s single to right scored pinch runner Casey Schmitt, who was running for Wade. When the relay was bobbled as Conforto got hung up, Pederson kept coming and scored the second run.
The Giants struck out 15 times in all against Pittsburgh pitchers.
Taylor Rogers, Scott Alexander and finally Camilo Doval backed up Alex Cobb with three scoreless innings, with Doval getting his 28th save and second in two nights. Rogers picked up the win, improving his record to 5-3. Mlodzinski was the loser, falling to 1-2.
Cobb looked the part of an All-Star and gave up just the one run in six innings, giving up four hits. After a 17-pitch effort Tuesday night in the National League’s 3-2 win in Seattle, Cobb threw 94 pitches, 58 of them strikes, with two walks and five strikeouts.
The one run came on a no-doubt home run by Davis, the Pirates’ former No. 1 overall pick who hit the first pitch of the inning 422 feet into the left-field seats at a speed of 108.1 miles per hour.
It wasn’t always easy, especially when Cobb took a line drive off his shin off the bat of Bryan Reynolds that fortunately went directly to Wade at first for the final out of the inning.
After getting through the sixth, Cobb was getting congratulations from the dugout and gave way to Taylor Rogers in the seventh inning. Rogers pitched around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless inning.
As good as Cobb was, Johan Oviedo was even better for the Pirates. The only hit he surrendered through seventh inning was the Yastrzemski home run, which traveled 411 feet to center field at a speed of 104.9 miles per hour.
Cobb, who is third in the majors at recording ground-ball outs, got nine outs on ground balls and one on a fly ball.
Oviedo struck out 10 and walked just one and struck out the side in the seventh inning. Oviedo, who came in with a 3-10 record, threw 107 pitches, 74 of them strikes.
The game started approximately 40 minutes late because of a rain delay.
The Giants and Pirates close out the series Sunday with a getaway day game at 9:05 a.m. It will likely be a bullpen game for the Giants, who haven’t announced a starter. Osvaldo Bido (1-4, 4.44) is the listed starter for Pittsburgh.
