Slumbering offensively for the better part of the previous 18 innings, the Giants erupted for five runs in the 10th Sunday in an 8-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates to complete a three-game sweep at PNC Park.
The Giants opened the ninth with a single by Wilmer Flores against Pittsburgh reliever Yerry De Los Santos (0-1), advancing free runner Casey Schmitt to third base. Pederson was next and flew out to center to drive in Schmitt, and after J.D. Davis walked, Michael Conforto doubled to right center to bring in two more runs.
They weren’t done, with Patrick Bailey, who had entered as defensive replacement, doubling in two more runs for a five-run lead.
The Giants, 52-41, are 11 games over .500 for the third time this season and have yet to make it to 12 heading into a four-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds. Pittsburgh is 41-52.
Heading into the 10th, the Giants had nine hits and had struck out 26 times in the previous 18 innings against Pirates pitching. Conforto also had a clutch run-scoring single in Saturday night’s win and had five hits and five RBIs in the series.
Conforto didn’t wait around against De Los Santos, jumping on the first pitch for the 10th-inning double.
“I definitely wanted to be ready for the fastball right away,” Conforto told Peacock in a postgame interview. “He’s got a good fastball and I kind of set my sights on the inside part of the plate. He’s got a good sinker that runs back toward the middle. I got the pitch I wanted and put a good swing on it.”
Ryan Walker, who pitched a scoreless ninth for the Giants improved to 3-0. Scott Alexander gave up one run in the 10th and was the sixth Giants pitcher, following Alex Wood, Tristan Beck, Tyler Rogers, Taylor Rogers and Walker.
The Giants rested closer Camilo Doval, who had saves in each of the first two wins of the series as well as a 16-pitch effort in Tuesday night’s All-Star game in Seattle.
The Pirates tied it in the eighth with an uncharacteristic wild spell from Tyler Rogers, who opened the inning in place of middle reliever Beck.
After Andrew McCutchen opened with a single, Rogers walked both Carlos Santana and Henry Davis to load the bases on 3-2 counts, with the pitch to Santana appearing to catch the top of the zone.
Jared Triolo was next, and his fly to right brought home McCutchen with the tying run. Taylor Rogers replaced his twin brother at that point, and he escaped the inning with further damage despite the Pirates re-loading the bases.
Wood didn’t make it through the fourth although he had been on somewhat of a roll after a rough start. After getting the first two outs of the inning, Wood walked No. 9 hitter Jason Delay, ending a string of seven consecutive outs.
With the top of the order awaiting its third turn, Kapler pulled Wood in favor of Beck. As a starter, opposing hitters were hitting .194 (13 for 67) against Wood the first time through the order, as opposed to .292 (19 for 65) and .364 (4 for 11) the third time.
Beck retired Connor Joe on a popup on his first pitch to end the inning. He gave up a run in the sixth when Henry Davis doubled, stole third and came home on a ground out by Jared Triolo with the infield playing back and conceding the run.
Pittsburgh starter Osvaldo Bido was out in the third, in part because of a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch and an outfield error in a three-run inning for the Giants.
J.D. Davis drove in the first run with a single to right, with a second run scoring when Pittsburgh outfielder Henry Davis manhandled the ball with LaMonte Wade Jr. racing home with a second run.
The Giants added a third run when Luis Matos grounded to the right side of the infield with the bases loaded before Bido was pulled in favor of left-hander Ryan Borucki. Borucki struck out Blake Sabol to end the inning.
After throwing 20 pitches in the first inning, Wood threw 25 more in the second. He gave up one run, but left the bases loaded.
The Pirates scored when Bryan Reynolds bounced a grounder up the middle toward shortstop Brandon Crawford. Conner Joe, who had reached first base on a walk, beat Crawford’s attempt to get a force play at second. That gave Reynolds a run-scoring single and Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
The Giants open a four-game series Monday against the Reds, surprise contenders in the N.L. Central, and announced the following starters: Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, Ross Stripling and Alex Cobb.
