LDN - Sports

Giants knocked out of first with loss to Pirates

[August 17, 2016] SAN FRANCISCO -- Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle would have loved to take credit for a fake intentional walk that played a pivotal role in the Pirates' win Tuesday night.

Except that he doesn't have such a play in his playbook.

New Pirates closer Tony Watson needed just two pitches to get a pair of game-ending outs after a bizarre turn of events in the bottom of the ninth inning, saving a 4-3 Pirates victory that knocked the San Francisco Giants out of first place in the National League West.

Jung Ho Kang broke an eighth-inning tie with a two-out, two-strike solo home run, setting the stage for a wild finish in Pittsburgh's second consecutive win over the Giants.

"It happened real fast," said Watson, who has only limited closer experience. He took over when the Pirates dealt Mark Melancon at the trade deadline.

In the ninth, the Giants put the potential tying run on third base and go-ahead run on second on a one-out error and Joe Panik's double off Watson.

Then with Ehire Adrianza, who had doubled in his previous at-bat, at the plate, Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli stood up and signaled for Watson to throw a wide first pitch, initiating what appeared to be an intentional walk that would load the bases.

Only it was not what Hurdle wanted.

"It wasn't me," the manager insisted of the first pitch to Adrianza. "You yell at this place and nobody hears you it's so loud."

Before Watson could throw a second ball, pitching coach Ray Searage sprinted to the mound to deliver a message first-hand.

"He was going to tackle somebody," Hurdle said.

Back to throwing strikes, Watson got Adrianza to pop up to second base on the next pitch, then retired Denard Span on a grounder to second to end the game.

"When he came out, we kinda regrouped," Watson said. "He had a game plan. I had a hunch we were going to go after them."

The loss dropped the Giants (66-53) out of first place in the NL West for the first time since May 10. The Los Angeles Dodgers (66-52), a 15-5 winner at Philadelphia, took over the top spot by a half-game.

"It's a long season," Giants starter Jeff Samardzija said. "There's ups and downs. Toward the end, it will be all be decided. Hopefully we play our best baseball then."

Rookie Jameson Taillon kept the Pirates in the game with six effective innings, and the Pittsburgh bullpen pitched shutout ball after that, allowing the NL wild-card hopeful to win for the fifth time in six games.

With the victory, the Pirates (61-56) remain one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals (63-56) for the second wild-card spot.

The Giants, who held an eight-game lead over the Dodgers on June 27, currently hold the top wild-card position.

Kang's homer, his 14th, came one pitch after Giants catcher Buster Posey threw out Andrew McCutchen trying to steal second base for the second out of the eighth inning.

The home run, Kang's third in four games, came off the third Giants pitcher, Derek Law (4-2).

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"I'm happy that I can help my team win," Kang said. "The first homer in Los Angeles (on Saturday), I really gained big confidence from that."

The run allowed by Law was the first in 20 outings dating back to June 30.

Neftali Feliz and Watson shut down the Giants from there, with Watson earning his sixth save in seven opportunities since taking over the closer's role.

"Good for him," Hurdle said of Watson. "We put all the chips in. Second and third. Infield in. He got out of it."

Antonio Bastardo (1-0), who pitched a scoreless seventh inning, got the win.

The Giants tied the game at 3-3 on Hunter Pence's infield out in the last of the sixth off Taillon, scoring Posey.

Making his first start in three days, Posey had two of the Giants' eight hits, including a two-run double in the first inning.

Posey, Pence, Panik, Adrianza and Brandon Crawford all had doubles for the Giants.

The loss was San Francisco's 20th in 29 games since the All-Star break, and the fourth in five games to start a 10-game homestand.

"Nobody's happy the way we've been playing," Panik said. "We know we're not playing the way we should. I don't think we're taking it easy. We're just not getting the job done."

Gregory Polanco drove in two of the three runs the Pirates scored off Samardzija.

McCutchen had a triple, and Cervelli and John Jaso had doubles for the Pirates, who have won five in a row in San Francisco.

Pittsburgh improved to 21-11 against the NL West this season.

Neither starting pitcher got a decision, which was fitting in that they posted identical stat lines: six innings, six hits, three runs, one walk and five strikeouts.

NOTES: The Giants (66-53) now lead the Pirates (61-56) by four games in the overall National League standings. On June 23, following a 5-3 Giants win in Pittsburgh, that margin was 12 1/2 games. ... Pirates RHP Jameson Taillon recorded his seventh consecutive quality start. ... Giants LF Angel Pagan extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a first-inning single. The streak is the longest by a Giant this season and the longest ongoing in the majors. ... Before the game, the Giants announced the signing of RHP Joe Nathan to a minor league contract. Nathan, who was designated for assignment earlier this month by the Chicago Cubs, will be sent to Double-A Richmond.

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