Pirates get back over .500 with win against Giants
Bryan Reynolds drove in three runs and made a leaping catch against the wall, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants 9-4 on Wednesday to climb back above .500.
Former Giants Andrew McCutchen and Connor Joe each went 3 for 4 with an RBI as the Pirates (28-27) won consecutive games after dropping below .500 for the first time since they were 1-2. Pittsburgh is 8-19 following a 20-8 start.
Mitch Keller (7-1) improved to 4-0 in his last five starts, allowing four runs and 10 hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. It was his seventh consecutive outing with at least eight strikeouts.
Alex Wood (1-1) allowed a season-high six runs, eight hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings as the Giants fell back to .500 at 28-28.
Pittsburgh outhit San Francisco 14-12.
Reynolds hit a two--run single in the fourth and an RBI grounder in a two-run sixth. He made a spectacular leaping catch at the top of the left-field wall with two on in the sixth, holding Casey Schmitt to a sacrifice fly.
Patrick Bailey's RBI single put San Francisco ahead in the second, but Pittsburgh took a 4-1 lead in the third when McCutchen hit an RBI double and scored on Rodolfo Castro's single, and Ke'Bryan Hayes tripled down the left-field line, taking third when San Francisco left the base uncovered.
Wilmer Flores had a broken-bat RBI single in the bottom half.
Keller threw a run-scoring wild pitch in the fifth that cut Pittsburgh's lead to 6-3. Joe had an RBI double in the sixth.
LONG-AWAITED DEBUT
Right-hander Luke Jackson pitched a scoreless seventh inning with a pair of strikeouts in his Giants debut after Tommy John surgery in April 2020 while with Atlanta. He signed an $11.5 million, two-year deal with San Francisco in January and was reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Pirates: 1B Carlos Santana missed his third straight game with lumbar spine muscular tightness.
Giants: OF Michael Conforto was scheduled to have an MRI and X-ray after exiting Tuesday's game with a bruised left heel.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Roansy Contreras (3-4, 4.33 ERA) opens a three-game home series on Friday night against St. Louis and RHP Jack Flaherty (3-4. 4.81).
Giants: RHP Logan Webb (4-5, 2.75) seeks to win his fourth straight decision Friday night when San Francisco plays a series opener against Baltimore and RHP Dean Kremer (5-2, 4.58).