Rodón Dominates As Surging Giants Top Reeling Pirates 2-0
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Carlos Rodón scattered two hits over eight sharp innings and the San Francisco Giants edged the reeling Pittsburgh Pirates 2-0 on Friday night.
Rodón (6-4) won his second straight start and lowered his ERA to 2.84 after striking out eight against two walks as the Giants sent the Pirates to their 10th loss in 11 games. Rodón has allowed two runs or fewer in 11 of his 13 starts this season. Camilo Doval worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
Luis González took the game's third pitch from Zach Thompson (3-5) and sent it over the right-field seats for his third home run. Joc Pederson hit his 14th homer leading off the fourth. The Giants have won six of seven and 12 of 18.
Rodón held the Pirates without a hit until rookie Jack Suwinski singled with two outs in the fifth. Ke'Bryan Hayes added another single in the sixth, but Pittsburgh's offense did little else. The Pirates failed to have a runner reach third base while getting shut out for the sixth time this season.
Thompson struggled with his command, issuing a career-high five walks while losing for the first time in almost a month. When Thompson found the strike zone, González and Pederson turned on a pair of mistakes and sent the ball soaring over the 21-foot high Clemente Wall in right field.
Only four double plays — one in each of the first four innings — kept the Pirates in the game before Thompson exited after walking Austin Wynns with one out in the fifth. Rookie reliever Cam Vieaux — the 10th Pittsburgh player to make his major-league debut this season — kept the Giants in check after taking over for Thompson, but by then Rodón was on cruise control.
Working efficiently against a team dead last in the National League in runs, Rodón needed just 98 pitches — 71 of them for strikes — to get through eight innings, his longest outing since a complete-game shutout against Arizona in April 2021.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: LHP Matthew Boyd has been shut down for several weeks due to a strained flexor tendon in his left forearm. San Francisco had hoped Boyd, who underwent surgery on the tendon last fall, would be back by late July. Manager Gabe Kapler said the team is still optimistic Boyd will be able to return this season. ... RHP Anthony DeSclafani (right ankle) allowed four runs (three earned) in 2 2/3 innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday. DeSclafani could rejoin the Giants next week when they are in Atlanta. He is eligible to come off the injured list next Tuesday.
Pirates: Placed rookie OF Canaan Smith-Njigba on the 60-day injured list after he fractured his right wrist during a collision with center fielder Bryan Reynolds in a win over St. Louis on Wednesday. ... 1B Yoshi Tsutsugo (strained back) is scheduled to begin baseball activities in the near future and could head out on a rehab assignment sometime within the next week. ... 2B Tucupita Maracano was placed on the COVID-19 list shortly before first pitch. Pittsburgh called up SS Liover Peguero to take Maracano's spot.
UP NEXT
San Francisco's Alex Wood (4-5, 4.11) faces Pittsburgh's Jose Quintana (1-4, 3.53) on Saturday afternoon. Quintana has struggled of late, going 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA in his last five starts.
