Michael Conforto hits tiebreaking RBI single in 8th as Giants beat Pirates
PITTSBURGH -- Michael Conforto hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants extended their winning streak to four games with a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.
After LaMonte Wade Jr. walked and Joc Pederson singled with one out against rookie Carmen Mlodzinski (1-2), All-Star closer David Bednar entered and struck out J.D. Davis. Conforto then hit a line drive into right field. Wade scored on a play at the plate, beating right fielder Henry Davis' throw. Pederson also scored when Pirates catcher Jason Delay threw wildly to second in an unsuccessful bid to get Conforto.
Both starting pitchers were outstanding. Pirates starter Johan Oviedo gave up only one hit, a homer to Mike Yastrzemski, in seven innings while striking out 10 and walking three. The innings and strikeouts matched career highs.
Oviedo became the first Pirates pitcher to work at least seven innings and strike out at least 10, while allowing one or no hits since Francisco Cordova pitched nine innings of a combined no-hitter with Ricardo Rincon in 1997 against Houston.
The Giants' Alex Cobb went six innings and gave up one run and four hits. He struck out five and walked two after pitching a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game.
Taylor Rogers (5-3) worked a scoreless seventh, and Camilo Doval worked around a leadoff single in the ninth for his major-league leading 28th save. San Francisco entered play 2½ games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yastrzemski and Henry Davis hit solo home runs in the second inning to open the scoring.
Yastrzemski's blast to center field traveled 411 feet into the shrubbery in front of the batter's eye and was his 11th of the season. Davis countered with a 422-foot shot to the left-center bleachers for his second career homer in 22 games.
The Pirates dropped to 2-9 in July and a season-high 10 games under .500 at 41-51. They are 21-43 since beginning the season 20-8.
Davis had two hits for the Pirates, and fellow rookie Jared Triolo extended his hitting streak to eight games.
PRIESTER GETTING PROMOTED
Pirates pitching prospect Quinn Priester is to make his major league debut Monday night with a scheduled start against Cleveland.
Priester was the Pirates' first-round pick in the 2019 amateur draft. The 22-year-old right-hander is 7-3 with a 4.31 ERA in 18 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis this season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: Conforto (ribs) played a day after getting hit in the ribs with a pitch and leaving the game. … OF Austin Slater (bruised left heel) was not in the lineup after being injured in Friday's game, but was available off the bench. … OF Luis Gonzalez, who has been out all season while recovering from lower back surgery, is nearing the point where he can begin a rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
The three-game series concludes Sunday with rookie RHP Osvaldo Bido (1-1, 4.44 ERA) pitching for the Pirates. The Giants did not announce a starter.
