The Pirates secured a 6–5 win over the Giants on Monday night at Oracle Park, powered by Andrew McCutchen’s go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. McCutchen, who now has 10 home runs this season, broke a 4–4 tie after Tommy Pham walked, turning a tight contest into a Pirates lead they wouldn’t give up. David Bednar worked through trouble in the ninth to earn his 17th save in as many opportunities, sealing Pittsburgh’s third straight victory.
Carson Whisenhunt made his major league debut for the Giants, allowing four earned runs over five innings. He struggled early, giving up a solo homer to Nick Gonzales in the first and three more runs in the second inning, but settled down to throw three scoreless frames before exiting. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Pham contributed key hits in that second inning rally, with a two-run double and RBI single respectively. Mitch Keller didn’t have his best stuff, lasting just two innings for Pittsburgh, but the bullpen combined for seven solid frames to hold off the Giants.
San Francisco kept the pressure on with RBI singles from Willy Adames and Brett Wisely, and a late push in the ninth nearly tied the game. But Bednar, despite allowing three hits and a run, got the final groundout to preserve the win. The Giants have now dropped 10 of their last 12 games and sit just one game above .500, while the Pirates continue a late-July upswing with improving contributions from their young lineup and bullpen.
Tuesday’s matchup features Bailey Falter (7–5, 3.82 ERA) on the mound for Pittsburgh against veteran Justin Verlander (1–8, 4.70 ERA) for San Francisco. Falter is coming off a strong outing against Detroit, while Verlander looks to rebound from a tough season and help the Giants avoid a fifth straight loss. First pitch is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. ET at Oracle Park.