Pirates pound Giants 10-5 in series opener
Elias Diaz, Josh Bell and David Freese hit home runs Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Pirates, using a five-run seventh inning that was set up by two errors, overpowered the host San Francisco Giants 10-5 in the opener of a four-game series.
Right-hander Ivan Nova (7-6) limited San Francisco to three hits over six innings.
Diaz smacked a two-run homer in the second inning off Giants starter Andrew Suarez (4-8), and Bell immediately followed with a long ball as the Pirates took a 3-0 lead and were never headed.
The home runs were Diaz's eighth of the season and Bell's seventh.
The Giants got within 3-2 in the fifth on a single by Austin Slater, an RBI triple by Alen Hanson and a run-scoring single by Steven Duggar.
However, that was the last of the San Francisco scoring off Nova and three Pirates relievers until two-out doubles in the bottom of the ninth by Joe Panik and Duggar after Pittsburgh had opened an eight-run lead.
Nova was lifted after six innings, having allowed two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out three.
Pittsburgh broke the game open against the San Francisco bullpen in the seventh after back-to-back errors by the Giants provided a boost.
Adam Frazier made it 4-2 with an RBI single, and Gregory Polanco lashed a two-out double to score a second run. Freese capped the uprising with a three-run home run, his ninth of the year, giving the Pirates a six-run cushion.
Colin Moran added an RBI single and Frazier a sacrifice fly in a two-run eighth that increased the lead to 10-2.
Suarez left for a pinch hitter after five innings. He yielded three runs on seven hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Freese scored two runs and finished with two hits for the Pirates, who won for the third time in four games against the Giants this season.
Frazier collected three hits and two RBIs. Diaz and Josh Harrison added a pair of hits apiece for Pittsburgh, which won its third straight to improve to 3-1 on its nine-game trip.
Duggar had a double, a single and two RBIs for the Giants, who lost their third straight to open a six-game homestand.
The Pirates out-hit the Giants 13-6.
--Field Level Media
