The Pirates' thrilling comeback after being down six runs, falls short in 12 innings against the Diamondbacks

Colin Beazley, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jul 28, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh Pirates comeback came out of nowhere.

It wasn’t quite enough.

The Pirates trailed 6-0 going into the eighth inning, but scored six runs on Tuesday night at PNC Park to force extra innings. However, they couldn’t answer James McCann’s RBI single in the 12th, falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7.

Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds both homered in a three-run ninth inning against Arizona closer Paul Sewald. The Diamondbacks were able to score in the 10th and 12th innings, but the Pirates went down scoreless in the 12th,

The Diamondbacks are now in sole possession of the third and final wild-card spot. They entered the game tied with the Pirates.

Through seven innings, the Pirates were largely lifeless. Arizona starter Brandon Pfaadt had baffled the Bucs for seven scoreless frames. The Diamondbacks scored five off Bubba Chandler in four innings, capitalizing on soft contact and shoddy defense.

But they mounted a rally against sidearmer Ryan Thompson in the eighth. They scored three runs on five hits, including four two-out knocks in a row. Ryan O’Hearn had an RBI double, while Endy Rodriguez and Marcell Ozuna both had RBI singles. Jared Triolo pinch-hit with two outs against lefty Brandyn Garcia, representing the tying run, but struck out to end it.

Yet the Pirates found another gear. Jake Mangum led off the inning against Sewald with a double, followed by Lowe’s blast. Reynolds then added a game-tying solo shot, before right-hander Juan Morillo came in and settled things down to force extras.

Gregory Soto allowed just one run in the 10th, coming on a Triolo error. He stranded the bases loaded with a Geraldo Perdomo strikeout and a Gabriel Moreno lineout. Wilber Dotel pitched a scoreless 11th, rolling a double play to end it, but could not do the same in the 12th.

It was over when …

Nick Gonzales led off the 12th with a groundout to third, failing to advance pinch-runner Billy Cook. Rodriguez and Tyler Callihan struck out to end the game.

The Pirates needed one run to win in the 11th, but O’Hearn grounded into an inning-ending double play.

On the mound

Chandler was tagged for five runs, four earned, on eight hits and a walk in four innings. He wasn’t sharp, but the line was perhaps harsh.

Six of eight hits came on balls batted at 87 mph or softer. Two were infield hits — Lowe couldn’t come up with a second-inning grounder, bringing in a run, while Moreno beat Gonzales’ throw from deep at third base — and Max Kepler doubled on a 68.6 mph flare down the right-field line. A run came on Lowe’s two-out error.

Hits from Corbin Carroll and Nolan Arenado came on two-strike sliders that they chased far outside the zone. Still, when Chandler left the mound after the fourth inning, he did so after throwing 91 pitches and with a 5-0 deficit.

The Pirates’ mop up relievers kept the deficit from growing. Isaac Mattson, Brandon Eisert and Ron Marinaccio combined to allow one run in the next five innings, with Mattson throwing a career-high 39 pitches and Eisert pitching 2 1/3 innings. Marinaccio spun a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout.

The Pirates combined to allow 16 hits. The Diamondbacks went 3 for 27 with runners in scoring position.

At the plate

Pfaadt allowed five hits and a walk in seven innings, striking out four. Just one batter reached third: Esmerlyn Valdez, who shook off a hand contusion to go 1 for 5 with a double.

Lowe went 2 for 5 with a homer, a double, a walk and two RBIs.

Bucs bites

— Ozuna started the game 0 for 2, dropping his average below .200, and was booed after a third-inning groundout. He singled in his next two at-bats, ending an 0 for 11 skid.

— The Pirates entered the game 1-43 when trailing after eight innings. They dropped to 1-44 — although they certainly made it interesting.

Up next

The Pirates and Diamondbacks will play for the series on Wednesday at 12:35 p.m. ET. Right-hander Jared Jones (2-1, 3.72 ERA) will look to continue his hot stretch against Arizona’s All-Star lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 2.64).

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