Pirates avoid near-disastrous collapse, outlast Giants in walk-off victory

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Sep 1, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — On paper this was supposed to be a pitching duel. The reigning National League Cy Young winner and the award’s fourth-place finisher last season.

Yet a pitching duel it certainly was not. Paul Skenes gave up five runs in the second inning Tuesday night at PNC Park, and San Francisco Giants starter Logan Webb was shellacked to the tune of nine runs, marking a career high for the eighth-year veteran righty.

The Pirates blew a five-run lead in the eighth inning, but in the bottom of the ninth — the game tied 12-12 — Rafael Flores Jr. was the hero. Pinch hitting for Esmerlyn Valdez with the bases loaded, Flores knocked a grounder to third baseman Osleivis Basabe, who couldn’t complete the throw to first as the Pirates walked off the Giants, 13-12.

The Pirates led 11-5 after the third inning, a frame in which they smacked nine hits and scored nine runs.

Skenes (9-11, 3.97 ERA) gave up three hits — including a pair of RBI singles — in the second inning before serving Rafael Devers a fastball smack-dab in the middle of the zone, which the lefty clobbered for a three-run homer to center field.

And after Skenes was pulled in the fifth, giving up eight hits and five runs while walking three in 4 2/3 innings, Yohan Ramirez surrendered two runs in relief. Then, in the eighth, the Pirates collapsed.

Evan Sisk walked three straight batters to load the bases with one out before Luke Weaver took the mound. Weaver, however, couldn’t limit the damage as he walked in a run and allowed four more to score — a two-run double from Drew Cavanaugh and a two-run single from Nate Furman — as the Giants tied the game.

Sisk was charged with three of the five runs.

The Pirates opened the scoring with two runs in the first, and Oneil Cruz had two singles and three RBIs in the third, finishing his night 4 for 6 with a season-high four RBIs. Webb (8-8, 4.21) was pulled after surrendering five singles and issuing two walks in the third before recording an out.

Since he returned from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 18, Cruz is hitting .318 with 12 RBIs in 12 games.

It was over when …

An error allowed Lowe to score the walk-off run.

On the mound

It was initially overshadowed by the explosive offense, but Skenes failed to reach five innings for the third time in his last six starts.

He gave up five hits — including four hard-hit balls (95 mph exit velocity or higher) — with his fastball, including the three-run home run to Devers. Skenes looked like he might regain form after tossing six shutout innings against the San Diego Padres last week, but he instead gave up at least five runs for the sixth time of the year.

Prior to this season, he’d given up five runs in a game just once, on April 8, 2025.

At the plate

Save Jared Triolo, every member of the Pirates’ lineup notched a hit. Five players had multi-hit games, led by four from Cruz, and Spencer Horwitz and Henry Davis had two RBIs apiece.

Lowe went 4 for 6 and hit a solo home run in the seventh, marking his 29th of the season.

The Pirates’ offense entered Tuesday ranked 26th in MLB since the All-Star break, but they delivered against the Giants’ ace. Their 19 hits were their most since knocking 16 against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 13, and their second-highest total this season.

Bucs bites

— Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin (left ring finger sagittal band) continued his rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday night. He went 0 for 4 with a walk at designated hitter. Griffin is eligible to be activated off the 60-day injured list Friday.

— Since he was acquired in a trade with the New York Mets, Weaver has a 6.48 ERA across nine appearances with the Pirates.

Up next

Bubba Chandler (6-9, 4.26) will get the ball for the Pirates at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday in hopes of building off his strong month of August. Landen Roupp (8-13, 4.25) will start for the Giants.