The Pittsburgh Pirates put on a show Saturday night at Oracle Park, steamrolling the San Francisco Giants 13-3 behind another stellar outing from right-hander Braxton Ashcraft and a season-high 20-hit barrage.
Ashcraft, who has been on a tear lately, worked seven innings for the third time in his last four starts—a feat he hadn't accomplished once in his career before April 22. He navigated a tricky sixth-inning jam with runners on the corners, striking out Rafael Devers and getting Bryce Eldridge to fly out to the warning track, keeping the Giants at bay.
The Pirates' offense clicked from the get-go, and it was a team effort. Joey Bart kicked off a two-run fifth with an infield single that chased Giants starter Landen Roupp. Brandon Lowe followed with a sacrifice fly, and Bryan Reynolds added an RBI single to left. But San Francisco answered quickly when Eldridge crushed the first pitch of the bottom half for his first career home run, a solo shot to right.
That only delayed the inevitable. Pittsburgh exploded for six runs in the seventh, turning a tight game into a laugher. Spencer Horwitz doubled—helped when Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos lost the ball in the lights—and Konnor Griffin added a sacrifice fly. Bart then knocked JT Brubaker out of the game with an RBI single, and Lowe capped the rally with a two-run triple to right-center before scoring on an infield single.
The Pirates kept pouring it on in the ninth, adding three more runs against position player Christian Koss. Lowe doubled home a run, Jared Triolo singled in another, and the damage could have been worse if not for a double-play groundout.
San Francisco scratched across two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it was far too little, too late. The win improved Pittsburgh to 22-18, while the Giants dropped to 15-24.
For Pirates fans, nights like these are a reminder of just how dangerous this lineup can be when everyone contributes. And with Ashcraft dealing like an ace, the Bucs are looking like a team that could make some noise this season.