Quinn Priester’s Best Start Goes for Naught as Giants Beat Pirates 3-0

Rookie Quinn Priester pitched six shutout innings in the best start of his young career but it wasn’t enough to keep the Pittsburgh Pirates from being walked off by Giants 3-0 on Friday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

Patrick Bailey hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off closer David Bednar (1-2) to break a scoreless tie. Bednar’s struggles continued as he failed to retire any of the three batters he faced and his ERA ballooned to 12.00.

Preister allowed three hits, struck out six and walked one while throwing 84 pitches. It was quite a reversal from his first start of the season last Friday when he tagged for five runs in 4.1 innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox. The 23-year-old entered Friday with a 7.79 career ERA.

The Pirates (13-14) missed three opportunities to score as they lost their third straight game and fell below .500 for the first time this season.

With runners on second and third in the first, Edward Olivares hit an inning-ending ground out. Bryan Reynolds struck out with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning and grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the ninth.

The Pirates left 11 runners on base and went hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Michael A. Taylor had two hits each.

Giants rookie left-hander Kyle Harrison and three relievers combined on an eight-hit shutout. Camilo Doval (2-0) got the win after inducing Reynolds’ double play ball in the ninth inning.

Up Next

Pirates left-hander Martin Perez (1-1, 3.45) faces Jordan Hicks (2-0, 1.61) at 9:05 p.m. Saturday in the middle game of the series.