Pirates turn small-ball approach into 5-2 win over Giants

Six pitchers combined to allow two hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates were proficient at small ball on offense to pick up a 5-2 victory over the visiting San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon.

Pirates rookie right-hander Khristian Curtis (1-0), who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game, gave up both Giants runs on one hit in three innings of relief. Curtis walked three and struck out two over three innings for the Pirates (69-72).

Lake Bachar opened the game and pitched 2 1/3 no-hit innings with three strikeouts and two walks. Mason Montgomery pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his eighth save.

Pittsburgh won for the fourth time in five games and pulled to within five games of the idle Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League wild-card spot. The Giants (58-83) dropped two of three in Pittsburgh.

San Francisco rookie Blade Tidwell (0-2) struggled with his command, walking five while allowing two runs on two hits over five innings. He had five strikeouts.

The Pirates finished with five hits but none of those brought home a run. It marked only the third time they drove in five runs without an RBI hit since 1901, per the Pirates, and first time since July of 2012 against the Marlins.

Jared Triolo didn't get a hit but drove in two insurance runs in the sixth on a ground ball force out and in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to score Jake Mangum in each instance.

Trailing 4-0, San Francisco sliced the lead in half in the seventh inning. A Jung Hoo Lee double scored Jonah Cox after he led off the inning with a walk. Turner Hill, who also walked, scored on a ground out by Nate Furman.

Oneil Cruz drove in a run and walked three times for Pittsburgh. After drawing a free pass to lead off the sixth, Cruz stole second and scored when Mangum laid down a sacrifice bunt and Giants reliever Reiver Sanmartin fired an errant throw to first to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.

--Field Level Media