SAN FRANCISCO _ San Francisco Giants fans never had the chance to watch the team's top 2016 draft pick, Bryan Reynolds, suit up in orange and black at Oracle Park.
Not many were on hand to witness Reynolds' debut at the stadium, either.
In front of an announced crowd of 26,826 fans, the fifth-smallest attendance in the ballpark's history, the former Giants prospect delivered a go-ahead single in the top of the ninth off rookie closer Jandel Gustave to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-4 comeback win over San Francisco on Monday.
The Giants traded Reynolds to Pittsburgh in the ill-fated January 2018 deal for outfielder Andrew McCutchen and have watched from afar as the rookie outfielder is now vying for the National League batting title.
Reynolds' 145th hit of the season served as the crushing blow during the Pirates' four-run ninth-inning rally against relievers Tyler Rogers, Fernando Abad and Gustave. The blown save spoiled another strong outing for Madison Bumgarner, who had a chance to make history in his 138th career start at Oracle Park on Monday.
The last time the Giants' attendance at their home park dipped under 26,000 fans was May 12, 2009, when the franchise sold 25,701 tickets. That won't happen this season as the Giants have a season-ticket holder base of 26,000, but fewer fans than ever before are walking up and buying tickets on the day of a game.
The Pirates' ninth-inning rally prevented Bumgarner from setting a new Oracle Park record for career wins. After tying former teammate and good friend Matt Cain with his 60th win at the park in his August 30 start against the Padres, Bumgarner left the mound with a two-run lead following seven solid innings of work.
Rogers tossed a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning, but he allowed a leadoff single to Pirates pinch-hitter Kevin Kramer in the top of the ninth that helped ignite Pittsburgh's rally.
After overtaking Tim Lincecum (59) and tying Cain (60) in career wins at Oracle Park in his August 30 outing against the Padres, Bumgarner regained the National League lead in innings pitched (188 2/3) from Washington Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg in a seven-inning stint against Pittsburgh on Monday.
With at least three and potentially four more starts remaining on the year, Bumgarner has given himself a chance to lead the league in innings for the first time in his career.
In the top of the fifth, Bumgarner gave up the fifth home run of Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings' career and extended his streak of games with at least one home run allowed to a career-worst six. Of the 26 home runs Bumgarner has surrendered this season, five have come from catchers with 10 or fewer home runs on the year.
The game wasn't tied for long as first baseman Brandon Belt's two-strike, two-out double off Williams in the bottom of the frame gave the Giants the lead. The hit marked Belt's first with two outs in more than two weeks as the Giants first baseman entered Monday's game with two hits in 26 at-bats in September.
