PITTSBURGH _ Felipe Rivero is mortal, and Sean Rodriguez can hit the fastball.
Those were two lessons drawn from the Pirates' 5-4 win in 12 innings Sunday at PNC Park as they took their series against the San Diego Padres. After Rivero fell one out short of a four-out save, allowing two runs in the ninth to blow his first save as Pirates closer, Rodriguez, acquired Saturday from the Atlanta Braves, socked a leadoff, walk-off home run to left field.
Rodriguez, who missed half the season because of a shoulder injury suffered in an offseason car crash, entered in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement. He grounded out in his first at-bat. In his second, he blasted a 1-1 offering from left-hander Buddy Baumann into the left-field seats for his third home run this season. It was his third career walk-off home run.
Rivero threw a season-high 41 pitches, and his velocity had begun to dip by the time Manuel Margot hit a two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the ninth, tying the game. Rivero's ERA ticked to 1.27, north of 1.00 for the first time since April 19. He has allowed as many runs (four) in his past three appearances as in his first 50 appearances this season.
The Padres (49-61) had nine hits to seven for the Pirates (54-57). Starling Marte had three hits. Jose Osuna had a pair of doubles, driving in three runs, and made multiple key defensive plays at first base. Andrew McCutchen had an RBI single, a walk and a hit by pitch, kicking his OPS to .907.
The Pirates had a golden opportunity to end the game in the 10th inning, loading the bases with one out after Marte doubled and McCutchen and David Freese were intentionally walked. Jose Osuna grounded into an extra-innings-extending double play.
Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon tossed 61/3 innings and struck out eight. He allowed two runs, both in the first inning, on four hits, two walks and a wild pitch. It was an encouraging return to form for Taillon, who had recently watched his ERA balloon from 3.08 to 4.74 after back-to-back disastrous starts.
Inside the Pirates dugout, alarm bells must have sounded almost immediately in the first inning. Taillon, who over his previous two starts had recorded 20 outs and allowed 20 hits and 17 earned runs, walked the leadoff hitter and then needed McCutchen to make a leaping catch at the center-field wall to steal extra bases. Taillon surrendered a pair of two-out singles.
Cory Spangenberg's knock scored the Padres' first run. A wild pitch ushered home the second.
But there was no further trouble, as Taillon silenced San Diego's swings.
After Austin Hedges doubled leading off the second inning, Taillon stranded him there by getting two strikeouts and a grounder. The Padres did not pick up another hit until the seventh inning. Following a walk in the third, Taillon retired the next 12 batters in order.
The streak was snapped by Hunter Renfroe's single in the seventh. Two batters later, Dusty Coleman struck a base hit, and Hurdle made his move. Taillon was pulled after 102 pitches, and left-hander Wade LeBlanc entered to face pinch-hitter Yangervis Solarte. On the fourth pitch, Solarte bounced a grounder to Freese, who spun a smooth double play.
In the eighth, Juan Nicasio whiffed two batters and then issued a walk. That was reason enough for Hurdle to summon closer Felipe Rivero to attempt a four-out save. Hurdle's double-switch also put Rodriguez, the once-and-future Pirates super-utility man, at second base for his first action since being traded Saturday. The ball found Rodriguez, naturally, and he threw wide to first base, but Osuna laid out for an inning-ending force out.
The ninth inning was less kind to Rivero. Wil Myers struck out on 10 pitches to start the inning. Renfroe walked. Hedges singled. With two outs, pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez walked, loading the bases. Margot worked a 2-1 count before sending a two-run, game-tying single into left field. Rivero was replaced by Joaquin Benoit, and the game hurtled toward extras.
The Pirates' offensive production against Padres left-hander Clayton Richard, who spent the first half in 2015 at Class AAA Indianapolis, was far from a constant barrage. They put multiple runners on base in only one of his six innings, but they made that frame _ the third _ count.
The rally started with Chris Stewart reaching on a fielding error by the third baseman Spangenberg. With one out, Marte singled. With two outs, McCutchen sent an RBI single to center field, cutting the Padres' lead to 2-1. The onslaught was not over. Freese was hit by an 0-2 slider, which loaded the bases for Osuna.
Richard fell behind 3-0 on Osuna, who then watched a fastball for a strike. Richard had been wearing out the outer edge of the plate, so Osuna, primed for another outside fastball, poked it down the right-field line. The double cleared the bases and pushed the Pirates ahead, 4-2.
