SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Liover Peguero homered for the first time in nearly two years, Joey Bart singled in the go-ahead run against his former team and the Pittsburgh Pirates won their fourth straight game by beating the skidding San Francisco Giants 3-1 on Tuesday night.
San Francisco has lost five in a row and 11 of 13 overall.
Peguero’s solo shot in the fifth inning was the first in the majors for the Pirates shortstop since Sept. 9, 2023, and it marked a rare mistake on this night by 42-year-old Justin Verlander.
Coming off his first win in a Giants uniform, the three-time Cy Young Award winner had seven strikeouts and allowed six hits in five innings. He remains 37 wins shy of 300 for his career.
Peguero also drove in a run on a grounder in the eighth off Tyler Rogers (4-3) after Bart’s single gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Bart spent his first four seasons with the Giants.
Pittsburgh reliever Braxton Ashcraft (3-1) pitched three scoreless innings. Dennis Santana retired three batters for his sixth save.
The Giants (54-54) have lost seven straight at Oracle Park, their longest skid at home since 2015.
Pirates starter Bailey Falter allowed one run and two hits in five innings.
Key moment
Giants leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos made a critical baserunning blunder in the first inning and was thrown out at second base after umpires invoked the infield-fly rule on Matt Chapman’s high popup. When the ball landed between third base and the pitcher’s mound, Ramos strayed off the bag and was thrown out by third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to complete an unusual double play.
Key stat
Peguero’s home run was the second allowed by Verlander in a span of 30 2/3 innings.
Up next
Giants ace Logan Webb (9-8, 3.38 ERA) faces Pirates RHP Mike Burrows (1-3, 4.15) in the series finale Wednesday.
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