Pirates Lose to Padres on Ninth Inning Wild Pitch
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A costly wild pitch in the ninth inning allowed Fernando Tatis Jr. to make a bold dash home for the winning run, handing the Pittsburgh Pirates a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday night. This was despite a stellar seven-inning, one-run outing from Pirates starting pitcher Bailey Falter.
The game began at 5:45 EDT, after a rain delay pushed back the original 4:10 start time.
Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez has struggled with walking hitters thus far this season, and Oneil Cruz got things started for the Pirates with a leadoff walk. Joey Bart also took advantage of Vasquez's lackluster control, taking a base on balls to put two runners on in the first inning. Vasquez escaped the early jam by forcing a groundout to Enmanuel Valdez.
Falter cruised through the first two innings, limiting his pitch count and forcing weak contact. His fastball was sharp and effective all night.
The Pirates opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second with a two out rally. Alexander Canario got things started with a single, followed by a Jared Triolo walk. Cruz then ripped a line drive past the Padres second baseman to bring Canario around to score, giving the Pirates an early 1-0 lead and Cruz his 18th RBI of the season. The ball was clocked at 118 MPH off Cruz's bat. Cruz currently leads all Major League hitters in average exit velocity, at 96.4 MPH.
Cruz was 1-1 on the night with 4 walks. He raised his season OPS to .911.
Oneil Cruz just hit this RBI single 118.4 MPH 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pMcw1DI6fB
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025
Veteran catcher Martin Maldonado provided the Padres their first with a single to center field in the third inning. Falter induced a tailor made double play ball to second base for a double play to get out of the inning. He only needed 39 pitches to get through the first three innings.
Pittsburgh's next scoring opportunity was snuffed out by a great defensive play from Padres center fielder Brandon Lockridge. With two outs and Enmauel Valdez at second base, Ke'bryan Hayes smacked a line drive single to center field. Lockridge gathered the ball in stride and fired a perfect one-hop throw to Maldonado behind home plate. Valdez was caught dead in the water and tagged for the third out, keeping the score at 1-0.
Vasquez walked five over five innings, but the Pirates failed to take advantage of runners in scoring position. They left ten runners on base with Vasquez on the mound.
Falter was extremely efficient through the middle innings, showcasing elite command and a biting fastball that he was dotting in the upper corner of the strike zone. He had just 72 pitches going into the seventh inning.
That's when his shutout was interrupted by a home run to left field courtesy of Padres third baseman Manny Machado. The solo shot tied the game at 1-1. Falter recovered to finish out the inning, and his start.
He finished his night with 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 6 K. He threw 89 pitches, 59 of them strikes. Although he would come away with a no-decision, it was Falter's best start since a seven inning shutout against the Washington Nationals on April 16. The six strikeouts were a season high.
Bailey Falter, 93mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/c5awIMOeLS
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 3, 2025
Chase Shugart came on in relief for the Pirates in the eighth inning in a high pressure, tie game situation, and sent the Padres hitters down in order. He struck out two.
David Bednar came out of the bullpen for the ninth inning and immediately got into trouble. Fernando Tatis Jr. drove a ground ball past Ke'bryan Hayes for a leadoff double, and all the sudden the Padres had the game-winning run in scoring position with no outs.
Luis Arrez grounded to the second baseman for the first out, failing to advance Tatis Jr. However, Tatis Jr. took matters into his own hands and stole third base during the next at-bat. Bednar got a big second out with a strikeout of Machado. It was looking like the Pirates might escape the ninth inning jam.
Tatis Jr. then used his wheels for an even more daring maneuver. Bednar threw a curveball in the dirt that Bart successfully blocked, but had to chase near the edge of the batter's box. Tatis was halfway to home by the time Bart retrieved the ball, making an instinctive sprint towards the plate. Bart dove to try and tag him, but Tatis had already safely slid in feet first, giving the Padres a 2-1 lead. The play would go down in the scorebook as a wild pitch, though Tatis easily could have been rewarded with a rare stolen base of home.
FERNANDO TATIS JR. JUST DID THAT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/0FFJWRtquG
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025
Padres closer Robert Suarez came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He would walk Cruz, his fourth base on balls of the evening.
The last pitch of the night may as well have been a microcosm of the evening for the Pirates. Bryan Reynolds hit a double play ball, leaving another runner on base, and ending the game.
On Sunday, the Pirates will try to salvage one win in their series against the Padres. Left-handed pitcher Andrew Heaney (2-2, 2.50 ERA, 31 K) will start for Pittsburgh, while Stephen Kolek (3-0, 5.21 ERA in 2024) will make his first appearance this season and his first career start for San Diego.
Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.