What Pirates Series Defeat vs Giants Told Us — And What it Didn't
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates battled hard, but ended up losing two out of three games to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park this weekend.
The Pirates showed some great things on the field, where they hit and pitched well, but then also didn't do those things consistently enough to take a big road series.
Interestingly enough, this is just the second weekend series the Pirates haven't won all season, as they also took just one of two games against the New York Mets at Citi Field at the beginning of the campaign, March 26, March 28-29.
The Pirates are still in a good position at this point, 22-19 overall, but still have a few things to address if they want to get better.
What We Learned From the Pirates Series vs. the Giants
No. 1: Starting Pitching Keeps Dealing
The Pirates have a great starting pitching rotation and they were excellent once again vs. the Giants this weekend.
It was the back half of the rotation in Carmen Mlodzinski, Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler, who combined for five earned runs over 18 innings, a 2.50 ERA.
Ashcraft was particularly impressive, throwing seven innings and allowing just one earned run and posting six strikeouts in the 13-3 victory on May 9.
Mlodzinski threw six innings and allowed just two earned runs for his first quality start of the season and Chandler allowed two earned runs over five innings on an 80-pitch limit.
The Pirates starting pitching has been fantastic since the start of May, with just 15 earned runs over 47.1 innings for a 2.85 ERA.
If the back end of the rotation can pitch like this consistently, then the Pirates will truly have one of the best starting rotations in baseball with Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller also dominating.
No. 2: Patience is a Virtue
Baseball in 2026 is known for home runs and how many runs you can score with big hits, but sometimes, the best way to score isn't by even swinging the bat.
The Pirates had great success in their double-digit victory in the second game of the series vs. the Giants, as they ran up right-handed pitcher Landen Roupp's pitch count up to 90 in four innings and then forced the Giants to throw 232 pitches with five more bullpen pitchers taking the mound.
It led to just five walks, but the Pirates would go 10-for-22 with runners in scoring position and scored nine of their 13 runs off of the bullpen.
The Pirates showed great patience in their 17-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 2, tying an MLB record for seven straight walks in the second inning and then taking advantage of it later on and attacking the bullpen.
Pittsburgh didn't do that enough in their two defeats to San Francisco, but they can have good plate discipline at times, important for a lineup when they aren't swinging the bat amazingly well.
No. 3: Struggling Pirates Turning Things Around at Plate
The Pirates did have a few players that continuously gotten better this month and had strong showings against the Giants, after a slow start to the season.
Catcher Joey Bart tied his career-high with four hits in the win over the Giants and is hitting .412 in May. Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna hit his 300th home run in the 5-2 defeat in the series opener on May 8 and is hitting .300 this month.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz hasn't had a poor season, but did have a fantastic series vs. San Francisco, with four hits in nine at-bats, three doubles and five RBI and is proving himself as valuable towards the back end of the lineup.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz, who came off of no hits in 11 at-bats in the series vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, had five hits in 14 at-bats and his first home run of May in the 7-6 loss in extra innings in the series finale to the Giants on May 10.
It's a good sign to see the likes of Bart and Ozuna getting going from the plate, while Horwitz and Cruz should continue to have good seasons.
What We Didn't Learn From the Pirates Series vs. the Giants
No. 1: How Good/Bad the Pirates Bullpen Is
The Pirates bullpen didn't have a great series vs. the Giants, giving up eight earned runs over 10.1 innings for a 6.97 ERA.
Right-handed pitcher Justin Lawrence gave up three earned runs in the series opener and then would end up taking the loss in the series finale.
Fellow right-handed pitchers in Isaac Mattson blew a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning and then Yohan Ramírez gave up two runs in the bottom of the 10th inning, when the Pirates had a 6-4 lead.
Even right-handed pitcher Cam Sanders had gave up two earned runs in the ninth inning of the 13-3 win, which should've just been an easy final inning of a blowout.
The Pirates did have some good showings, particularly from their left-handed pitchers in Mason Montgomery, Evan Sisk and Gregory Soto.
Montgomery relieved Mattson and retired the next five batters to keep it tied and then Soto got the final four outs to send the game into extra innings. Sisk threw a scoreless inning in both the series opener and the second win.
The Pirates have had issues with their bullpen before this season, but it seems that there's been, at least recently, struggles with the right-handers and excellence from the southpaws.
Pittsburgh needs to figure out how to maintain the southpaws' effectiveness, while getting the right-handers back on track.
No. 2: Can Pirates Avoid Difficult Losses?
Well, no, the Pirates will have some tough losses in 2026 and already have had some.
It's more of whether or not the Pirates can win some of these closer games that they've just not finished out or come just short.
The Pirates blew three leads in the series finale loss and it's reminiscent of their 7-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 12, where they led 5-0 and 6-2 before falling in extra innings.
Pittsburgh should probably have at least three-to-five wins that they don't have, which would put them at the top of the National League Central, but instead, are five games back of the Cubs.
It's a long season ahead, but the Pirates need to show they can win some of these close games, especially on the road.
No. 3: What Depth Position Player Can Pirates Rely On
The Pirates have a great lineup with almost everyone hitting well in 2026, but have little coming off the bench.
Pittsburgh's position players include Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke and Billy Cook, none of whom have hit particularly well.
Triolo deserves some slack, as he missed a month with injury and has won a Gold Glove Award, but Yorke and Cook have hit .205 and .190, respectively.
Jake Mangum is currently injured, and has provided versatility, but the Pirates have so few reliable options off the bench, it's a cause for concern.
There's always a chance those players turn it around, but as of now, the Pirates need a depth piece to truly step up and get things done.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.