Rodríguez gives Giants series win over Pirates with walk-off single in 12th

SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6 in 12 innings on Mother's Day as rookie catcher Jesús Rodríguez delivered a walk-off single a day after the team traded Patrick Bailey and put its faith in Rodríguez and fellow rookie Daniel Susac.

In taking 2 of 3 from the Pirates, San Francisco snapped a three-series losing streak.

Pittsburgh scored a pair of runs in the top of the 10th on a two-run double by Spencer Horwitz off Joel Peguero, but Willy Adames tied the game up at six apiece with a two-out, two-run single that electrified Oracle Park.

Matt Chapman and Drew Gilbert were plunked to load the bases, but Rodríguez struck out swinging to push the game to 11 innings.

The Pirates put runners at the corners with no outs in the top of the 11th against Dylan Smith, who was called up before the game, but former Pirate Ryan Borucki wiggled out of trouble.

Borucki got the first out by striking out Oneil Cruz, then turned an inning-ending 6-3 double play. Brandon Lowe lined out, then Henry Davis, who was running on the pitch, was doubled up at first.

The Giants had another opportunity to end the game in the bottom of the 11th when they loaded the bases with one out but ended up empty-handed.

San Francisco tried to run a squeeze play with Rodríguez on third and Christian Koss bunting, but Koss fouled off what would've been a walk-off wild pitch on a sweeper that caused him to hit the deck. Koss then hit into a 5-2 force out with Rodríguez thrown out at the plate, then Ramos grounded out to end the inning.

Borucki kept the game tied with a scoreless 12th, setting the stage for Rodríguez's walk-off single in the bottom of the frame.

Right-hander Tyler Mahle continued his odd "good start, bad start" trend by surrendering two homers and allowing four runs over 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts to two walks.

In odd-numbered starts this season, Mahle has allowed two earned runs over 22 innings (0.82 ERA). In even-numbered starts, he has allowed 22 earned runs over 19 2/3 innings (10.07 ERA).

Left fielder Heliot Ramos continued what has quietly been an excellent stretch, going 2 for 3 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.

Chapman collected his first extra-base hit since Game 1 of the Giants' doubleheader on April 30, a game-tying double in the bottom of the sixth. Entering play, Chapman had been 1 for 30 with 10 strikeouts in his last eight games.

Left-handed reliever Sam Hentges, who was activated from the injured list before Sunday's game, made his first MLB appearance since July 10, 2024, allowing a walk but retiring a batter to complete the seventh inning.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Rodríguez, making his first start behind the plate since the team traded Bailey, threw the ball into center field when Cruz stole second base. Cruz took advantage and advanced to third, then scored on a single by Nick Gonzales.

Pittsburgh doubled its lead in the second when 20-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin, who many consider to be a future superstar, hit a solo homer into the Giants' bullpen, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

Luis Arraez's RBI single in the third and Ramos' no-doubt home run in the fourth tied things up at two apiece, but Cruz gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the fifth with an opposite-field solo homer that just snuck over the left-field fence.

Pittsburgh's Spencer Horwitz expanded the advantage to 4-2 with an RBI double, but the Giants tied things up once again, this time at four apiece, on a pair of RBI doubles by Ramos and Chapman.

The Giants had a golden opportunity to push across the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth, but squandered the opportunity.

Devers led off the inning with a towering fly ball off the Pirates' Dennis Santana that bounced off the second "L" of the Levi's Landing typeface. Devers appeared to think he homered based on how he backpedaled, ending up behind the opposite batter's box, but scrambled when he realized the ball wasn't leaving the yard and ended up with a double.

Manager Tony Vitello jumped over the railing of the home dugout and onto the field to converse with the umpires, and a video review confirmed that the ball didn't leave the yard. Still, the Giants had action. Following Ramos' lineout, Adames legged out an infield single to put two on with one out.

By the inning's end, the game remained tied. Chapman flew out, and left-hander Gregory Soto entered for Santana to retire Gilbert.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 7:39 PM.