Cruz's Ninth-Inning Blast Lifts Pirates Past Padres 1-0

A Late Break in a Tight Contest

The Pittsburgh Pirates escaped San Diego with a 1-0 victory on Wednesday, August 26, at Petco Park. The game remained scoreless through eight full innings, with both pitching staffs limiting the opposing offense. The decisive moment arrived in the bottom of the ninth, when Oney Cruz connected with a pitch from Mason Miller. The ball traveled 379 feet to right field, securing the only run of the game and the win for the visitors. The final score stood at 1-0 in favor of Pittsburgh.

Pitching Performance

Paul Skenes led the Pirates' staff, pitching six innings while allowing three hits and walking no batters. He recorded four strikeouts and surrendered no earned runs. Camilo Doval followed with one inning of work, allowing no hits or earned runs while striking out two batters and issuing one walk. Gregory Soto closed the game with one hitless, scoreless inning, earning the win and improving his record to 6-4. Mason Montgomery secured the save with one hitless, scoreless inning, striking out two batters and walking one. His save count increased to six.

Padres' Effort

Michael King anchored the Padres' rotation, pitching seven innings. He allowed five hits and two walks but struck out seven batters while surrendering no earned runs. Adrian Morejon pitched one inning, allowing no hits or earned runs and striking out one batter. Mason Miller took the loss in the ninth inning. He recorded one strikeout and allowed one hit and one earned run, which came from Cruz's home run. The loss dropped Miller's record to 4-2.

Final Records

The Padres finished the day with a record of 71-62. The Pirates improved their standing to 65-69. Attendance at Petco Park was 40,709. The game featured exactly one home run, hit by Cruz. No other scoring plays occurred. The Pirates' offensive production was limited to that single run, while the Padres failed to register a score. The pitching duels were tight, with both teams relying on late-inning bullpen performances to maintain their respective leads or deficits until the final out.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816679