Donovan Solano went 4-for-5 with four RBIs to help the San Diego Padres to a 6-0 win against the host Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday in the opener of a three-game series.
San Diego braved a rain delay that lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes to pick up its 12th win in the past 15 games. The Pirates fell for the fourth time in five games following a three-game winning streak.
The Padres did most of their damage in the fifth, sending eight batters to the plate. Jackson Merrill doubled with one out, advanced to third on pinch hitter David Peralta’s single and scored when Tyler Wade singled to center to make it 1-0.
That marked the end of the day for Pittsburgh reliever Jake Woodford (0-3), who handed the ball off to Kyle Nicolas.
Nicolas promptly hit Jurickson Profar with a curveball to load the bases.
That brought up Solano, who entered the game hitting .480 through 11 career appearances at PNC Park. He knocked a single to left field, scoring Peralta and Wade to put the Pirates up 3-0. Xander Bogaerts followed with another single, bringing in Profar.
In the ninth, Solano pushed the lead to 6-0 when he drove in Wade and Profar with a single.
The Pirates’ offense struggled for much of the night, with just two hits through the first six innings. Pittsburgh finally threatened to score in the seventh, as Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled with one out, Ke’Bryan Hayes smacked a two-out base hit and Ji Hwan Bae drew a walk to load the bases.
However, Tanner Scott then replaced reliever Jason Adam and struck out Jared Triolo to end the inning.
The long rain delay forced both starting pitchers to have short outings. San Diego’s Dylan Cease gave up one hit and struck out two in one inning, while the Pirates’ Bailey Falter surrendered two hits and fanned one in two innings.
Neither starter yielded a walk or a run.
Padres reliever Bryan Hoeing (2-2) took over for Cease when play resumed, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three in 3 2/3 innings for the win.