PITTSBURGH (AP) - Buster Posey tagged Starling Marte and headed to the dugout to prepare for extra innings.
The San Francisco catcher ended up going straight to the clubhouse after the streaking Giants were undone by a nifty slide and the unflinching eye in the sky.
Marte was called out, then ruled safe on a replay review with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-1 victory Tuesday night to end San Francisco’s six-game winning streak.
It was 1-all when Marte tripled off the wall in right field off Tim Hudson. Marte slid into third, got up and bolted home when the relay from second baseman Ehire Adrianza skipped by third baseman Pablo Sandoval.
Sandoval recovered to throw home and plate umpire Quinn Wolcott initially ruled Marte out. A brief review showed Marte’s right hand touched the plate before Posey was able to swipe Marte’s chest.
“Looking at it, it was really close,” Posey said. “I feel like most of the plays like this that could go either way stay the way they were called on the field. I don’t know if they (the umpires) had a different angle than what I saw but I don’t think so.”
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy placed some of the blame on Adrianza’s ill-fated decision to try and get Marte at third.
“We made a mistake there,” Bochy said. “It’s a hard call for the relay man because your instinct is to wheel and throw but with two outs it’s a dangerous play.”
One that ruined an otherwise spectacular night by Hudson (4-2). The 38-year-old’s bid for his first start of nine innings in nearly two years ended with his second loss of the season. He was masterful until Marte’s decisive swing. Hudson allowed two runs and five hits in 8 2-3 innings, striking out five and walking one as his ERA dipped to 2.15.
“He had unbelievable game,” Bochy said of Hudson. “Two outs, two strikes in the ninth inning, it’s a tough loss for him. He pitched his heart out.”
Yet Hudson allowed he left the ball up over the plate to Marte. One of baseball’s fastest players sprinted 270 feet and popped up when Pirates third base coach Nick Leyva told him to take off for home after the ball skipped past Sandoval, whose left hand was inadvertently kicked by Marte.
“I really think he would have been out if I would have been able to catch the ball,” Sandoval said. “He didn’t do it on purpose and it’s a bad break for us.”
Tony Watson (3-0) worked around two singles in the ninth to pick up the win. Marte scored both Pittsburgh runs and Ike Davis added two hits.
Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton pitched eight innings, giving up one unearned run and three hits, walking two and striking out three.
Both teams were looking for length out of their starters after a 5-hour, 13-inning marathon on Monday night won by the Giants 11-10 left the bullpens taxed.
Going deep into games hasn’t been a problem for Hudson, who worked with his typical efficiency while giving the relievers some needed down time.
Hudson has thrown at least seven innings in all seven of his starts this season. He had little trouble getting through eight innings, keeping the Pirates off-balance with his typically impeccable control.
Marte reached on an infield single with one out in the second and moved to third on a single just inside the first base bag by Davis before scoring on a groundout by Tony Sanchez.
San Francisco’s only run came in the second as Sanchez’s throwing issues from behind the plate resurfaced.
Brandon Belt hit a leadoff single, stole second and moved to third when Sanchez’s throw sailed into shallow center field. Belt scored on Adrianza’s sacrifice fly.
NOTES: The Giants called up RHP reliever George Kontos from Triple-A Fresno on Tuesday and sent Jake Dunning back to the minors. Kontos had a 4.91 ERA in 18 1-3 innings in Fresno. … San Francisco LHP reliever David Huff, on the DL since April 21 with a strained left quad, could begin a rehab assignment at Triple- A Fresno on Thursday. Huff threw 70 pitches in a bullpen session on Monday without any setbacks. … The series concludes Wednesday. Tim Lincecum (2-1, 5.12 ERA) starts for the Giants against Gerrit Cole (2-2, 3.69).
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