The San Diego Padres completed a three-game series sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7-6 victory Thursday afternoon at PNC Park. Closer David Bednar allowed three runs in the ninth inning and blew a save opportunity when he inherited a 5-4 lead. His blown save was the second straight after 19 consecutive saves.
The Bucs outhit the Padres 12-7 and have overcome an early 4-0 deficit. The loss was the Pirates fourth in a row. Their record has dropped to 56-58 overall.
The Pirates open a six-game road trip tonight with the first of three games with the Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch is 10:10pm. Mitch Keller will start for the Pirates. Newly acquired Jack Flaherty starts for the Dodgers.
The Pirates have placed another struggling reliever, Colin Holderman, on the 10-day Injured List.