Johan Oviedo gave up one run on three hits over six innings Wednesday afternoon as the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the San Diego Padres 3-2 in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Oviedo (4-11) had lost eight straight decisions since his last win on May 19. He struck out five and walked three.
Inning-opening home runs by Ji Man Choi, Bryan Reynolds and Carlos Santana provided the offense for Pittsburgh, which won five of six games against the Padres this season.
David Bednar, who developed in the Padres’ organization, recorded his 20th save despite issuing a bases-loaded, one-out walk to pinch hitter Juan Soto in the ninth. He then retired Taylor Kohlwey on a foul pop and struck out Trent Grisham to end the game.
Bednar had loaded the bases by walking Xander Bogaerts, allowing a single by Luis Campusano and then hitting Jake Cronenworth with a pitch.
Choi and Reynolds both homered against Padres starter Seth Lugo. Santana hit his third homer of the series in the ninth against reliever Robert Suarez, which turned out to be the decisive run.
Choi gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the second with his sixth home run of the season — a 384-foot shot to right-center on a 3-1 sinker that stayed up in the zone.
The Padres tied the game in the third. Ha-Seong Kim drew a one-out walk from Oviedo and scored from first on Manny Machado’s two-out bloop double that fell between left fielder Reynolds and rookie shortstop Alika Williams.
Reynolds put the Pirates on top to stay in the fourth with his 11th homer of the season — driving Lugo’s first-pitch fastball 385 feet to left-center. Santana’s 12th homer of the season came off Suarez’s second pitch of the ninth and traveled 429 feet to right center.
Oviedo entered the game with a 3-11 record and a 4.77 ERA — and a 7.54 ERA in four previous July starts. He retired 10 of the last 11 Padres he faced with the one runner eliminated on one of two double plays the Pirates turned behind the 25-year-old right-hander.
Lugo (4-5) took the loss despite allowing two runs on only three hits and no walks with a season-best eight strikeouts in seven innings.
The Padres are now 6-17 in one-run games and 6-39 when scoring three or fewer runs.
Before the game, Pirates pitcher Angel Perdomo was suspended three games for intentionally hitting Machado with a pitch on Tuesday night. Pirates manager Derek Shelton was also suspended for a game.
–Field Level Media
