Giants keep struggling, fall 11-2 to Pirates

PITTSBURGH - The men Andrew McCutchen used to call his teammates wanted to make sure McCutchen would have his moment. So when the San Francisco Giants outfielder stepped out of the batter’s box on Friday night to acknowledge the standing ovation at PNC Park in the five-time All-Star’s first game back since being traded in January, the Pittsburgh Pirates clapped right along.

Then McCutchen put his helmet on, dug in and went back to work. The Pirates did, too. Six pitches later McCutchen was headed back to the dugout after striking out looking, and Pittsburgh set about showcasing that the franchise remains very much alive even without the player most vital to its turnaround.

Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Jose Osuna all hit two-run homers, Max Moroff added a three-run blast and the Pirates beat the Giants 11-2 on Friday night.

McCutchen, who played his first nine seasons in Pittsburgh before being shipped to the Giants four months ago, let the outpouring from the largest crowd to watch a Pirates home game this season pour over him when he came to bat in the first inning. He finished 1 for 5 with a double and threw out Pittsburgh’s Colin Moran at home to end the sixth while being cheered whenever he came to bat or made a play in the field.

“I don’t think there was anything normal about it,” McCutchen said about the response. “You try to make it as normal as possible, but you’re playing against guys you played with for a long time and that’s not normal. I tried my best not to think about it, but I think they had the advantage over me. I was trying to ride through it. I did my best.”

Steven Brault (3-1) picked up the win in relief after Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon left after three innings with a laceration on his right hand. Mercer went 3 for 4 and scored twice for the Pirates, who have won five of six.

San Francisco rookie Andrew Suarez (1-2) lasted just four innings in his fourth career start, giving up five runs on seven hits, including home runs to Marte in the first and Osuna in the fourth. Austin Jackson’s two-run double off Brault in the fourth briefly tied the game at 2, but Suarez struggled in the bottom of the inning as the Giants dropped their fifth in a row.

“(The key) is starting pitching,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s how you get on a roll, good starting pitching. If you’re struggling, it’s usually because your starters are in a little rut and that’s what’s happening with us right now.”

The Giants went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position and struck out 14 times. San Francisco has fanned 68 times during its five-game slide.

“We’re having a hard time making contact or even getting a productive out,” Bochy said. “That’s why we have had five ugly losses. We’re not doing anything offensively, the (opposing) pitchers are on top of their games and that’s why we’re in the little streak that we’re on right now.”