PIRATES

Four innings after Ryan O'Hearn made a sliding catch to prevent the Giants from breaking an eighth-inning tie, a miscue in right field proved costly in the Pirates' 7-6 loss here today.

A 12th-inning ball off the bat of Matt Chapman sailed toward the warning track in right field, as O'Hearn raced to catch up with it. He had a long way to go, but it appeared as if he was camped under it, enough at least to have a good shot at making a catch that would have resulted in the second out of the inning. Instead, the ball hit off of his glove, allowing Heliot Ramos to advance to third and Chapman to reach on what was ruled a double. 

"Fighting the sun the whole way," O'Hearn explained. "That's like the only ball that the sun was involved to my left, up high like that, and when I got close to it, I'm kind of trying to stay on the side of it to try to keep it out of the sun there and then just didn't make the play. ... You try to make every play. The effort's there, obviously. I’ve been working hard trying to improve defensively. I feel like I'm a good outfielder for the most part. Really one play there that I wish I would have made, but it is what it is."

Two batters later, it appeared as if O'Hearn might have had a chance to redeem himself. Jesus Rodriguez blooped a single into right field with the bases loaded, giving O'Hearn the idea that the game was easily over with. Ramos didn't go right away, thinking it might have a chance of being caught. That gave O'Hearn an opportunity to potentially throw him out at the plate. A little bit of hesitation proved costly in that moment, though, as Ramos still managed to score the winning run by beating the late throw. 

"Come in, ball lands, then I field it, and you'd assume that the guy would be going," O'Hearn said. "I guess he went back and tagged by the time I noticed and it was too late.”