Pirates score wild 13-12 win over Giants on walk-off error despite 5 ER allowed by Paul Skenes, blown 5-run lead

If you had seen at the beginning of the season that the San Francisco Giants were starting Logan Webb and the Pittsburgh Pirates were countering with Paul Skenes, you would have popped some popcorn to watch a duel between aces.

Instead, both had subpar outings Tuesday as the Pirates secured a wild 13-12 win in extra innings on a walk-off error.

The Pirates appeared in control of the game late despite five earned runs allowed by Skenes, the reigning Cy Young winner in the National League. They took a 12-7 lead into the eighth thanks in large part to nine earned runs allowed by Webb.

But Pirates relievers Evan Sisk and Luke Weaver combined to allow five earned runs in a top of the eighth that featured four consecutive walks followed by a double and a single. This allowed the Giants to tie the game 12-12, a score that stood heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. But the Giants couldn't capitalize on their good fortune.

The game ended in fitting fashion, with a botched throw on a two-out Rafael Flores Jr. ground ball and that allowed Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to score the game-winning run on an error. Osleivis Basabe's throw was too low and scooted past first base.

This resulted in a celebratory water-bucket bath for Flores due to his should-have-been third-out ground ball that instead allowed the game-winning run to score. Because why not.

The game was a fiasco for both teams long before the late-inning shenanigans.

Skenes vs. Webb was hardly a pitchers' duel

Skenes got out of the top of the first inning unscathed but had a brutal second. He started with a leadoff walk, then allowed an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt, Skenes gave up back-to-back RBI singles and then a three-run home run to Rafael Devers. In total, the Giants scored five in the frame.

The Pittsburgh ace worked a clean third and fourth inning but was pulled with two outs in the fifth with his pitch count at 95.

Skenes entered the game with a 9-11 record and a 3.79 ERA. With the five earned runs Tuesday, his ERA increased to 3.97. The former NL Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young winner hasn't finished a season with an ERA over 2.00 but is almost guaranteed to do so this year, barring some lights-out performances before the end of the regular season.

While Skenes' day was rough, Webb's was outright bad.

The Giants ace allowed two earned runs in the bottom of the first inning on RBI singles from Nick Gonzales and Oneil Cruz. Webb then pitched a clean second before imploding in the third.

He allowed four consecutive singles and then issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded. After one more RBI single, he was pulled from the game with the bases loaded and no outs.

Braxton Roxby came out of the pen, and two more runs for which Webb was responsible crossed the plate.

The right-hander's final stat line for the game was 2-plus innings pitched and 9 earned runs allowed on 9 hits and 2 walks. He threw only 65 pitches. It was the most earned runs he had ever allowed in a start, and it was the second-shortest outing of his career.

Webb entered the game with a 3.72 ERA, but after the dismal outing, that increased to 4.21. If his ERA stays above 4.0, it will be the first time he has had an ERA above 3.65 since 2020.

The lone bright spot for both pitchers is that the game descended into utter chaos after they left, and neither was saddled with the loss.

Pittsburgh leaves the game with 68-71 record, good for fourth place in the NL Central. San Francisco leaves at 57-82 record, ahead of only the Colorado Rockies in the NL West.