Giants drop 6th straight despite late rally

PITTSBURGH – The Giants needed to sit through a 93-minute rain delay before first pitch on Saturday at PNC Park.

They’ll need to wait until at least today to snap their losing streak.

The Giants’ skid hit six games after the club’s most reliable reliever, Tony Watson, allowed the go-ahed run in the eighth inning of a 6-5 loss. After Watson surrendered his first home run of the season in Friday’s blowout loss, he hit Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to bring in the game-winner.

Pittsburgh’s ability to cash in against Watson crushed a Giants squad that scored a run in the seventh and one more in the eighth to tie the game 5-5.

Down 5-4 entering the eighth inning, center fielder Austin Jackson launched an RBI double off the left field wall against former Giant San Francisco Giants starter Jeff Samardzija delivers during Saturday’s game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The Giants lost 6-5 to see their losing streak reach six games. George Kontos to even the score, but right fielder Andrew Mccutchen grounded out to end the inning and end the scoring threat against closer Felipe Vasquez.

With Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto on the disabled list, Jeff Samardzija is the most established active member of a staff that desperately needed him to reverse an ugly trend plaguing the Giants.

After their starters combined for just 22 innings the last time through the rotation, Samardzija was one strike away from logging a quality start and navigating through the heart of the Pirates order in a critical situation.

Then he left a fastball up in the zone and Francisco Cervelli crushed it.

The Pirates catcher broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run blast to right center field in the sixth inning, ruining Samardzija’s night and forcing the Giants to play from behind the rest of the night.