Oneil Cruz kept making things happen Sunday, even in a game the Pirates lost. He went 1-for-5 with a solo home run, two runs scored and a stolen base, but Pittsburgh fell 7-6 to the Giants in 12 innings.
Cruz set the tone in the first inning by drawing a walk, stealing second and scoring on an RBI single from Nick Gonzales. He later delivered again in the fifth, when he hit his 10th home run of the season off Giants starter Tyler Mahle.
The blast gave Cruz a clean milestone and put him in a category no one else in the majors had reached this season: 10 home runs and 15 stolen bases. The Pirates centerfielder entered Sunday batting.255 with a.793 OPS across 39 games, numbers that show how much production he has supplied even as Pittsburgh has struggled to turn it into wins.
The broader picture is just as clear. Cruz ranked second in the National League with 15 steals and was tied for sixth in the league with 10 home runs, a rare blend of power and speed that continues to define his season. For a Pirates lineup that needed every run it could get, Cruz delivered enough to keep them close. It still was not enough to finish the job.
