Gonzales' 12th-Inning Single Lifts Pirates Past Padres 3-2

Nick Gonzales led off the 12th inning with an RBI single, and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

Esmerlyn Valdez homered and Rafael Flores Jr. added an RBI double in the sixth for the Pirates, who bounced back from getting swept at Dodger Stadium last weekend to earn just their 11th win in their last 31 games.

Jake Cronenworth tied the score in the eighth with a two-out RBI single for the Padres, whose three-game winning streak ended in just their eighth loss in 29 games. San Diego's eight-game home winning streak also came to a close.

The Padres loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Kirby Yates (2-5) struck out Jackson Merrill and got Xander Bogaerts to line out to end the threat. Merrill went 0 for 5 on his bobblehead night, striking out on three pitches with the bases loaded in both the eighth and 11th innings, and also failed on a diving attempt on Flores' RBI double.

After Jared Triolo scored on Gonzales' single off Jeremiah Estrada (2-3), Yohan Ramirez struck out the side in the 12th to earn his second save.

Braxton Ashcraft pitched six strong innings of four-hit ball for Pittsburgh, extending a stretch in which he has allowed just three runs over 23 innings across his last three starts. Robbie Ray dueled Ashcraft through five scoreless innings before Valdez led off the sixth with a 414-foot homer to center field. Ray allowed five hits and struck out five in his fourth start for San Diego.

Freddy Fermin doubled later in the sixth and scored on an Ashcraft balk. Padres closer Mason Miller allowed two baserunners and barely escaped a ninth-inning jam while facing his hometown team on his 28th birthday.

Paul Skenes (9-11, 3.95 ERA) returns for the Pirates on Tuesday after another rocky outing, while Michael King (8-9, 3.38 ERA) makes his team-leading 27th start for the Padres.