PITTSBURGH (Interstat) — A pitchers’ duel dissolved into a decisive offensive burst for the San Diego Padres, who broke open a scoreless game with a four-run seventh inning and added four more in the ninth to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-2 on Wednesday evening at PNC Park.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 10,046 in 2 hours and 42 minutes, saw the Padres even their season record at 6-6 while the Pirates fell to 7-5.

For six innings, the contest was a masterclass in starting pitching. San Diego’s Michael King and Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller matched zeros in a tense, rapid-paced affair. Keller was particularly dominant, scattering three hits over six shutout innings while striking out four. King was nearly his equal, allowing four hits over six innings, though he would be charged with two runs in the seventh.

The stalemate shattered in the top of the seventh against Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence. Xander Bogaerts reached on a throwing error by shortstop Nick Gonzales to start the inning. Miguel Andujar followed with a double, putting runners on second and third. Nick Castellanos then delivered the game’s first runs, lashing a two-run double to left field to score Bogaerts and Andujar.

After a groundout, Jake Cronenworth stepped in and launched a two-run homer to right-center field, his first of the season, plating Castellanos and giving the Padres a commanding 4-0 lead. Lawrence, who took the loss to fall to 0-1, was charged with all four runs, though only one was earned due to the preceding error.

Pittsburgh responded immediately in the bottom half, halving the deficit against King. Nick Yorke, who finished a perfect 3-for-3 with a walk, led off with a single. Gonzales doubled him to third, and Yorke scored on Konnor Griffin’s sacrifice fly. Joey Bart followed with an RBI single to score Gonzales, making it 4-2 and ending King’s night. King earned the win, improving to 1-1, after allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts over six-plus innings.

The Padres’ bullpen, however, slammed the door. Mason Miller struck out two in a perfect eighth inning, and after San Diego extended its lead, Jeremiah Estrada worked a scoreless ninth.

The insurance runs came in a messy top of the ninth for the Pirates, who committed two errors in the frame. With Bryce Johnson pinch-running after Castellanos reached on an error by Griffin, Luis Campusano drove him in with an RBI double. Later, Fernando Tatis Jr. added an RBI single, and two more runs scored on a fielder’s choice and throwing error by first baseman Nick Yorke, ballooning the final margin to 8-2.

The most important sequence of the game was undoubtedly the Padres’ four-run seventh inning. It transformed a taut, scoreless contest into a comfortable lead, capitalizing on a critical defensive miscue and punishing the Pirates’ bullpen. Cronenworth’s two-run homer was the crushing blow, providing the necessary cushion after Castellanos’ go-ahead double. This outburst rendered Pittsburgh’s immediate two-run response in the bottom of the inning merely a footnote, as the Padres’ relief corps and further Pittsburgh defensive lapses ensured no comeback materialized.

Beyond the starters, the Pirates grounded into two double plays, stifling potential rallies. San Diego pitchers combined for 22 strikes, 35 balls, and 22 balls in play, while Pittsburgh’s staff threw 11 strikes, 49 balls, and 11 balls in play, illustrating the Padres’ late-game command.

The victory gave San Diego the series win, two games to one, after the teams split the first two contests of the set earlier in the week. The result also defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 5-4 Pirates victory, though the Padres entered as a slight favorite according to the ELO system. The total of 10 runs went over the posted over/under line of 7.5.

San Diego now returns home to open a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday. The Pirates embark on a road trip, starting a three-game set with the Chicago Cubs on Friday.