Pirates lose in extra innings again, as Carlos Santana's three-run homer lifts Indians in 10th

The Cleveland Indians conducted a rally rhythm from the visitors dugout at PNC Park, a cadence of claps by pounding the padded railing and drums by beating baseballs against water coolers.

Cleveland’s musical mischief stopped with the sound of the crack of the bat by Carlos Santana, who crushed a Sam Howard fastball over the left-field foul pole for a three-run home run in the 10th inning to help the Indians beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-3, on Tuesday night.

The ending wasn’t without controversy.

Pirates infielders shook their heads, believing the ball sailed foul. The play required a video review that lasted 2 minutes, 35 seconds before a chorus of cheers erupted from the Indians, after confirmation that the call would stand. AT&T SportsNet later showed a clip that appeared to show the ball flying to the left of the foul pole.

“I thought it was foul,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “They called it fair on the field. With the replay, they confirmed it, or it stood. But, from our angle, we thought it was a foul ball. (Catcher John Ryan) Murphy thought it was foul. (Third baseman Erik) Gonzalez thought it was foul. They called it fair.”

Either way, the 442-foot shot exited the park at 111.5 mph and landed on the rotunda. It capped a five-RBI game for Santana, who also had a two-run single in the third, and another extra-inning loss for the Pirates (4-15). It was their fourth loss in extra innings, their third this season at PNC Park.

It was preceded by a wild ninth that saw both teams get out of a jam. With the go-ahead run on second base, Pirates closer Keone Kela struck out Delino DeShields and Cesar Hernandez to preserve the tie. The Pirates made a push in the bottom of the ninth when Jarrod Dyson reached base on a grounder that skipped off first baseman Santana’s glove for a single. Jacob Stallings laid down a sacrifice bunt, and the speedy Dyson beat the throw to second and Stallings the throw to first.

Reliever Nick Wittgren was in trouble. He had runners on first and second with no outs, facing the top of the order. As Adam Frazier showed bunt, catcher Roberto Perez threw to second to catch Dyson taking a lead. Second base umpire Ben May called Dyson out — despite his left hand touching the outside of the bag — and a 1:20 video review upheld the decision.

“Again, we had his back hand getting on the bag,” Shelton said. “I know Lindor’s foot was in front of the bag for the first hand. We thought on the back side that he got his hand on the bag.”

Frazier flew out to right, but Dyson would have been in scoring position for Kevin Newman’s single to left field. Instead, the Pirates had runners on first and second when they sent Cole Tucker in to pinch run for Stallings. But Josh Bell went down swinging to end the inning.

The Pirates got off to a solid start in the first inning when Newman doubled down the left-field line, advanced to third on Bell’s groundout and scored on a sharp single by Colin Moran to right for a 1-0 lead.

The Indians scored three runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead. Cesar Hernandez hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Pirates starter JT Brubaker, who walked Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor to load the bases. Santana’s two-run single to center made it 2-1, and Franmil Reyes hit sacrifice fly to center for a 3-1 lead.

Shelton made a questionable call in the third after catcher Jacob Stallings hit a leadoff single. Newman, whose .258 batting average was second best in the lineup, laid down a bunt in front of the plate, and Indians catcher Roberto Perez threw out Stallings at second. Bell struck out to end the inning.

The Indians one-upped the Pirates in that department in the fourth, when Derek Holland returned to the mound for the first time since Aug. 8 and threw two scoreless innings, with one hit and a pair of strikeouts. After Perez reached first on an error by third baseman Erik Gonzalez, Delino DeShields dropped a bunt but also dropped his bat. When the ball hit the bat, it was ruled an automatic out.

The Pirates followed with a baserunning gaffe. Moran drew a leadoff walk but was caught between the bases and tagged out when Indians right fielder Tyler Naquin slid in front of DeShields in center and dropped a Bryan Reynolds fly ball. Gregory Polanco drew a walk, and the Pirates had runners on first and third but Dyson grounded out.

The Pirates tied it in the fifth, when Bell doubled to right-center to score Frazier and Newman to make it 3-3. But 39-year-old Oliver Perez, the former Pirates pitcher, came in and struck out Moran looking and Reynolds swinging.

The Pirates had a runner in scoring position in the seventh, when Newman singled and Bell was hit by a Phil Maton pitch. But the Indians brought in James Karinchak to face Moran, who grounded out to first.

Hernadez started the 10th on second, and Lindor took first after being hit by a pitch in the back foot on a Howard slider. That’s when Santana sent the moonshot to left that stopped the music.

“We have to figure ways to finish games out,” Shelton said. “We’ve got to figure out ways to execute. That’s something that we have to continue to get better at and continue to work on. We’re making games close and coming back, but we have to figure out a way to finish ‘em.”