Downward spiral continues for Pirates, who drop opener at San Diego for 8th straight loss

While it was less than a week ago, the last time the Pittsburgh Pirates met the San Diego Padres, their circumstances and fortunes were much different than Monday night at Petco Park.

A three-game sweep from Aug. 6-8 at PNC Park followed, with the Pirates plunging deeper into a losing streak that was a season-worst seven heading into Monday’s late-night series opener with the Padres.

Jake Woodford was solid in a spot start, but the Padres won, 2-1, with the Pirates dropping their eighth straight, continuing a brutal nosedive in August.

San Diego scored the game’s first run in the seventh, which was charged to Woodford, and added another insurance run in the eighth.

Andrew McCutchen collected a two-out RBI single in the ninth to spark a late-game rally, but it fell short, with Bryan Reynolds lining out to end things.

Woodford (0-4, 5.87 ERA) took the loss, allowing three hits and a run, walking none while striking out a pair.

“Really good lineup — this is one of the best offenses in baseball,” manager Derek Shelton said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. “(Woodford) kept them off the barrel the entire time. … I thought he was outstanding.”

Shelton opted to end Woodford’s night with no outs in the seventh after he allowed a leadoff double to Jurickson Profar.

After a wild pitch by Kyle Nicolas, who took over for Woodford, Profar moved to third and Xander Bogaerts singled him home to put San Diego ahead 1-0.

Woodford, whose last two appearances with the Pirates (56-62) have been out of the bullpen, looked good early filling in for the injured Marco Gonzales.

Through four scoreless innings, he struck out a pair and allowed two hits, needing only 52 pitches.

But Woodford was countered by San Diego’s starter, former Pirate Joe Musgrove, who made his first start since late May after being activated from the 60-day injured list.

Padres skipper Mike Shildt played it safe with Musgrove, pulling him after 4⅓ innings, over which time Musgrove limited the Pirates to two hits.

“Good mix — curveball’s really good and he used it a lot,” Shelton said of Musgrove. “It was a little different than he’d been in his rehab starts, but he can mix and match. Throws the cutter, throws the sinker — he was extremely effective and he was in the zone.”

After Woodford delivered a scoreless fifth frame, the Pirates got a legitimate scoring opportunity in the top of the sixth.

Oneil Cruz singled off San Diego reliever Bryan Hoeing and stole second base.

After a Hoeing wild pitch and walk of Joey Bart, the Pirates had men on the corners with one out.

But Rowdy Tellez popped out and Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to end the inning.

In the sixth, when Luis Arraez lined out sharply to center fielder Michael A. Taylor to end the inning, it gave Woodford the longest outing of his career, eclipsing a 5⅔-inning appearance he made in 2021 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Pirates got two men aboard in the seventh when Bryan De La Cruz singled and McCutchen drew a walk.

That brought Reynolds to the plate, who struck out swinging against the Padres’ Jeremiah Estrada.

The Pirates had another scoring opportunity in the eighth, thanks to Cruz leading off with a double, but once again, they were unable to capitalize.

Bart and pinch-hitter Connor Joe went down on strikes, with Kiner-Falefa flying out to end the frame.

Jalen Beeks took over in the eighth and allowed singles to Bryce Johnson and Ha-Seong Kim before being replaced by Dennis Santana.

San Diego then went up 2-0 courtesy of a Kyle Higashioka sacrifice fly, with the run being charged to Beeks.