Padres fall to Pittsburgh in 12-inning marathon

In both extra innings, the Padres bunted too high, making it an easy catch for the Pirates defense. That allowed Pittsburgh to keep San Diego at bay, despite the Friars loading the bases with one out in the 11th. It was a tough game for the potent offense, scoring just two runs against the Pirates' pitching staff, and only one against starter Braxton Ashcraft . If the Padres can turn that around in Game 2, they'll have no problems forcing the rubber match.

Petco Park should be the stage for yet another pitcher's duel tonight. That said, Skenes has struggled lately. After putting up consecutive seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA, Skenes owns a 3.95 ERA this season. It's been a rough year for the superstar pitcher, as many have speculated that he might be pitching through an injury given his regression.

That said, Skenes still has the ability to dominate any team. It will be his first time pitching in Petco Park in his career, with most of the Friars never having faced the Pittsburgh ace. In their limited opportunities against Skenes, the Padres are batting a combined .125 against him (3-for-24). Hopefully, that can change tonight.