Photo by Christopher Mezzavilla
SAN FRANCISCO — Coming off two straight losses, while trying to overcome a brutal injury bug that has swept through the starting pitching staff, the Giants would take a win any way they could get one Tuesday night.
They got one, via a 5-4 walk-off victory packed with plenty of drama.
In the top of the 9th inning, leading 4-3, the Giants were one out away from a win. Closer Hunter Strickland needed to retire one more batter, but it wouldn’t happen. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona’s vaunted power hitter, sent Strickland’s fastball deep into the left field bleachers, prompting a collective grown throughout AT&T Park.
The Giants quickly responded in the bottom of the 9th inning. Kelby Tomlinson drew a walk to lead off. Gorkys Hernandez bunted him over, and the Giants forced consecutive walks to load the bases.
In another pressure-packed situation, Andrew McCutchen came through. With the bases loaded, McCutchen roped a single into left field, scoring Tomlinson, and sending AT&T Park into delirium.
Giants 5, Diamondbacks, 4.
For the majority of Tuesday night, however, it mirrored Monday night’s 2-1 loss.
The Giants surrendered two first-inning runs, forcing a struggling offense to pick up pitcher Tyler Beede, who made his major league debut Tuesday.
But Beede hung in, escaping dangerous scoring situations despite spotty command. He held Arizona scoreless for the next three innings, before being pulled prior to the 5th inning.
San Francisco’s ongoing offensive struggles continued past the 5th inning. At one point, the Giants went 16 straight innings in which they failed to string together consecutive hits, dating back to the Dodgers series.
But that all changed with a three-run 6th inning. Trailing 2-0, Hernandez started the inning with a single. Then he stole second. Austin Jackson produced his second hit of the night with an infield single. Brandon Belt roped another single into left field, loading the bases with no outs.
McCutchen fought through a nine-pitch at-bat to draw a walk, plating San Francisco’s first run. Posey and Hunter Pence hit consecutive sacrifice flies to plate two more runs, making the score 3-2.
Next up, Brandon Crawford singled to left field. McCutchen, hustling to score from second base, slid into home and was initially called ‘safe.’ The umpires reviewed the play, though, and overturned the call.
For the first time in the past three games, the Giants had taken a lead.
It didn’t last an inning.
In the top of the 7th, Ketel Marte doubled to right field and Jarrod Dyson scored to even things at 3-3.
In the 8th inning, Arizona catcher Alex Avila overthrew second base as Posey attempted a steal. McCutchen, who stole third base, scored to give the Giants a 4-3 lead.
McCutchen would come through one inning later, just as he did four games ago, when his thunderous walk-off home run gave San Francisco a 7-5 win over the Dodgers.
The Giants are now 5-5 on the season. Tuesday night’s 5-4 win was an important result, as the Giants came off two straight losses with two combined runs scored. About an hour before Tuesday’s game, Johnny Cueto was sent to the 10-day disabled list after tweaking an ankle during a workout over the weekend. The Cueto news accentuated the attrition among the pitching staff, which has already sidelined Madison Bumgarner, Jeff Samardzija, and Mark Melancon, Will Smith, and Julian Fernandez.
Add in Beede’s debut, which came against an 8-2 Arizona club, with the Giants’ offensive struggles this season, and they faced a major challenge Tuesday night.
But they found a way, thanks to McCutchen.