The Giants blew a 6-0 lead and their 31st save on Saturday night, yet put together a three run rally in the 10th inning to beat the Padres 9-6 in a wild one at Petco Park.
Kelby Tomlinson provided the crucial hit and was aided by an error from San Diego center fielder Hunter Renfroe, who bobbled the ball before making his throw, allowing Angel Pagan to score from second base. Denard Span provided some insurance immediately after, smacking a two-run shot that landed just a few feet over the right field wall, to give the Giants a three run lead.
The Giants previously had a three run lead in the first inning, and a six run lead in the fourth inning, before the Padres clawed their way back to tie the game in the seventh inning.
It looked for a minute like Saturday could be a disaster of epic proportions. With the Philadelphia Phillies getting off to a 10-0 lead over the New York Mets and the Giants up 6-0 early to San Diego, it seemed like a safe bet that San Francisco was primed to gain a full game on New York in the NL Wild Card race. But the Mets cut the lead to 10-8 with two on and one out in the ninth, while simultaneously, Adam Rosales hit a two run homer for San Diego to cut the Giants lead to a single run, 6-5.
Crisis would prove to be averted, however, with the Phillies holding on and the Giants doing the same. San Francisco is tied with New York for the top spot in the Wild Card standings, sitting a half game up on St. Louis in third place.
Madison Bumgarner started strong, not allowing a hit until giving up a solo home run in the fourth inning. He would, however, go on to give up four runs in the next two innings, including two two-run jacks, ending his night in the sixth inning with five earned runs to his name and a one run lead. The left-hander struck out five and gave up only four hits (three left the park) in 99 pitches.
Bumgarner broke the franchise record for strikeouts by a left-handed pitcher, eclipsing Cy Seymour’s previous mark of 244. Bumgarner also added a pair of doubles on Saturday, making him the second Giant in 14 years to double twice in a single game. Jake Peavy also did it last season.
Saturday’s game started out like a bizarro version of Friday’s.
With the Giants’ offense failing to score more than three runs in seven consecutive games, manager Bruce Bochy tried another batting order shakeup, bumping Brandon Belt up from fifth to second in the lineup. With Belt holding the sixth best on-base percentage in the NL (he’s drawn 99 walks) Bochy clearly thought the move would give the Giants a better opportunity to knock him in.
It all started according to plan, with Belt walking in the first inning. A Posey single followed, then Hunter Pence walked to load the bases. It looked like the Giants might squander the opportunity when Belt was called out at home on a fielders choice, but Joe Panik bailed them out with a two run single up the middle. Angel Pagan followed suit with an RBI single of his own and the Giants, like the Padres yesterday, led 3-0 after the first frame.
To add insult to injury, or perhaps more accurately injury to insult, San Diego starting pitcher Jarred Cosart was forced to exit after his disastrous first inning with right elbow inflammation.
Eduardo Nunez made an incredible defensive play in the third inning, on what looked to be a routine pop up behind home plate. Nunez instantly recognized that Buster Posey lost the ball in the twilight, and came racing in from third base, making a leaping catch into the backstop netting. Nunez let out a big grin that spread to Posey and Bumgarner who could hardly believe what they’d just seen.
San Diego didn’t record a hit until the fourth inning, when recent call-up Hunter Renfroe hit his first career home run, a solo shot to left. Renfroe hit 30 bombs at AAA El Paso this season.
The homer was the first of six consecutive runs for San Diego. Derek Norris hit a two-run shot over the left field wall in the fifth inning, and Adam Rosales did the same in the sixth, ending Bumgarner’s night and cutting the lead to 6-5. A Manuel Margot RBI single off Derek Law completed the comeback, with Yangervis Solarte scoring from second after Law’s wild pitch put him in scoring position.