Anthony Santander hit a game-ending, two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to propel the Baltimore Orioles past the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Thursday afternoon.
Santander fouled off four consecutive two-strike pitches from Ryan Walker before connecting for his 42nd homer of the year. Gunnar Henderson, who singled earlier in the inning, also scored.
Jackson Holliday hit a two-run single and Zach Eflin pitched six strong innings to help the Orioles snap a three-game losing streak. Holliday had gone nine games without driving in a run until his fourth-inning hit and had only one RBI in September.
The Orioles (85-68) won for only the third time in their last 11 games, while moving within 4 1/2 games of the first-place New York Yankees in the American League East. The Yankees were set to play at Seattle on Thursday.
Adley Rutschman had a run-scoring double, while Ryan O’Hearn and Henderson each had two of Baltimore’s 10 hits.
Trying to protect a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, Baltimore closer Seranthony Dominguez walked Patrick Bailey and Heliot Ramos to lead off the inning. Casey Schmitt hit a drive to right-center, with Baltimore outfielders Cedric Mullins and Austin Slater colliding on the play. Bailey scored the tying run with Mullins and Slater staying in the game.
Michael Conforto homered for the second day in a row for the Giants (74-79), who were aiming for a three-game series sweep. Conforto, Tyler Fitzgerald and Jerar Encarnacion all finished with two hits for San Francisco.
Giants starter Logan Webb gave up three runs on four hits in five innings with two walks and eight strikeouts. Walker (9-4) took the loss.
Conforto’s 18th home run was a two-run shot for the game’s first scoring in the top of the fourth inning.
The Orioles had only two base runners through the first three innings before scoring three times in the fourth. Rutschman belted a run-producing double and Holliday supplied a go-ahead, two-run single.