recap by @giantschattereric
Austin Slater got the big hit in the bottom of the 10th inning to send the Giants to a 4-3 victory in extras over the Astros. This followed a wacky 10th inning in which the Astros scored twice in the top half and the Giants answered with 3 of their own to win it in the bottom half.
Houston scored 2 runs in the 10th on two bunt hits, a sac fly, and a single to center field. It was not impressive, but it got the job done for the visitors. The Giants answered back in unexpected fashion. Brett Wisely singled to lead off the inning and drive the ghost runner in from 2nd. Heliot Ramos then reached on an error and Patrick Bailey singled to center to tie it at 3.
Slater got his chance after coming in to pinch-hit earlier in the game. After a Michael Conforto single loaded the bases with no one out, Jorge Soler hit into a fielder’s choice. That set up Slater who drove one to the wall over the head of the nameless left fielder, and the winning run cruised home from 3rd base.
This was one of Kyle Harrison’s best starts this season, it’s a shame he didn’t get the decision. He was economical with his pitch count, only throwing 77 pitches before BoMel pulled him, 54 for strikes. Harry lived up in the zone for swing and misses and got the ball down to force grounders. It was a great bounce back from his 2 previous starts when he struggled to find it.
The Giants had problems with Houston’s rookie pitcher Spencer Arrighetti. And no, he’s not the long lost grandson of Dave Righetti, or a popular pasta dish, he’s just some dude. Arrighetti matched Harrison zero for zero through the first 5 innings.
The orange and black finally broke through in the bottom of the 6th when Jorge Soler and his snazzy yellow slump busting shoes, walked with 2 outs. Mike Yastrzemski then hit one to triples alley that banged off the wall for, you guessed it, a run-scoring triple. Yaz hit the ball 406 feet and it would have been a homer in every other park but Oracle. Let’s focus on the positive though, the Giants finally had a run, and the lead at 1-0 through 6 innings.
The Astros got the run right back in the top of the 7th after Yordan Alvarez tripled to lead off the inning and came home on a sacrifice fly by the next batter. After allowing a double down the left field line, Bob Melvin felt it was time to make a change and replaced Harrison with Sean Hjelle. The ground outs continued as the next 2 Astros hitters rolled over to Brett Wisely at SS and the game remained tied at 1 through 6 and a half innings.
Camilo Doval walked his normal tightrope in the 9th inning. With 1 out he walked a batter and with 2 outs old friend Mauricio Dubon hit an infield single. Doval then threw a wild pitch during a Jose Abreu at bat to move the runners up, and then struck out Abreu to strand them. You know, a typical Camilo inning.
Randy Rodriguez picked up the win after relieving Erik Miller in the top of the 10th.
The same 2 teams are back at it tomorrow night with first pitch at Oracle slated for 6:45 pst. RHP Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.82) makes his 14th start of the season, this time facing RHP Ronel Blanco (5-2, 2.78). You may remember Blanco from his no-hitter against Toronto earlier this season. Hopefully he won’t have that bag with him tomorrow.
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