For a bit on Saturday at Oracle Park, it looked like the Arizona Diamondbacks might stop the Giants from securing their third straight series victory over an NL West foe.
But a fifth-inning comeback and booming Luis Matos homer helped send a boisterous weekend crowd of over 34,000 home happy and gave San Francisco a boost in the division standings with a 7-6 win. The Giants now sit just 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Diamondbacks after tagging Arizona's co-ace Merrill Kelly with five earned runs for their second straight win.
Giants rookie right-hander Ryan Walker opened Saturday's game and faced six batters, surrendering a one-out home run to Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte that put San Francisco in an early 1-0 hole.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
But the red-hot Giants, who came into Saturday having won 11 of their last 12 games, quickly answered back, thanks largely in part to a Diamondbacks error.
LaMonte Wade Jr. got things started in the bottom of the first with a leadoff double, and then Thairo Estrada reached on a fielding error after Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll dropped his fly ball. After a groundout by Joc Pederson scored Wade, Michael Conforto delivered to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.
Walker's fellow rookie Keaton Winn replaced him in the second and delivered two innings of scoreless ball before San Francisco extended its lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single from -- you guessed it -- another Giants rookie, Blake Sabol.
San Francisco Giants
Winn pitched another scoreless inning in the fourth, but Arizona was able to mount a comeback in the fifth. Marte put the Diamondbacks within one, 3-2, with an RBI single, knocking Winn out of the game.
The Giants went with Sean Manaea out of the Giants' bullpen, which had been stellar during the team's hot stretch, but he immediately ran into some bad luck on a controversial call.
With Diamondbacks on first and second, Carrol bounced a groundball up the middle. Brandon Crawford appeared to beat the runner to the bag for the force out, but Marte was ruled safe by the umpire and manager Gabe Kapler's challenge was unsuccessful.
The Diamondbacks scored two more runs after the call when their first baseman Christian Walker doubled, but their 5-3 lead didn't last long.
Joc Pederson -- who, if you haven't heard, is really fast -- scored Estrada with a triple in the bottom half of the fifth, and Sabol tied things up at five apiece with a sac fly that gave him another RBI on the day's stat sheet.
But the Giants -- and their youngsters -- weren't done yet. Rookie outfielder Matos' impressive start to his career continued with his first MLB home run in the sixth. The two-run shot scored Crawford and put the Giants up 7-5, and they never looked back.
Giants closer Camilo Doval got into a bit of trouble in the ninth inning and surrendered one run, but ultimately struck out Pavin Smith with runners on second and third to secure his 22nd save of the year -- good enough for second place on the MLB leaderboard.
Coming into Saturday's game, Diamondbacks co-ace Kelly was 6-0 with a 2.62 ERA in his last seven starts. The Giants have found success this season when using openers like Walker to start games, and they now are 9-3 in those matchups.
San Francisco has won 27 of its last 37 games, dating back to May 15. The Giants will go for 28 of their last 38 on Sunday at Oracle Park as they look to sweep the Diamondbacks and end their homestand on a high note. Then, it's off to Toronto to face Brandon Belt and the Blue Jays.