SAN FRANCISCO – Luis Gonzalez singled to right field and an error by outfielder Charlie Blackmon allowed Donovan Walton to score, giving the Giants a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rockies in 10 innings at Oracle Park.
Gonzalez hit a Carlos Estévez pitch to right and Walton stopped at third base. But after Blackmon overran the ball, Walton trotted home as the Giants evened their three-game series with the Rockies at one win apiece.
The Giants had a chance to take the lead with two outs in the eighth. Gonzalez stole second base, then advanced to third on a wild pitch from Rockies right-hander Tyler Kinley. But Kinley settled down and struck out Joc Pederson with a 90 mph slider.
After eight innings, the Giants were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base.
The series finale is Thursday afternoon.
Mike Yastrzemski had a memorable night, collecting three hits in his first three at-bats Wednesday before he made a diving catch in center field to preserve the 1-1 score.
With Charlie Blackmon on second base after a double, which represented his 1,500th career MLB hit, Rockies first baseman CJ Cron hit a liner to center that tailed slightly toward right field. But Yastrzemski dove and caught the ball in flight, keeping Blackmon at second base.
Alex Wood threw seven innings in his longest — and arguably his best — start of the season.
He allowed five hits, struck out five, and didn’t allow a walk for the first time in 10 starts this season.
Wood could be forgiven if he felt a little unlucky in the third inning, as he induced soft contact against three straight batters – Elehuris Montero, Elias Díaz, and Connor Joe.
The problem for Wood and the Giants was that all three hits beat the shift and found holes. After Montero and Diaz and singled, Joe found a hole with a ground ball to the right side of the infield, bringing Montero in to score for a 1-0 Rockies lead.
The Giants got that run back in the fourth inning, as Darin Ruf doubled to left for his first hit since he returned from the bereavement list Tuesday. Thairo Estrada then scored Ruf with a single to left field, tying the game 1-1.
The Giants nearly took the lead in the fifth inning. With Luis Gonzalez at third base, Wilmer Flores lined out to right field, and the throw to the plate by Blackmon was accurate and on time, getting Gonzalez by a good enough margin.
Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela was just as effective as Wood, striking out six and walking one in six innings.
Wood was looking for his first win since May 10, when the Giants beat the Rockies 9-2. In that game, Wood strick out four over 5 1/3 shutout innings as he improved his record to 3-2.
Since then, though, it’s been a struggle for Wood. In his last four starts before Wednesday, Wood had 20 strikeouts but also a 6.28 ERA in 18 1/3 innings and an opposing batting average of .293.
Wednesday, aside from the unusual third inning, Wood allowed just two hits.
Brandon Crawford, still not fully healthy after he felt tightness in his right leg Tuesday night, was scratched from the opening lineup Wednesday, but entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch hitter for catcher Curt Casali. With Donovan Walton at second base, Crawford popped up to second base.
Crawford was originally penciled in to play the second game of the series at Oracle Park and hit fifth in the Giants’ lineup, although manager Gabe Kapler knew his Gold Glove shortstop might not be comfortable enough to start.
Thairo Estrada was moved from third base to second base, and Wilmer Flores, who was originally going to start on the bench, began at third base.
Crawford exited Tuesday’s game with the Rockies at Oracle Park in the fifth inning with tightness in his right quadriceps muscle.
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