Michael Conforto’s two-run single was the key to a four-run 10th inning, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 9-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday after losing a three-run lead in the ninth inning.
Mike Yastrzemski led off the 10th inning with a grounder up the middle against Robert Garcia (2-4). Shortstop CJ Abrams made a wild throw to third base while trying to get designated runner Jerar Encarnacion, and both runners were safe.
Brett Wisely’s bunt single scored Encarnacion. Patrick Bailey then laid down a bunt that Garcia fielded and attempted to get an out at third, but Ildemaro Vargas missed the throw.
Garcia retired the next two batters before Conforto connected with a 96-mile per hour fastball to hit a bloop single to left field, scoring two runs and giving the Giants an 8-5 lead. Matt Chapman added an RBI single for the final score.
“Honestly I think that pitch beat me and they say good hitters get jammed,” Conforto said. “He made a great pitch and I just happened to get there in time to push it over the third baseman.”
Mark Canha hit a bases-loaded double, his fourth hit of the game, that broke a 2-all tie and gave the Giants a 5-2 lead in the top of the ninth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Luis Garcia Jr. hit a three-run homer with two outs off Giants’ closer Camilo Duval to tie the game and force extra innings. Duval (4-1) got the win.
Canha finished with a double and three singles as San Francisco (59-58) won three of four games against Washington and moved above .500 for the first time since they were 29-28 on May 29.
“I think we did a great job as a group,” Canha said. “Everyone was laser-focused the whole time, eyes on the prize. This was a game we really wanted to win and we showed it.”
Garcia added a single and a stolen base, and Alex Call had two hits for Washington, which committed four errors in a game that was delayed twice by rain, first for 50 minutes in the top of the third inning and again for 72 minutes in the top of the eighth.
“It was good until it wasn’t,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “We played in sloppy conditions and we got sloppy the last two innings.”
