A crazy night in China Basin would end for the Giants in the 11th inning on a wild pitch and Gerardo Parra double.
AT&T PARK — A crazy night in China Basin ended for the Giants in the 11th inning, when a wild pitch and a Gerardo Parra double sealed a 6-4 win for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Despite being down 4-0 early to the Diamondbacks, the Giants made a game of it late before eventually falling 6-4 in the 11th inning. The loss ended the Giants’ seven-game win streak at home.
Like Monday night, the Giants found themselves in a 2-0 hole after the top of the first inning. Parra reached on an uncharacteristic error by shortstop Brandon Crawford to lead off the game, then Martin Prado followed it up with a solid single to right field.
The Giants got an unlucky break on the next play, when Paul Goldschmidt hit a double to shallow right where Pence had no chance to catch it. It bounced off the foul line and drove in Parra. Miguel Montero grounded out to bring in Prado.
Despite having a 1-2-3 second inning, Arizona’s hitters jumped on Cain again in the third. Prado walked, then Goldschmidt delivered another big hit — a two-run home run deep into the left field bleachers to give the D-backs a 4-0 lead.
Those were the last runs Cain allowed and he buckled down to pitch six innings, allow four runs (three earned), and one walk while striking out six.
Cain’s quality start turned out to be huge, allowing the Giants to stay in the game.
It didn’t seem like the Giants night offensively. Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin was just too good for the first seven innings, allowing just three hits, no walks and notching seven strikeouts.
Then came the eighth inning, when the Giants cut the Diamondbacks’ lead in half.
Andres Torres led off the inning with a base hit, and Crawford got the Giants on the board with an RBI triple to the gap in right-center. Hector Sanchez scored Crawford on a fielder’s choice. With runners on the corners, Posey lined out to shortstop to end the threat.
Again, it seemed like the Giants would fall just short. But the game wasn’t over yet.
Hunter Pence led off the bottom of the ninth with a double to bring Brandon Belt to the plate, pinch-hitting for Joaquin Arias.
With two strikes, Belt crushed his first home run of the season deep to right to tie the game at four. Belt delivered his first walk-off hit on Monday night, and he again rescued the Giants to send the game into extra innings.
It appeared the Giants had the game won in the 10th, when Pence singled with Sandoval on second base. But Pablo was thrown out by several feet trying to score on a play that manager Bruce Bochy said was the right call:
Giants Manager Bruce Bochy
“You get a two-out base-hit, you’re trying to score. Ross threw a bullet home, and he was out. … that’s part of the game. We got the hit we were looking for, they just made a great throw.”
The game continued, and in the next inning the wheels fell off for the Giants.
With one out, Didi Gregorious caught Torres sleeping in left, allowing Gregorious to make it to second easily. Alfredo Marte followed it up with a routine ground ball that Belt failed to field cleanly, leaving runners at the corners.
Santiago Casilla — who came in to start the 11th — uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Gregorious to score and giving Arizona the lead.
Gregorious said:
“I was getting a lead and Matt [Williams] just told me to be ready, just in case he throws something in the dirt, and be aggressive and take it.”
Parra extended the Diamondbacks’ lead with an RBI double before being thrown out trying to steal third. The run given up by Casilla ended a 15-1/3 inning scoreless streak by the Giants bullpen.
Belt singled to lead off the bottom of the 11th with his third hit in as many at-bats. But a double-play ball by Torres and a ground-out by Crawford ended the game, tying the series at one game apiece.
The rubber match is a Wednesday day game at AT&T, with first pitch at 12:45 p.m.
Belt’s home run in the ninth was the first of his career as a pinch-hitter. … The Giants had three errors, their most in a game since committing three miscues on Sep. 26, 2012 vs. Arizona. … Cain has given up six home runs in his last 17 innings. The Giants are 0-5 in five games started by Cain this season.
