SF Giants hold off Arizona to extend winning streak

It is too little and, at this point, likely too late, but the SF Giants are seemingly hitting their stride.

Coming off a four-game sweep at the Colorado Rockies, the Giants opened a three-game series in Arizona Friday night with a 6-5 win.

Unlike much of their summer swoon, they kept pressure on offensively and scored in four straight innings, kept the game tied despite a rare rough outing from Carlos Rodon and plated the winner in the top of the ninth inning on a play featuring a replay review.

After a quiet first inning, Brandon Crawford got the scoring started with a two-out solo home run in the second. Austin Wynns doubled the lead with a homer of his own to open the third, but the first Diamondbacks hit, in the home half of the frame, was a two-run shot to tie the game.

San Francisco jumped back in front in the fourth as Evan Longoria lashed a leadoff hit into center. He was put out at second base as a pop-up fell in shallow right-center, but J.D. Davis was safe on the fielder's choice and scored two batters later when rookie David Villar launched his seventh homer of the season.

The Giants offense provided Rodon with more run support in the fifth with some small-ball. Wilmer Flores drew a one-out walk and went to second on a Mike Yastrzemski sacrifice bunt. Advancing meant Flores was able to score when Longoria pulled a two-out single through the left side, making it 5-2.

Rodon - in contrast to his ace-like dominance for much of the 2022 campaign - issued walks in the second, third and fourth innings, with one of those scoring on the third-inning blast. In the fifth, the left-hander allowed a single and then got the first out, but after giving up a double he was removed with 93 pitches thrown.

The SF Giants lead evaporated quickly

Yunior Marte entered the game and promptly allowed a two-run double to close Rodon's line at 4 1/3 innings, four hits, four runs (all earned), three walks and seven strikeouts. Marte then issued a walk and recorded a strikeout, but a single to left scored the tying run.

Both teams threatened in the seventh - the Giants loaded the bases but couldn't score - but the game remained knotted at five runs apiece into the ninth inning.

With two out and the bases empty in the final frame, Yastrzemski singled. He motored around to third base when Longoria's ground ball to third was thrown away trying to get the force at second base, and then Davis doubled into the left-field corner to easily score Yastrzemski. Longoria also attempted to score, but he was tagged out at the plate on a perfect relay; Giants manager Gabe Kapler challenged that the catcher might have been in the base line but his try was denied.

With a one-run lead in hand, Camilo Doval closed the game with a solid ninth.

The win extended San Francisco's winning streak to five games since their tough three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. With 11 games remaining they are 74-77, meaning a .500 record is possible - though they are on the verge of being officially eliminated from playoff contention.