SF Giants open final homestand with victory

The Colorado Rockies struck the initial and final blows, but the SF Giants did plenty of work in between to overcome and survive for a 5-2 win to open their final homestand of the 2022 season.

Giants starter Logan Webb had a rough first inning. He allowed a leadoff hit and, after a strikeout, another two singles brought across the first run of the game.

The Giants' deficit was erased on the first pitch in the home half of the first inning, as Joc Pederson lit into German Marquez's first offering for his 23rd home run of the season. Despite an outstanding first half, it appears Pederson will fall short of becoming the first San Francisco hitter with 30 home runs since Barry Bonds in 2004.

Thairo Estrada followed Pederson's blast with a double. He tagged and advanced on a foul fly out, then scored when Mike Yastrzemski's fly ball sailed into medium left-center for a sacrifice fly and 2-1 lead.

Webb was unable to settle down until the third. In the second inning, he allowed singles to the first two hitters but got a couple of balls on the ground for a force-out and then an inning-ending double-play to keep his team in the lead.

The Giants' offense added to Webb's support in the fourth as J.D. Davis launched his 11th homer of the campaign - his seventh with San Francisco in just 42 games.

After cruising through the third and fourth innings, Webb finished his outing by striking out the side in order in the fifth. The right-hander tallied seven strikeouts against five hits and one walk in his five innings of work, and the lone earned run allowed lowered his ERA to 2.90.

Joc Pederson supplies more offense

Pederson again made things happen in the seventh. After Joey Bart singled, Pederson tripled to drive in Bart and then scored on an Estrada single for a 5-1 advantage.

The ninth inning wasn't a breeze. As usual, Camilo Doval struggled to keep runners off the bases - a leadoff hit followed by a four-pitch walk brought on the stress, and after a groundout another free pass loaded the bases. Doval recorded a strikeout but allowed a run-scoring single, and finally he shut the door with a three-pitch strikeout to end the game.

With the win, the Giants improved to 76-78; if they win five of their final eight games they will secure a .500 record for the season.