Giants erase early deficit, rally to beat Diamondbacks 7-5

PHOENIX -- — Austin Slater hit a tiebreaking bases-loaded double in the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants rallied from an early four-run deficit, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-5 Wednesday night and snapping a six-game skid.

The victory helped the Giants avoid a series sweep. The Diamondbacks, who were 2-17 against San Francisco last season, won the first two games of the series.

“When you get into streaks like we were just in, it just feels like bad things are always going to happen," said Slater, who came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the eighth and beat out a bunt. "Guys have to come up with big hits in big situations, and I felt like we did it all up and down the lineup tonight.”

Darin Ruf, also pinch-hitting, followed Slater's bunt single with a two-run homer off Joe Mantiply (1-2) to tie the game at 4.

In the ninth, Mantiply hit Mike Yastrzemski with a pitch and Sean Poppen came on for Arizona. Pinch-hitter Wilmer Flores singled and, after a forceout, Tommy La Stella walked to load the bases. Slater then drilled a line drive past first base, scoring the go-ahead runs. Austin Wynns followed with a sacrifice fly to push the lead to three runs.

John Brebbia (4-1) retired Arizona in order in the eighth and picked up the victory. Camilo Doval gave up an RBI single to Ketel Marte in the ninth and left with the bases loaded. Left-hander Sam Long struck out pinch hitter Jordan Luplow on three pitches for his first career save.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler was glad for the win, but not overly excited.

“We played better baseball, we got more big hits, made more plays,” he said. "Not going to get too high or too low. We expect this performance of ourselves.”

The Diamondbacks raced to a 4-0 lead against Giants starter Alex Cobb. David Peralta had an RBI single in the first inning, and Arizona added three more in the second. Jose Herrera singled to left-center, with Geraldo Perdomo advancing to third. Josh Rojas hit a grounder in the hole that went off second baseman Tommy La Stella’s glove for a double, scoring Perdomo. Alek Thomas singled to center to score Herrera and Rojas.

After Thomas’ single, Cobb surrendered only one more hit, Buddy Kennedy’s infield single in the third. Cobb, who had been ill earlier Thursday and said he received an IV before the game, retired the last 10 batters he faced, going six innings and giving up seven hits. He walked one and struck out three.

“He wasn’t feeling his best today. He was incredibly courageous tonight,” Kapler said of Cobb.

Merrill Kelly allowed just two hits and two runs, struck out six and walked three in 6 1/3 innings for Arizona. He continued his mastery of the Giants at Chase Field, and has a 1.99 ERA in 46 1/3 innings against them at home.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo took positives away from the series win over a team that won the NL West last year.

“A lot went right for a large portion of this game, it’s just things unwound in the eighth and ninth inning," he said. "They matched up against us and we got clipped. That happens in this game.

“But I gotta look at the three-game series and say that we did a lot of good things.”

CAN’T DO THAT

Joey Bart initially had a three-run homer in the fifth inning, but after a crew chief replay review, it was ruled that a fan had reached over the wall in left-center to catch the ball. The replay officials ruled interference and Bart was credited with an RBI double, and La Stella, the runner on first, was sent back to third. La Stella later scored on LaMonte Wade Jr.‘s fielder’s-choice grounder for the Giants’ second run.

Bart was called up earlier this week from Sacramento when fellow catcher Curt Casali (oblique) was placed on the injured list. Bart, the Giants' catcher of the future, was sent to Triple-A after batting .156 with four homers in San Francisco earlier in the season.

NEXT

San Francisco: Logan Webb (7-3, 3.13) opposes fellow right-hander Joe Musgrove (8-2, 2.25) as the Giants open a four-game series in San Diego on Thursday.

Arizona: LHP Dallas Keuchel (2-6, 8.27) begins a four-game home series against Colorado LHP Austin Gomber (4-7, 6.53).

------