Austin Slater lined a bases-loaded, one-out single to the fence in left field to cap a three-run 10th inning Monday night as the San Francisco Giants rallied to overcome the visiting Houston Astros 4-3 in the opener of a three-game series.
After the Astros used bunt hits by Trey Cabbage and Jose Altuve to trigger a two-run uprising in the top of the 10th, the Giants wasted little time rallying in the last of the inning off Houston’s fifth pitcher, Rafael Montero (1-2).
RBI singles by Brett Wisely and Patrick Bailey got the Giants even with no outs before Slater bombed a shot over the head of Astros left fielder Joey Loperfido to allow Bailey to jog home with the game-winner.
A Houston error also contributed to its demise in the 10th, sending the visitors to their fifth walk-off loss.
Randy Rodriguez (2-1), who got the final out of the top of the 10th, was credited with the win in the Giants’ fifth walk-off victory of the year.
The Astros appeared to be in good shape when, well after starters Spencer Arrighetti of Houston and Kyle Harrison of San Francisco left a pitchers’ duel, they broke a 1-1 tie in the top 10th. Victor Caratini’s sacrifice fly and Alex Bregman’s RBI single gave the visitors a two-run lead. Cabbage and Altuve interspersed bunt singles among the run-scoring at-bats.
Arrighetti and Harrison matched zeros until the Giants finally broke through in the last of the sixth. Mike Yastrzemski’s two-out triple scored Jorge Soler, who had walked, with the game’s first run.
Arrighetti was pulled at that point, charged with one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six.
It took Houston only two batters to get even against Harrison in the top of the seventh, and again a triple played a big role. In this case, Yordan Alvarez opened the inning with a three-bagger, after which a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Pena made it 1-1.
Harrison served up a double to Jake Meyers before leaving, having allowed one run and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk.
Bailey had a single and three walks while Wisely and Heliot Ramos each added a two hits for the Giants, who won for the fourth time in their past five games.
Meyers had a double and single while Altuve also collected two hits for the Astros, who dropped their second in a row.
–Field Level Media
