Gunnar Henderson broke a seventh-inning tie with a home run, Dean Kremer combined with three relievers on a six-hitter and the visiting Baltimore Orioles opened a three-game interleague series Friday night with a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants.
After LaMonte Wade Jr. had claimed a piece of Oracle Park history with the Giants’ 100th “Splash Hit” into the San Francisco Bay, the Orioles got two in the second on RBI hits by Ryan O’Hearn and Julio Mateo and never trailed again.
The Giants drew even on a Mike Yastrzemski run-scoring double in the third, setting the stage for a pitchers’ duel between Northern California natives Kremer (6-2) and Logan Webb (4-6) to take a 2-2 game into the seventh.
Henderson’s homer, his sixth of the season, led off the inning and completed the night’s scoring.
Kremer was pulled after six innings with a 3-2 lead after having allowed both Giants runs and five of their six hits. He walked two and struck out six.
After Danny Coulombe struck out the side in the seventh, the Giants threatened against Yennier Cano in the eighth when a walk and hit batsmen put runners at first and second with one out.
But Yastrzemski’s one-hop shot was fielded cleanly by Orioles second baseman Adam Frazier, starting a double play that retained the visitors’ lead.
Baltimore closer Felix Bautista pitched through a two-out double by Casey Schmitt in the ninth for his 15th save.
Webb took the loss despite seven sharp innings in which he allowed three runs and just four hits. He walked one and struck out six.
Wade’s homer, which came on Kremer’s first pitch of the game, was his eighth of the season. The Giants count only the home team’s blasts as part of their “Splash Hits,” with No. 100 coming in the stadium’s 24th season.
Austin Hays had a double, the only extra-base hit other than Henderson’s homer for the Orioles, who were opening a six-game trip.
Despite outhitting the visitors 6-4, the Giants dropped their third straight.
–Field Level Media
