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
Houston | San Francisco | |
Spencer Arrighetti | Player | Kyle Harrison |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.2 | IP | 6.1 |
6 | Strikeouts | 3 |
4 | Hits | 4 |
1.59 | ERA | 1.42 |
Houston | San Francisco | |
Jake Meyers | Player | Heliot Ramos |
2 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 2 |
.500 | Avg | .400 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Houston | 9 | 0 | 12 | .243 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
San Francisco | 9 | 0 | 11 | .237 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 |