Giants have the biggest ninth-inning comeback since 1993

With one of their worst offensive performances against a starting pitcher this season, the Giants appeared certain to lose Thursday’s series finale against the last-place Diamondbacks in frustrating fashion.

Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly dominated San Francisco’s lineup with eight shutout innings, but manager Torey Lovullo found a way to keep the Giants in the game. He took Kelly out of it. Facing a four-run ninth-inning deficit, the first five Giants hitters reached against relievers Taylor Clarke and Tyler Clippard before Lamonte Wade Jr. brought his team all the way back with a twoout, two-strike, game-tying single to send the game to the bottom of the ninth, which ultimately allowed San Francisco to capture a 5-4 win in 10 innings.

Kris Bryant, Alex Dickerson and Brandon Crawford combined to chase Clarke from the game with three straight hits to open the ninth before Clippard entered and hit Donovan Solano with a pitch before surrendering a single to Brandon Belt.

“For most of the game, we didn’t see that strength, that relentlessness,” Kapler said of his lineup’s depth. “But all it takes is one inning. We always talk about how important the big inning is and that really is about grinding out one at-bat after the other and we saw a lot of those late in the game.”

The Diamondbacks closer gave himself an opportunity to shut the door by striking out pinch-hitter Buster Posey and inducing a short flyout from Wilmer Flores, but Wade grinded out one of the best at-bats of the season from a Giants player as he battled back from an 0-2 count to take three balls and foul off two more offerings before lining a single into right field.

Following a scoreless ninth inning from right-hander Tyler Rogers, Bryant ignited another rally against reliever Tyler Gilbert with a leadoff double to drive in the “automatic runner,” Tommy La Stella to give the Giants their first lead of the game.

The Giants were unable to drive Bryant in from second base, but closer Jake Mcgee retired the Diamondbacks in the 10th inning to earn his 24th save of the season and move San Francisco (69-40) to a season-high 29 games over .500.

“I thought we had no business winning this game and we stole it from them,” Bryant told the NBCSBA TV broadcast postgame.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Giants won when trailing by four or more runs entering the ninth inning or later was on April 18, 1993 when they defeated the Atlanta Braves 13-12 in 11 innings.

“I don’t think there’s a moment in the game where we feel like we can’t make up that deficit,” Kapler said.