Longoria, Belt homer to help Giants snap losing streak
Corner infielders hit a two-run home run each as Giants hold on 4-3 in 10 innings
PHOENIX >> Chris Stratton provided the poise, Evan Longoria provided the power and Tony Watson provided the perfect escape act.
But then Hunter Strickland provided the platter, and the D’Backs devoured what he was serving.
What was left for dessert? A two-run home run by Brandon Belt in the 10th inning that lifted the Giants to a 4-3 win.
“A good time to get your 100th home run,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Tie ballgame, extra innings, two strikes, he picked a good time to hit No. 100.”
The D’Backs had their cake against Strickland in the ninth. But they couldn’t eat it, too.
With Andrew McCutchen standing on second base, Belt blasted a two-out 3-2 changeup into the right field seats to end the Giants losing streak at four games and bail out a closer who blew his second save of the season.
“I got the ball,” Belt said. “I had to trade a bat for it, but I think some Giants fans caught it so it worked out.”
The fact McCutchen was on base turned out to be crucial too, because Cory Gearrin allowed a run and loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th before he stranded the tying run at third base to end the game.
After taking a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Giants lost their chance to earn a win in the ninth when Strickland surrendered back-to-back doubles to Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock.
The D’Backs forced the winning run to third base, but Strickland prevented Arizona from walking off and Belt saved the day, allowing Longoria, Stratton and Watson to take their rightful position in the spotlight.
“That was a really hard fought game, a nail-biter,” Bochy said. “Really some tight situations there. I brought Watson in, it starts with him. Then Strick, sure he gave up a run but he had to get out of it. And Gearrin, really they made pitches when they had to.”
Longoria’s two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning broke a scoreless tie, ended a 21-inning scoreless streak for the Giants offense and offered the Giants their first lead of a series where their starting pitchers went 14 innings before giving up a run.
After a 4-for-35 start to his Giants career, Longoria stopped at nothing in an effort to win over fans and prove he could be a centerpiece for an ailing offense. The third baseman said he watched video dating back to his rookie season, hoping old clips would reveal a cure for a swing that appeared broken from start to finish.
He said his aggression, or lack thereof, was an issue. He said his desire to impress a new fan base added to the pressure. He explained his approach, talked through his struggles and answered questions on the toughest of nights.
Now, after recording three hits in his first three
at-bats, Longoria is officially riding a hot streak.
In the top of the second inning, Longoria ripped a double off of D’Backs starter Robbie Ray on a line into the left field corner. Though he didn’t come around to score on a leadoff hit, Longoria appeared locked in.
With two outs in the third inning, Ray wanted nothing to do with Longoria, and instead of chasing pitches out of the zone, Longoria let the game come to him and drew a walk.
In the sixth, Longoria solved the case of the missing swing like he was twisting the final layer of a Rubik’s Cube into position.
His 415-foot home run marked his second hit of the night, eighth in his last five games and sixth extra base hit against a lefthander this season.
It also gave Stratton a chance to take a breath.
After starting off the road trip with a careerbest seven scoreless innings in a 7-0 shutout win of the San Diego Padres on Thursday, Stratton battled through seven more scoreless frames at Chase Field.
It was the eighth when his night finally came undone.
A leadoff double from Nick Ahmed set the stage for a RBI trouble by Jarrod Dyson, allowing the D’Backs to have the tying run 90 feet from the plate with no one out.
That’s when Bochy tabbed Watson to save the day. Watson struck out the first batter he faced before an infield single caught Belt and Kelby Tomlinson off guard on the right side of the infield.
Dyson never broke for
home, though, allowing Watson to face Ketel Marte with runners on the corners and just one out.
The Giants’ version of Harry Houdini escaped the trap, rolling a 1-6-3 double play to preserve at 2-1 lead and keep Stratton in line for the win.
Stratton’s brilliance was necessary, of course, considering the way the Giants have swung the bats this season.
Ray wasn’t nearly as masterful as Corbin, another Arizona lefty pitched well when it mattered during the early stages of Wednesday’s contest.
Until Longoria’s sixth inning blast, the Giants didn’t cash in on any of Ray’s mistakes.
It turns out, they needed to make the D’Backs pay one more time to secure the win.