SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Joc Pederson hit a tying home run in the eighth inning and drew the winning walk in the ninth to help the San Francisco Giants beat the San Diego Padres 4-3 on Tuesday night for their ninth straight victory.
“I really do think this is a team thing that’s happening right now,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. “There’s a lot of trust from one player to the next. Guys are celebrating and comfortable taking walks. Obviously, the Joc walk was big for us.”
Pederson drew the bases-loaded walk off four-time All-Star closer Josh Hader a night after Mike Yastrzemski gave the Giants a victory with a three-run home run in the 10th inning.
It’s San Francisco’s third walkoff-win this season and the first time the Giants have done it in back-to-back games since 2019. They hadn’t had a game-ending walk since 2016.
Luis Matos started the ninth for San Francisco with a one-out walk off Nick Martinez (3-3). Patrick Bailey followed with a single to left, just under diving third baseman Manny Machado. Hader replaced Martinez and walked pinch-hitter Casey Schmitt after being called for a pitch-clock violation.
Hader struck out David Villar before Pederson drew a seven-pitch walk against the lefty the Giants’ DH called, “Probably the best closer in the game right now.”
Thairo Estrada doubled and scored for the Giants, whose winning streak is their longest since 2021. Tyler Rogers (2-4) retired three batters for the victory.
“It feels like we’ve got 26 guys pulling on the same string,” Pederson said. “It’s somebody new every night.”
Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his team-leading 15th home run for San Diego and finished with three hits.
Before the Padres bullpen gave up the lead, San Diego starter Seth Lugo was stellar in his return from a right calf strain against a surging Giants lineup that had scored seven runs or more in the previous six games.
Lugo struck out five of the first six batters he faced, including three looking, and allowed three hits and one run in five innings.
Tatis reached on an infield single in the first, singled and scored on an infield grounder in the third when he slid into home plate and beat first baseman David Villar’s throw. Tatis then crushed an 0-1 pitch from starter Anthony DeSclafani that easily cleared the wall in center in the fifth. The Padres slugger struck out and flew out in his other two at-bats.
San Francisco loaded the bases against Tim Hill with no outs in the seventh. Hill got Patrick Bailey to ground into a 5-2 double play before allowing an RBI single by Brandon Crawford.
DeSclafani, winless in his last five starts, had six strikeouts in five innings but allowed eight hits and three runs.
GIANTS TO PLAY IN NEGRO LEAGUES TRIBUTE
Major League Baseball will stage a Negro Leagues tribute game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, on June 20, 2024, between the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals. The 10,800-seat stadium, opened in 1910, is the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and a National Historic Site. The stadium was home to the Birmingham Black Barons from 1924-60.
The game will honor former Giants great Willie Mays, an Alabama native who began his professional career with the Barons in 1948.
“Willie played there, oldest ballpark in the nation,” Kapler said. “Really incredible opportunity for our organization. Really excited about it.”
HUMM BABY HONORED
The Giants added a Humm Baby sign on their outfield wall in right-center, the phrase made popular by former Giants manager Roger Craig who died this month. The white sign will remain there the remainder of the season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: To make room for Lugo, RHP Nabil Crismatt was designated for assignment.
Giants: 1B Wilmer Flores (left foot contusion) took batting practice before the game. Kapler expects Flores back shortly after he’s eligible to come off the IL on June 27. … RHP Ross Stripling low back strain) threw a bullpen session.
UP NEXT
Padres RHP Yu Darvish (5-5, 4.74 ERA) faces the Giants on Wednesday after allowing six earned runs in five innings of a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on June 15. RHP Ryan Walker (2-0, 1.65) makes his second start for San Francisco after 11 outings out of the bullpen.
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