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Joc Pederson's walk-off hit lifts SF Giants to 4-3 win over Red Sox

For the second consecutive day, the SF Giants overcame a late blown lead to defeat the Boston Red Sox on a walk-off hit.
Marc Delucchi|
Joc Pederson's walk-off hit lifts SF Giants to 4-3 win over Red Sox
Joc Pederson's walk-off hit lifts SF Giants to 4-3 win over Red Sox

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San Francisco GiantsBoston Red Sox

The SF Giants defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-3 on Sunday afternoon, winning the series and improving to 58-48 on the season. The Giants' offensive struggles (with the exception of Wilmer Flores) in the second half have continued since the team returned home earlier this week. San Francisco's pitching, though, has bounced back from an ugly stretch and has carried the team. The Giants have scored at least four runs just twice in the past five games but remain 4-1 over that span. They are now just two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the top spot in the National League West.

Both managers entrusted their left-handed openers for a second inning of work after both arms put up zeroes in the first. While Scott Alexander retired the first two batters of the inning before Giants manager Gabe Kapler turned to Ross Stripling, Boston's lefty Brennan Bernadino allowed the first three batters in the bottom half of the inning to reach base before he was pulled. Red Sox manager Alex Cora turned to righty John Schreiber with the bases loaded and nobody out.

Casey Schmitt lined a potential bases-clearing double past third base, but Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers made an excellent diving stop. Devers recorded the first out of the inning at third base, but the Giants took a 1-0 lead. Brandon Crawford, in his first start since he was activated from the injured list on Saturday, lined out to center field. Catcher Blake Sabol misread the ball and expected Crawford's liner to fall for a hit. As he rounded third base, Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall made a diving catch and tossed the ball back into the infield for an inning-ending double play.

The Giants added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schmitt led off the inning with a bloop single. Then Crawford reached on a fielding error by Devers. With a runner in scoring position, the red-hot Flores came to the plate and drove in Schmitt with an opposite-field single.

Stripling continued his stretch of effectiveness since returning from the injured list at the end of June. Stripling primarily relied on his slider and changeup to keep Red Sox hitters from squaring him up across 4.1 innings of work. He only surrendered a run on his final pitch of the afternoon, which former Giants slugger Adam Duvall deposited into the left-center field bleachers for a solo home run.

Taylor Rogers replaced Stripling and allowed two runners to reach base, but escaped the jam on a fly ball double play. Center fielder Luis Matos effectively convinced the baserunners that a bloop was going to drop. Instead, he caught the ball and tossed it into second base to end the inning.

After Camilo Doval blew a save on Saturday night, Giants top setup option Tyler Rogers surrendered a lead on Sunday. Pinch-hitter Jarren Duran led off the inning with a bloop double and advanced to third on a ground out. Longtime Giants nemesis Justin Turner pounced on a first-pitch slider for a two-run homer.

The similarities to Saturday's contest did not end there. The Giants immediately answered the Red Sox rally. Michael Conforto started the rally with a one-out single, advanced to third on a double by Matos, and scored the tying run on a ground out by rookie catcher Patrick Bailey. Schmitt had a chance to drive in the go-ahead run but was unable to hold up a check swing on a 3-2 pitch.

With the game tied, Kapler deployed Doval for the second consecutive day. Doval returned to form, working around a bloop single in a shutout inning of work.

Red Sox lefty Richard Bleier retired the Giants in order in the bottom half of the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. The Giants bench had already been exhausted by the late innings, in part because outfielder Mike Yastrzemski left the game early with left hamstring tightness.

Rookie Tristan Beck, who was recalled from Triple-A prior to the game, entered in the top of the 10th inning. Despite the Red Sox starting the inning with a runner on second base, Beck did not allow a run, recording a strikeout, pop out, and strikeout around an intentional walk to end the inning.

With Schmitt starting the bottom of the 10th on second base, the Giants were only two bases away from their second consecutive walk-off win. Red Sox setup arm Chris Martin intentionally walked LaMonte Wade Jr. to bring J.D. Davis to the plate, the same hero as Saturday. Davis grounded into a forceout, which put runners on the corners for Michael Conforto. Conforto was intentionally walked, loading the bases for Matos.

Matos grounded out to third, bringing Bailey to the plate with the bases still loaded and two outs. Bailey hit a soft line drive into center field, but it hung up in the air long enough for Duran, now in center field, to make the catch and retire the side.

It seemed hard to envision the Giants would get another opportunity to hit without a deficit in extra innings. Beck, after all, has never been a top setup arm. However, the former Stanford star once again stranded the free runner on second base.

Now with Bailey on second base to start the bottom of the 11th, recently traded Giants reliever Mauricio Llovera entered. Schmitt attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt but was hit by a pitch. So, Crawford came to the plate with two runners on. Crawford laid down a sacrifice bunt, but reached safely. Loading the bases with nobody out for Joc Pederson. Pederson, who had entered for Yastrzemski earlier in the game, delivered the walk-off single.

The SF Giants homestand continues tomorrow when they begin a significant four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants have not announced a starting pitcher for any of the games. Whoever starts on Monday night will face righty Ryne Nelson. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM Pacific.

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Marc Delucchi
MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).

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