Donovan Solano’s first career pinch-hit home run, a two-run shot in the eighth inning, rallied the San Francisco Giants to a 2-1 victory over the host Oakland Athletics on Sunday afternoon and a season-series win in the San Francisco Bay Area rivalry.
The game featured a sensational pitchers’ duel between the Giants’ Logan Webb and A’s Frankie Montas.
Montas called it a day after throwing seven shutout innings, and the Giants wasted little time taking advantage.
Up 1-0, reliever A.J. Puk (0-1) retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth before walking Austin Slater on a full count, setting the stage for Solano.
The homer was Solano’s 6th of the season. Following DeMonte Wade Jr’s pinch-hit homer yesterday, the Giants are the first team in MLB history to hit go-ahead pinch hit homers in the eighth inning or later in back-to-back games.
Tyler Rogers (5-1) picked up the victory with a scoreless eighth inning and Jake McGee earned his 28th save, giving the Giants four wins in six games against the A’s this season.
Each team had gotten just one man into scoring position before the A’s finally broke through against Webb in the sixth.
Tony Kemp got things rolling with a double into the left field corner, then scored on a Mark Canha single to right-center.
Webb was pulled at inning’s end, having allowed just the one run and five hits. He walked one and struck out seven.
The 24-year-old trailed 1-0 when pulled from the game and stood to take his first loss since May 5 at Colorado before the Giants rallied.
It was Webb’s 12th consecutive appearance allowing two runs or fewer.
Solano’s homer was the only extra-base hit for the Giants, who moved 2 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Marte had a double, two singles and two steals for the A’s, who fell 3 1/2 games back of Houston in the American League West.
–Field Level Media