Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — With another loss looming on the horizon, Brandon Belt put a stop to that with one swing of the bat.

Belt hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, helping the San Francisco Giants to a 6-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays before a crowd of 31,828 at Oracle Park.

In their first nine games this season, seven of the nine games have been decided two runs or less.

The big fifth inning made a winner out of Travis Bergen, who faced one batter in the top of the fifth inning.

It was the first major league victory for Bergen, in his fifth major league appearance out of the bullpen.

Not only did Belt make a big play with his bat, but he also made one with his glove in the top of the sixth inning, as he made diving stab on a Daniel Robertson hit ball that Belt snared and threw to Sam Dyson, who ran over to cover at first base.

That was the second best defensive play of the day, as Kevin Pillar made a diving catch in the top of the fifth inning that saved a run.

Joe Panik got the eventual game-winning rally started in the bottom of the fifth inning, then Connor Joe picked up his major league hit and then Steven Duggar hit a two-run double that gave the Giants the lead for good.

Following the Duggar double, Belt launched a two-run home run to the opposite field for his third home run of the season.

The Rays got on the board in the top of the first inning, as Ji-Man Choi doubled in Tommy Pham, who walked with one out in the inning.

Duggar tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning , when he hit a sacrifice fly that scored Pillar and then Belt singled in Panik.

Giants starter Jeff Samardzija went 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking just one and striking out four.

Rays opener Ryne Stanek went two innings, and striking out two before giving way to Jalen Beeks, who also pitched two innings.

Ryan Yarbrough pitched three innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking one and striking two.

NOTES: This was the smallest crowd to see a Giants game at home since September 1, 2010, when the Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies 2-1 before just 31,186.

Also, it was the smallest crowd at a Giants game in the month of April since April 27, 2010 against the Philadelphia Phillies, a game that the Giants won 6-2 in front of 31,792.

The Giants are now 8-6 all-time versus the Rays, and 3-2 at Oracle Park. This is the Rays first trip to San Francisco since the 2002 season, when the Giants swept the Rays.

As for the Rays, this was the 1,700th road game in team history, and they are now 718-982 all-time away from Tropicana Field since the team was founded in 1998.

UP NEXT: Drew Pomeranz makes his Giants debut as a starter at Oracle Park on Sunday afternoon, while the Rays will send Yonny Chirinos to the bump in the series finale.