San Francisco Giants hitter Michael Conforto gets a two RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to take the lead on the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Mon Sep 25, 2023 (@SFGiants photo)

San Diego (77-80). 100 000 000. – 1. 9. 0

San Francisco (78-79). 000 000 02x – 2. 7. 0

Time: 2:23

Attendance: 28,557

Monday, September 25, 2023

By Lewis Rubman

SAN FRANCISCO—While no one was looking, the fast fading San Francisco Giants found themselves tied in the National League playoff standings with the until recently tail dragging San Diego Padres. That would have been exciting news a week ago when no team had a chance to catch the Dodgers for the division championship but the final playoff berth was up for grabs, but at game time this warm and somewhat humid Monday evening, both the friars and the hometown Giants had an tragic number of only two with six games to go. Not that it matters much, but the Padres enjoyed a tie breaking run differential of 91 to -16.

Monday night’s terrific, hard fought, come from behind 2-1 Giants win eliminated San Diego from. the wild card race, although it also reduced San Francisco’s elimination number to one with five games remaining to be played.

The Giants, 2-8 in their last ten encounters, sent their tough luck ace, Logan Webb (10-15, 3.35 for the first 156 games of the season; 1-2, 2.36 in September). He turned in a tremendous performance tonight, throwing a 110 pitch complete game victory, in which he gave up nine hits, two of them in a stressful ninth inning, and no walks. The one run scored against him was earned and came in the first frame. The win improved his record to 11-13, 3.25.

The Pads went with Blake Snell, 14-9, 2.33 for the heretofore underperforming San Diegans and leading the majors in ERA, opponents’ batting average, opponents’ slugging average, and hits allowed per nine innings. He threw six shutout frames, stymying the Giants, who left seven runners on base under his watch. Three of them, one in each of the first three frames, were in scoring position.

The Cy Young candidate faced 25 batters, threw them 100 pitches, of which only 35 were balls, and allowed them four hits and chalked up seven strikeouts while two walks. His no decision left him at 14-9 but reduced his already low ERA to 2.25.

Tom Cosgrove relieved him in the bottom of the seventh and, after getting two outs and suffering an infield single from Slater, turned the ball over to Robert Suárez, San Diego’s first right hander of the game, who retired the side on a hard bounder to Ji-man Choi at first.

In spite of that clutch out, the Giants’ eighth inning surge made Suárez the losing pitcher, with a record of 4-3, 4.21.

The visitors struck first with a game opening infield single by Xander Bogaerts, a line double to left by Fernando Tatís, Jr., and Manny Machado’s Texas League single to left. Webb escaped further damage when Luis Matos caught Ha-Seong Kim’s line drive to left and doubled up Tatís, trying to get back to second.

The Friars maintained that one run lead until the bottom of the eighth. With Suárez on the mound, a succession of left handed pinch hitters, with one right handed starter thrown into the mix, putSan Francisco ahead, 2-1.

LaMonte Wade, Jr., batting for JD Davis, walked. The starter, Marco Luciano, doubled to right, sending Wade to third. Joc Pedeson, batting for Mitch Haniger, received an intentional walk to load the bases.

Switch hitter Patrick Bailey’s grounder to first forced Wade out at the plate. And then Michael Conforto, pinch hitting for Héliot Ramos, whacked an opposite field single to left that brought in Luciano and Pederson with the tying and winning runs.

But that didn’t end the drama. Webb didn’t just breeze through the top of the ninth. Juan Soto greeted him with a leadoff single. The Manny you love to hate sent him to second with another safety to center. Both runners moved up 90 feet on Ha-Seongs’s ground out to third.

Wade, now playing first, fielded Ji-Man Choi’s hard shot and threw Soto out at home for the second out. And then Matt Baten grounded out to second.

The three game series will continue tomorrow, Tuesday, evening at 6:45. Bob Melvin’s crew will send Seth Lugo (7-7, 3.79) against the orange and black, who’ll entrust their fate to rookie Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.85)