Bryce Eldridge launched a walk-off grand slam with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday afternoon as the San Francisco Giants rallied from a 9-1 deficit with 10 runs over the final two innings to shock the visiting Washington Nationals 11-10.
After Matt Chapman and Rafael Devers had homered as part of a five-run eighth that got the Giants back in the game at 9-6, the Nationals added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Curtis Mead homered off left-hander Reiver Sanmartin, who was making his San Francisco debut.
Down four, Luis Arraez and Chapman led off the last of the ninth with back-to-back doubles, closing the gap to 10-7, before Gus Varland walked Devers to bring the potential tying run to the plate.
Jung Hoo Lee then greeted left-hander Mitchell Parker (2-3) with a single, loading the bases for Eldridge, who took two balls before lofting a towering drive to right that barely cleared the brick wall at Oracle Park for the game-winner.
The homer was Eldridge’s fourth of the season.
Sanmartin (1-0), who pitched the eighth and ninth innings, was credited with the win.
Earlier, James Wood belted his 18th home run and Foster Griffin coasted through six innings of one-run ball as the Nationals appeared headed for a three-game series sweep.
Wood’s homer, a two-run shot off Giants starter Robbie Ray in the third inning, produced the only scoring until the Nationals appeared to pull away in a four-run sixth.
After retiring the first two batters he faced in the sixth, Ray was pulled following the third of five consecutive hits. The left-hander eventually was charged with five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk.
Griffin, meanwhile, took a four-hit shutout into the last of the sixth before Chapman homered with one out. The left-hander called it a day at inning’s end, having allowed one run and six hits. He struck out five with no walks.
Chapman finished 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, a single, three runs and three RBIs. His homers were Nos. 5 and 6 this season.
Devers, Lee and Eldridge all scored twice, while Arraez chipped in with a pair of hits for the Giants, who had lost five straight at home.
Daylen Lile had four hits to give him a 6-for-11 series for the Nationals, who went 4-2 on a trip to Arizona and San Francisco.
–Field Level Media
