Facing a potential sweep, the San Francisco Giants erased a late deficit and stunned the Nationals when Bryce Eldridge hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth.
Coming into their series finale against the Washington Nationals, the San Francisco Giants were looking to salvage at least one game and avoid a sweep. The task became even more important after Tuesday night's loss, when San Francisco stranded 13 runners on base and failed to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities.
On Wednesday, the Giants found themselves in another difficult position. This time, however, they completed a remarkable comeback, defeating the Nationals 11-10 on a walk-off grand slam by Bryce Eldridge in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Ray Struggles Against Nationals
Robbie Ray took the mound for San Francisco, coming off a scoreless five-inning outing against the Chicago Cubs on June 5.
This start proved far different.
Ray pitched 5.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs while striking out three. He threw 93 pitches, 60 of which were strikes.
The third and sixth innings proved especially troublesome. James Wood's home run in the third inning gave Washington an early 2-0 lead. In the sixth, the Nationals added to their advantage when Daylen Lile delivered an RBI single before Nasim Nuñez followed with a two-run single.
After the damage in the sixth inning, Ray's afternoon came to an end.
One notable difference from his previous start was his command. Against the Cubs, Ray battled through five walks despite keeping Chicago off the scoreboard. This time, he did not issue a walk, but the Nationals consistently generated hard contact and took advantage of their opportunities.
Nationals Build Commanding Lead
The Giants struggled offensively for much of the afternoon. Their first run came in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Matt Chapman, trimming the deficit to 5-1.
With the bullpen heavily taxed from the previous night, the Giants turned to Carson Seymour. The right-hander endured a difficult outing, allowing five hits and four earned runs over 1.1 innings. By the end of his appearance, Washington had built a commanding 9-1 lead.
One bright spot came from Reiver Sanmartin, who was activated from the 60-day injured list before the game. The left-hander tossed a clean inning and recorded a strikeout in his Giants debut.
Giants Rally Late
The Giants finally began to chip away in the eighth inning.
Chapman launched his second home run of the game to make it 9-2. Rafael Devers followed immediately with a home run of his own, giving the Giants back-to-back blasts and cutting the deficit to 9-3.
Later in the inning, Daniel Susac delivered an RBI double, and the Giants continued to apply pressure. By the end of the frame, San Francisco had scored five runs and narrowed the gap to 9-6.
Sanmartin returned for the ninth inning but surrendered a solo home run that pushed Washington's lead to 10-6.
Eldridge Delivers the Moment of the Season
The Giants refused to go away.
Matt Chapman started the rally with an RBI double that scored Luis Arraez and made it 10-7. San Francisco continued to put runners on base, eventually loading the bases with nobody out.
That brought Eldridge to the plate.
With the game on the line, Eldridge crushed a grand slam to complete the comeback and give the Giants an 11-10 walk-off victory. It was his first walk-off hit of the season and one of the most dramatic moments of the Giants' year.
Up Next
The Giants will have Thursday off before opening a series against the Cubs on Friday at Oracle Park. Starting pitchers for both clubs have yet to be announced.
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