Christian Koss’ two-run double keyed a five-run 11th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-1 in Phoenix on Wednesday to end a four-game losing streak.
Jerar Encarnacion had a tie-breaking single off John Curtiss (3-2) and Rafael Devers capped the inning with another run-scoring single as the Giants salvaged the final game of a three-game series.
Starters Brandon Pfaadt and Justin Verlander matched each other through seven innings in a game that was scoreless through 10. Pfaadt threw a career-high nine innings and Verlander went seven, matching his longest outing of the season.
Curtiss, who did not retire any of the four batters he faced, walked Bryce Eldridge to lead off the 11th. Encarnacion dropped a single into center field – the Giants’ second hit of the game – to score ghost runner Matt Chapman.
Patrick Bailey singled to load the bases and Koss’ two-run double made it 3-0. Grant McCray hit a sacrifice fly before Devers’ single.
The Giants had five hits. Arizona had four, scoring on Corbin Carroll’s sacrifice fly off Joel Peguero (3-0) in the 11th.
The Giants (76-76) remained in a tie with Cincinnati, with both teams a half-game behind Arizona (77-76) in the chase to catch the New York Mets for the third NL wild card spot.
The D-backs had won four in a row and five of six games. They were attempting to go three games over .500 for the first time since June 24.
Pfaadt gave up one hit, Drew Gilbert’s line single to right with one out in the sixth, with seven strikeouts and one walk. He threw 97 pitches, 65 of them strikes, while dropping his home ERA to 3.15.
Verlander pitched seven scoreless innings before being replaced by Spencer Bivens to open the eighth. Verlander gave up three hits, with three strikeouts and two walks. He threw 107 pitches, 67 strikes.
Verlander has given up one earned run in his last 25 innings over four starts, but his only decision in that stretch was in a 13-2 victory over Baltimore on Aug. 31.
Each team threatened in the ninth. Gilbert reached first with one out on second baseman Ketel Marte’s fielding error, but Heliot Ramos grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The D-backs loaded the bases in their half after Carroll’s one-out triple off Ryan Walker, who then walked Gabriel Moreno and hit Blaze Alexander but got out of it with a strikeout and weak grounder.
Each team had the winning run on third with one out in the 10th but came up empty.
