Pinch hitter Patrick Bailey hit Jacob Latz’s first pitch into right field for a walk-off single Saturday afternoon, delivering the San Francisco Giants a 3-2 win over the visiting Texas Rangers on a day when the Giants honored retired shortstop Brandon Crawford.
After Ryan Walker had worked out of a two-on, none-out jam in the top of the ninth to preserve a tie, Heliot Ramos led off the bottom of the inning with a single off the fourth Rangers pitcher, Jacob Webb (2-1).
LaMonte Wade Jr. then walked and Christian Koss sacrificed Ramos to third before the left-handed Latz was brought in to flip the switch-hitting Bailey over to the right side. San Francisco’s regular starting catcher foiled the strategy, however, with his soft liner past Texas first baseman Jake Burger.
The Rangers had a similar start to the top of the ninth, when Marcus Semien and Jonah Heim greeted Walker (1-1) with singles. But in Texas’ case, Kyle Higashioka failed in a bunt attempt, popping it up to the catcher, before Walker struck out Josh Smith and pinch hitter Joc Pedersen.
Seeking a second straight low-scoring win in the interleague series, the Rangers used single tallies in the first and third innings to go up 2-0 against Giants starter Robbie Ray.
Sacrifice flies by Burger produced the runs, which were scored by Wyatt Langford, who had doubled with one out in the first, and Kevin Pillar, who had led off the third with a single.
Willy Adames, the Giants’ new shortstop in the post-Crawford era, drew the home team even with one swing in the sixth. One out after Koss had singled and Sam Huff had doubled to lead off the inning, the first-year Giant took Rangers starter Tyler Mahle up the middle for his game-tying, two-RBI hit.
Mahle, who had allowed just two earned runs in his first five starts combined, gave up two against the Giants in five innings. He served up eight hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Ray went seven innings, also limiting the opponent to two runs. He gave up five hits and one walk with eight strikeouts.
Ramos and Mike Yastrzemski had two hits apiece for the Giants, who out-hit the visitors 11-8.
Josh Jung collected a pair of singles for the Rangers in a game that featured just two extra-base hits — doubles by Huff and Langford.
