Clutch Conforto leads Giants in finale extended by rain delays
Melanie Martinez-Lopez
WASHINGTON — As the outskirts of a tropical storm appeared in Thursday’s series finale at Nationals Park, the Giants were unfazed by not one, but two rain delays. The 10th inning began during a brief window of no rain and the lineup got to work.
The Giants rallied for the 9-5 series finale victory over the Nationals. The dramatic win was the exclamation point in the conclusion of the seven-game road trip before returning home. Here are three key moments from the game that helped San Francisco secure its second consecutive series win:
Tenth inning four-run rally
Newcomer Jerar Encarnacion was chosen to begin the 10th inning at second base. Right fielder Mike Yastrzemski started off the rally, succeeding in getting the designated hitter to third base and reaching first base himself on a fielder’s choice. Second baseman Brett Wisely — who entered the game in the ninth inning — bunted, bringing in Encarnacion to score.
But the game was not over yet.
Left fielder Michael Conforto was up next to bat after shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald and center fielder Heliot Ramos were retired. Once again with two outs, Conforto singled on a fly ball, bringing in two more unearned runs for the 8-5 lead. Third baseman Matt Chapman followed suit, getting the final hit of the night and bringing in Patrick Bailey to extend the gap even further.
Canha’s game-leading double
After the second rain delay of the day, this time lasting 1:12, the Giants got in the perfect position to get the go-ahead run. With one out in the ninth, Fitzgerald punished Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan with a single to start the rally. Ramos drew a walk and the pair on first and second proceeded to steal third and second.
Conforto’s patience at the plate was rewarded soon with another walk to load the bases.
Canha was up with two outs and bases loaded. He drove the ball into right field and along with an error by the Nationals, brought in three runs to give the Giants the lead. Canha tied his career-high with four hits. His previous four-hit game came May 31, 2022 vs. Nats while playing for Mets.
Clutch Conforto’s defensive play of the game
Conforto is clutch at the plate and on the field. When Nationals utility player Ildemaro Vargas smashed the ball into left field in the seventh inning, Conforto used his speed to get under the ball near the bullpen, leaped to make the catch, and, most importantly, kept the game tied at 2.
