SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Willy Adames hit a three-run homer in the first inning moments after fouling the initial pitch off his knee, Robbie Ray remained unbeaten pitching against his former team and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Tuesday night to gain ground in the NL wild card race.
Patrick Bailey also homered and Casey Schmitt added a sacrifice fly in the fourth as the teams played through intermittent rain and a steady mist hovering above the diamond.
San Francisco pulled within two games of the Mets for the final NL wild card spot after New York lost at Philadelphia, but the Mets own the tiebreaker.
After the Giants’ 11-5 win Monday featuring five home runs, Ryan Walker worked out of trouble in the ninth for his 15th save in 20 chances as San Francisco won for the eighth time in its last nine home games and 13th of 16 overall.
Zac Gallen (11-14) allowed five runs and five hits with three walks and three strikeouts, leaving him one strikeout shy of becoming third Arizona pitcher to reach 1,000. He did pass Ray (998) to move into third place on the D-backs’ all-time strikeouts list behind Randy Johnson and Brandon Webb.
He saw former Diamondbacks great Ray (11-6) on the other side for the first time.
Ray struck out the side in order in the third, all swinging, including a nine-pitch battle with Ketel Marte to end the inning. Ray is 3-0 in as many starts against the D-backs, all of those wins this year.
Gallen had won five straight starts against NL West opponents and Arizona was 3-0 in his previous three road outings.
Bailey’s big swing to start the fifth gave the Giants momentum again after Arizona scored twice in the top half, getting an RBI double from Jordan Lawlar after Tim Tawa doubled to start the inning and Jorge Barrosa’s sacrifice fly.
Adames is batting .326 with 10 runs, a double, six home runs and 15 RBIs over his last 12 games dating to Aug. 28. The RBIs are tied for second-most in the majors during that stretch.
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (7-8, 5.22 ERA) pitches the series finale for Arizona opposite RHP Carson Seymour (1-2, 4.25).
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