Perez, Giants Snap 3-Game Losing Streak With Crucial Win Over Padres

Jun 17, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants left fielder Juan Perez (2) hits a single during the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres at AT&T Park.

Last night, Juan Perez was robbed of a walk-off. While he didn’t get one tonight, it sure felt like he did

After gunning down a runner at home plate in the seventh inning, Perez hit an RBI single with two strikes and two outs in the eighth inning off of San Diego Padres reliever Dale Thayer. Thayer took the loss for the Padres, which ended their seven-game winning streak, and Jean Machi earned the win for the Giants.

San Francisco is now 36-34, and it’s tied for second place with the Colorado Rockies. It passed the Padres with today’s win, one that should help the Giants bounce back and start winning. The Giants were in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and it ended because of Perez.

Before he made an impact at the plate, he made a huge play in the field. Mark Kotsay doubled off of the crumbling Matt Cain, who coughed up two home runs in the sixth inning. Cain was leaving pitches over the plate, but he didn’t pay for it in the seventh inning.

Chris Denorfia’s single seemed destined to score Kotsay, but Perez charged the ball and fired the ball at catcher Buster Posey. Posey applied the tag on Kotsay, which sent AT&T Park into a frenzy. Cain held Denorfia at first to end the inning, and the Giants came through in the bottom of the seventh.

Gregor Blanco, who scored on Posey’s RBI single in the first inning, came through in the seventh to score Joaquin Arias. Blanco hit a ball up the middle for a single, and Arias, who singled to lead off the inning, scored easily. The Giants handed the 3-2 lead to Jeremy Affeldt and Sergio Romo, but they couldn’t protect it.

Affeldt couldn’t find the strike zone, and when he finally threw a strike, Jesus Guzman made him pay. Guzman blasted a home run to center field, and he celebrated his go-ahead bomb all the way around the bases.

You might have thought that Guzman hit a game-winning home run, but that wasn’t the case. The Giants had the last laugh, and it was partly because of Brandon Belt.

After Posey singled to lead off the eighth, Belt blasted a double off the top of the wall in right-center field. Andres Torres, who was pinch-running for Torres, scored easily, tying the game. After Arias lined out, Perez came through once again.

Sergio Romo gave up a two-out single in the ninth, but he struck out Logan Forsythe, who hit a home run earlier in the game, to end the game. Romo picked up his 17th save in 20 opportunities, one that will help the Giants greatly. The Giants’ record isn’t great, but they’re hanging in the NL West race.

Tomorrow, Madison Bumgarner will take the hill. If Bumgarner throws the ball well, it would help the whole team, and it could lead to a much-needed winning streak.