San Francisco Giants 9th-Inning Comeback For Naught As Angels Walk Off On Calhoun Homer
By Phil Watson
Mar 17, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Jean Machi (63) pitches in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium. The Angles won 8-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants scored four runs in the top of the ninth to take a 7-6 lead, only to see Kole Calhoun belt a two-run walkoff homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Los Angeles Angels an 8-7 Cactus League win at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Monday.
Marco Scutaro made his Cactus League debut for the Giants, doubling in his first at-bat and finishing the day 1-for-2.
The Giants (11-8) trailed 6-3 after eight innings but got a rally going against Angels reliever Joe Smith. Trevor Brown reached with one out when shortstop Grant Green booted the ball. After a strikeout pushed the Giants to the edge with two outs, Brandon Hicks lofted a double to left to score Brown and make it 6-4. Tyler Graham singled home Hicks to cut the deficit to 6-5 and Chris Dominguez singled to put runners at the corners.
Ryan Lollis lined a triple to right field to put the Giants on top 7-6.
Jean Machi (0-1) came on to protect the one run lead, but after setting down the leadoff hitter, Machi allowed a single to Shawn O’Malley followed by Calhoun’s blast to right field that won it for Los Angeles (9-9).
Tim Lincecum started for the Giants and worked into the sixth, allowing five runs on seven hits with two walks in 5.1 innings. He did not strike out a batter. Brett Bochy got the last two outs of the sixth, Javier Lopez allowed an unearned run in the seventh and Yusmeiro Petit worked a perfect eighth.
San Francisco struck for two runs in the top of the first off Angels starter Hector Santiago. Scutaro, in his first spring at-bat, doubled to left and Buster Posey walked. After Hunter Pence was rung up on a called third strike, Pablo Sandoval and Mark Minicozzi hit back-to-back RBI singles.
The Angels went ahead 3-2 in the fourth, with RBI singles by Howie Kendrick and Chris Iannetta sandwiched around a run-scoring groundout by Erick Aybar.
The Giants tied it in the fifth by playing some small ball. Graham walked, stole second, went to third on a grounder by Jarrett Parker and scored on Joaquin Arias’ sacrifice fly to right.
The Angels chased Lincecum in the sixth. David Freese walked and Raul Ibanez singled to start the inning and Kendrick lofted a sacrifice fly to center. After Aybar singled, that ended the day for Lincecum. Bochy came on and surrendered a sacrifice fly to Yorbit Torrealba that put Los Angeles up 5-3.
The Angels made it 6-3 in the seventh off Lopez, who started the inning by hitting Calhoun with a pitch. Calhoun stole second and scooted to third when second baseman Tony Abreu couldn’t come up with Posey’s throw. After Lopez walked Green, Calhoun scored when John Hester hit into a double play.
The Giants had nine hits on the day, with Dominguez going 2-for-2 after entering the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
San Francisco will host the Cleveland Indians at Scottsdale Stadium Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. Pacific.