SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants beat the MLB-leading Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 on Tuesday night, after Luis Matos hit a walk-off sacrifice fly in the 10th inning and Spencer Howard pitched four scoreless innings.
After the Phillies failed to score in the top of the 10th off Sean Hjelle (2-1), automatic runner Tyler Fitzgerald advanced to third on a flyball by Wilmer Flores before Matos knocked him in with a flyball to left off Matt Strahm (3-1).
Five San Francisco pitchers combined to shut down the Phillies for 10 innings. The Giants used an opener followed by Howard as the primary pitcher. For Sean Hjelle, who threw the last two innings, pitchers knew early on that everyone was locked in. He described a contagious feeling of passing on shutout innings from one pitcher to the next.
“I don’t want to be that guy that breaks it up,” Hjelle said.
The Giants have won 10 of their last 12 games, taking the first two games of the three-game series against the Phillies after being swept in a four-game set in Philadelphia earlier this month.
We’re doing a lot of our best work late in the game,” manager Bob Melvin said. “So as long as we have a chance, we feel like we’re going to win the game if it’s late.”
Philadelphia has lost three straight games for the first time this season, but still has the best record in the majors at 38-18.
Howard, who began his career with the Phillies, held his former team to four scoreless innings in his first appearance of the season. He followed three shutout innings by teammates Erik Miller and Taylor Rogers to start the game. Howard, once a top prospect, has bounced around the last few seasons and signed a minor league contract with the Giants last year.
Howard said he tried not to be spiteful and that it was nice to pitch against familiar batters.
“Just trying to make them hit the ball,” Howard said. “The most value I could provide is to eat the most amount of innings and save the pen — however it may be.”
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler threw 101 pitches, striking out nine and allowing two hits. Once a highly-touted prospect in the Giants’ organization, Wheeler has held San Francisco to one unearned run in two starts this season. He struck out 11 in seven innings in a 1-0 win in Philadelphia on May 6.
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