Don't count out the San Francisco Giants just yet. Facing elimination and a sweep in Game 3, the Giants came through when they needed to, defeating the Cincinnati Reds 2-1 on Tuesday night in 10 innings.
"These are the type of games we've played all season long," said Sergio Romo to the Associated Press. "We are a gritty-and-grinding team."
Romo pitched the final two innings and earned the win for the Giants, who live to fight another day down 2-1 in the series to the Reds.
The scoring in the game started early with the Reds scoring a run in the first inning off a Jay Bruce single to take a 1-0 lead. The Giants quickly came back, scoring a run in the third inning off of Angel Pagan's sacrifice fly.
In true San Francisco fashion, the team scored the run without getting a hit. Gregor Blanco reached base on a walk and eventually came around to score the tying run on Pagan's fly ball. He'd have no idea how crucial that run would be.
Reds starter Homer Bailey, just 11 days after throwing a no hitter, didn't allow a hit until the sixth inning and gave up only three hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 batters of the 16 total for the Giants, a season high for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth inning and Romo held the Reds to give the Giants a shot in the 10th.
Jonathan Broxton gave up two hits, including back-to-back singles to Buster Posey and Hunter Pence to set up the winning moment. Catcher Ryan Hanigan allowed a passed ball, moving the runners to second and third before Joaquin Arias came to the plate.
He smacked a grounder to sure-handed third baseman Scott Rolen, but the former Gold Glove winner bobbled it, allowing Arias to reach first and Posey to score the eventual winning run.
"That's the fastest I've ever run to first," Arias said.
Romo finished the game for the Giants in the 10th, keeping them alive in the series a bit longer.
"We got a break there at the end," manager Bruce Bochy said.
The error allowed made the Reds miss another chance to get a home playoff win, something the team hasn't done since 1995.
"I've gone through the play many times in my mind between then and now, and I think I would play it the same way," Rolen said. "It hit my glove. I just couldn't get it to stick."
The Giants offense has been terrible this series, but it was enough to win on Tuesday night. The team only had two hits on Sunday night and according to ESPN.com, the Giants are the first road team to win a game with less than four hits since the Yankees in 2001. San Francisco didn't even have an extra-base hit in the game.
Game 4 of the series will match up Giants starter Barry Zito with Reds pitcher Mat Latos or Mike Leake. There's a chance Baker will allow ace Johnny Cueto to start on short rest after leaving Game 1 with an injury, but he has not decided yet.
"It's very difficult, but it all depends on if your ace can't go or whatever it is," Baker said. "That's part of the conversation -- us going without him. We realize what's at stake."
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