SAN DIEGO - It would have been a harrowing defeat at the worst possible time, a silent clubhouse, elimination from the National League West, more questions about their playoff worthiness, all after Madison Bumgarner and the bullpen blew a 6-0 lead.
They saved themselves. No, the Giants did more Saturday night. They turned what could have been their worst loss of the year into their best victory, scoring three runs in the 10th inning to win 9-6.
Angel Pagan hit a leadoff single against Kevin Quackenbush, advanced on a perfect Ehire Adrianza bunt then scored when Kelby Tomlinson - Mr. Clutch - lined a one-out single to right and Hunter Renfroe bobbled the ball for an error.
Denard Span, who looked lost at the plate throughout an 0-for-8 series, then stunned Petco Park with a two-run homer.
The Padres got the tying run to the plate in the bottom half, but Sergio Romo got Will Myers to ground into a double play to end it.
"You're proud of them," manager Bruce Bochy said, "going up 6-0 then losing it with your guy out there. That one would have been tough to take, especially in our situation. They're all must-wins."
Had the Giants lost, the Dodgers would have clinched a division the Giants one soon enough. That is inevitable. They have known for a while that path to the postseason is the wild card.
In that bizarre three-way dance, the Giants caught the Mets. They hold the two spots with the Cardinals a half-game back.
The bullpen did blow its 30 save when Derek Law allowed Manuel Margo's tying single in the seventh, but the torch and pitchfork crowd needed to turn elsewhere for this one.
Bumgarner allowed five of the six runs in the Padres comeback. San Diego got only four hits off Bumgarner, but three were homers. Renfroe hit a solo. Derek Norris and Adam Rosales hit two-run homers.
Bumgarner did not get his 100th win but struck out five to give him 246 for the season, breaking a franchise record for left-handers that had stood since 1898.
Credit: sfgate.com
Credit: sfgate.com
