Conforto leads Giants to 3-1 win over Pirates

The San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight, 3-1.

This is the Giants’ second win in a row coming out of the All Star Break, and they did so partially on the back of their two All Stars. Alex Cobb pitched six innings, allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and five strike outs. Camilo Doval, who got the win for the National League All Star team earlier this week, got his second save in the two games since.

Mike Yastrzemski got the Giants on the board early, hitting a solo shot to center in the top of the second.

The Pirates would answer that with a first pitch solo shot from Henry Davis to lead off the bottom of the inning. The game would stay tied for six more innings, due mainly to excellent starts from both Cobb and Pirates right-hander Johan Oviedo.

Oviedo had been struggling in his last several starts, losing six in a row, and this was the kind of bounce-back start you’re looking for in that position. He allowed just the one run and hit in seven innings, walking three and striking out 10. It wouldn’t be enough, but it was an excellent outing nonetheless.

It was only after Oviedo exited after the seventh when the Giants were able to get anything going again. Carmen Mlodzinski entered to pitch the eighth and after getting Wilmer Flores to ground out, he walked LaMonte Wade, Jr., and then finally Joc Pederson got the elusive second hit of the night with a ground ball single to Davis in right. That was enough for Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who pulled Mlodzinski with two on and one out.

David Bednar entered to face J.D. Davis and got the strikeout, bringing up Michael Conforto. With a 1-2 count, Conforto hit a line drive single to right field that dropped in front of Davis. Casey Schmitt, who had entered as a pinch-runner for Wade, Jr., scored when the throw went off line to Jason Delay at home.

Delay’s throw to second baseman Nick Gonzales came up short and took a bad hop, causing Gonzales to bobble it, which pulled him off the bag and allowed Conforto to avoid the tag and reach second, and allowed Pederson to score the Giants’ final run of the night.

Alex Wood will get the start tomorrow as the Giants hope to close out their first series back from the break with a sweep.