SAN FRANCISCO -AP- After catching for 269 pitches and watching his beleaguered bullpen escape jam after jam in extra innings, Buster Posey took matters into his own hands.Posey homered with one out in the 17th inning for the latest walkoff homer in San Francisco history as the Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds for the first time this season with a 3-2 victory Friday night.Posey sent the first pitch he saw from Robert Stephenson (0-2) over the left-field wall for his fourth homer of the week, ending the marathon game after 5 hours, 28 minutes. The Giants rushed out of the dugout to celebrate with Posey while the few fans remaining cheered.
"It wouldn't have been fun to lose this," Posey said. "We were out of pitching, fortunately got it done there."Posey's game-ending homer was the latest for the Giants since they moved to San Francisco, topping Willie Mays' 16th inning shot off Warren Spahn that provided the only run in a 1-0 win against the Braves on July 2, 1963."I think Buster had enough," manager Bruce Bochy said. "That was huge for us."Cincinnati had won seven of eight but couldn't get the big hit this game. The Reds were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded 16 runners."To play 17 and lose, it's a lot different feeling in the Giants' clubhouse right now than it is in ours," manager Bryan Price said. "Both teams had an awful lot of opportunities to win that game, and no one could come up with the big hit until Posey did."The Reds had won all four meetings so far between the teams, outscoring the Giants 34-7 in those games. They had plenty of chances to win this one as well as they put multiple runners on base in three of the final four innings without scoring.Cory Gearrin (1-1) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 16th by striking out Billy Hamilton. He then stranded two more runners in the 17th to earn the win.The best chance came in the 14th when Cincinnati put runners on second and third with one out. Jose Peraza then hit a hard grounder that shortstop Brandon Crawford bobbled before gathering it in time to throw Scott Schebler out at the plate. Bryan Morris then picked Scooter Gennett off second to escape the jam.San Francisco got nine scoreless innings from seven relievers."Got to be a confidence booster for our bullpen," Posey said. "They did a great job with such a potent offense. Put up zeros as much as they did will be big going forward."Denard Span got the Giants started against Scott Feldman with his 12th career leadoff home run, his second homer in as many games since coming off the disabled list Thursday. He added an RBI single to tie it in the fifth.
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