Extra-inning win a 'morale boost' for Giants

MIAMI -- The Giants ended their losing streak in impressive fashion on Wednesday afternoon.

With the game tied in the 11th inning, Michael Conforto and Mike Yastrzemski each hit a two-run home run off Marlins reliever Devin Smeltzer to break open the game -- which had been at a stalemate since the fifth inning -- and propel San Francisco to a 5-2 win over Miami at loanDepot park. San Francisco had lost its previous five games before pulling ahead in extras, and now the Giants head home to host an eight-game homestand vs. the Mets and Cardinals.

“It was kind of an important win,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “It demonstrated how important Conforto is to this team. … It is a reminder of how good he is against lefties and righties.”

Conforto, who had been out of the lineup since Saturday in Detroit due to left calf tightness, proved the Giants' decision to keep him off the IL was the right call. After striking out in the eighth inning when he pinch-hit for Darin Ruf, Conforto came out swinging in the 11th.

Kapler admitted postgame that, had Conforto reached base in the eighth inning, he would have been replaced on the basepaths and taken out of the game. Perhaps it's good Conforto struck out, then, as he rocked the first pitch he saw from Smeltzer and deposited it over the wall in right-center field.

“It was a big swing, Yaz had one there as well,” Conforto said with a smile. “We needed to swing the bats there and it felt good to be out there on the field again. The calf is starting to feel a lot better and we’ll see how it feels after the long flight.

“But this was huge. It feels good to get back on the winning side and it’ll be a happy flight going into a series against a good team. … Good things are coming.”

Kapler added: “I asked him if he felt any pain jogging the bases and he said no. I kind of expected that answer.”

Conforto’s home run gave the Giants their second lead of the day, after Ruf put them ahead 1-0 in the fourth with a double to deep left that scored Wilmer Flores. After Conforto’s home run, David Villar doubled and subsequently came home on Yastrzemski’s shot into the right-field corner, which made it 5-1.

The extra runs certainly came in handy when Miami scored to open the bottom of the 11th and had the bases loaded with two outs. But Taylor Rogers -- the seventh pitcher used by the Giants -- got the final two outs of the game.

The Giants’ bullpen put up six strong innings, allowing the one run on three hits and striking out eight after starter Alex Cobb struck out eight over five innings. After losing Alex Wood to a hamstring injury in the third inning of Tuesday's loss, the San Francisco bullpen looked no worse for wear.

“You try not to let your mind go down that negative road but there were instances where you could see where things could have slipped away and lose the lead late,” said Cobb, who gave up a run-scoring single to Garrett Cooper with two outs in the fifth which tied the game at 1.

“Everything that can go wrong had seemingly been going wrong. For the [bullpen] to shut the door and not let anything else happen and win the game -- Conforto and the boys putting some runs on the board -- we needed that just for our own confidence.

“It’s a morale boost jumping on that plane and heading home. I hate to say ‘must-win’ in April, but a lot of guys were just tired of losing. We know we’re better than this.”