Matos Powers Giants Past Marlins With Timely Blast

After a week of offensive struggles, Luis Matos delivered a much-needed spark for the Giants on Sunday with a three-run homer that lifted San Francisco to a 4–2 win over the Marlins at loanDepot park. “It was huge,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Felt like a 20-run homer at the time.” Matos, playing for the first time since Monday and hitless in his last nine at-bats, crushed his fourth home run of the season in the fourth inning. His blast to left scored Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey, turning a 1–0 lead into a comfortable cushion. The Giants (33–26) took two of three in Miami and finished their nine-game road trip at 4–5, with series wins in Washington and Miami despite a sweep in Detroit. “Anytime you win a series on the road, you have to feel good about it,” Melvin said. “Especially with how we’ve been scoring lately.” Wilmer Flores gave the Giants a 1–0 lead in the third with an RBI groundout before Matos broke it open in the fourth. Despite six baserunners in the final five innings, the Giants couldn’t add on but Matos’ homer proved enough. “It felt really good to contribute,” Matos said. “It was a very important home run. We needed it.” Birdsong Sharp Again Rookie right-hander Hayden Birdsong (3–1) continued his impressive stretch, allowing one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. He was pulled in the sixth after three straight singles, including the third of five hits on the day from Miami’s Xavier Edwards. Birdsong threw 88 pitches (57 strikes) and admitted to some fatigue late but was pleased overall. “Just needed one or two pitches to get a ground ball,” he said. “Didn’t happen, but the bullpen picked me up.” Bullpen Slams the Door The Giants used six pitchers, with closer Camilo Doval earning a gritty save his seventh of the season and second in the series. He entered with the bases loaded in the eighth and got the final out before working around a leadoff single in the ninth. San Francisco now returns home to open a seven game homestand against the Padres starting Monday. “This win’s going to help a lot,” Matos said. “We’re going to give 100 percent when we get back home.”