SAN FRANCISCO – From hobbling to homering, Willy Adames powered the Giants to a 5-3 win against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night at Oracle Park. 

The win secured a series win and put San Francisco only two games back of the final NL wild-card spot after the New York Mets lost to the Philadelphia Phillies earlier in the day. 

Heliot Ramos and Rafael Devers each worked seven-pitch at-bats that ended in walks to begin the game for the Giants before Adames stepped to the plate. On the first pitch he saw, Adames fouled a sinker off his left leg and had to be looked at by manager Bob Melvin and senior director of athletic training Dave Groeschner. On the next pitch, Adames launched a sinker into the left-field bleachers. 

While the Giants scored five runs on five hits, three fewer than the Diamondbacks, Robbie Ray had his best start in three weeks. Ray made it through five innings after failing to do so his past two starts and gave up only three hits and two earned runs. He also finished with five strikeouts and now has struck out five or more in 22 of his 30 starts this season.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ win, improving to 74-71 on the season.

Ray Finds His Mojo 

The night after Logan Webb eclipsed 200 strikeouts and 200 innings pitched, Ray showed what kind of dynamic duo on the bump the two can be when he’s right. This was the exact kind of bounce-back outing the MLB All-Star needed. 

Ray in his previous three starts had allowed a total of 19 hits and 13 earned runs over 14 innings, all ending with a Giants win but a no-decision for the lefty. He went from having a 2.85 ERA to a 3.31 ERA after those three starts. But Ray found his groove Tuesday night, just at the right time. 

He began the night by striking out Ketel Marte on four pitches for his first of five strikeouts. Ray forced 10 swing and misses, three groundouts and four flyouts. He battled through weird weather of humidity and a heavy mist that turned into light rain for stretches. 

The D-backs finally got to Ray in the fifth inning, scoring both of the two earned runs he allowed. Between battling tough elements and a recent rough stretch of outings, Ray and Melvin have to be happy with his five innings of work.

Powered By Willy 

In his first season as a Giant, Adames officially has entered Barry Bonds territory. Adames became the first Giants player to homer in eight consecutive series since Bonds did so in 2003. The Giants shortstop homered at least once against the Tampa Bay Rays, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Cardinals and now the Diamondbacks.

He’s closing in on a more well-known Bonds stat, too. Adames now has 28 homers this season. With two more over the next near three weeks, Adames would become the first Giant to have a 30-homer season since Bonds in 2004. 

That’s pretty good for someone who was batting .220 and had hit 12 homers at the All-Star break.

Orange and Black Insurance 

For how huge Adames’ deep fly in the first inning was, the Giants’ next two runs proved to be equally important. 

Matt Chapman continued his strong play since returning from the IL, and it was his heads-up play that proved to be the difference for the Giants’ fourth run of the night. Tagging up on a shallow fly ball to right field, Chapman turned the jets on and just barely beat Corbin Carroll’s throw home, making it a 4-0 game in the bottom of the fourth inning. 

The Giants improved to 13-3 since Chapman returned from the IL on Aug. 23.

One inning later, it was time for Giants fans to again cheer on one of their own trotting around the bases. Patrick Bailey knew it the moment he made contact.

On the first pitch he saw, Bailey hammered a knuckle curve over the right-field wall, easing the pain of the two runs Ray had just given up. The solo shot was Bailey’s second straight game going deep, and his fifth of the season.

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