On the fourth pitch of his at-bat, with the bases loaded, down to the team’s final out and facing one of the most fearsome closers in the game in Trevor Megill, Giants slugger Heliot Ramos did exactly what he needed to do with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball.
The 25-year-old laced a single to right, driving in his 54th and 55th RBI of the season and giving San Francisco a lead that it would not relinquish in a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in Milwaukee to clinch the three-game weekend series.
San Francisco improved to 63-68, while Milwaukee fell to 81-50. The Giants are 6.5 games behind the Mets for the National League’s third and final wild-card spot.
Ramos’ big at-bat capped off an inning that saw Matt Chapman lead off with a double to center off Megill. Then Wilmer Flores struck out after a nine-pitch at-bat and was followed by the red-hot Luis Matos, who singled to put runners on the corners with one out.
Rafael Devers, pinch-hitting for catcher Andrew Knizner, was blown away on a 101-mph four-seam fastball in his only at-bat of the game.
But the Giants were not dead yet. Jung Hoo Lee drew a five-pitch walk to set the stage for Ramos. The former All-Star came up big, and Ryan Walker closed out the game.
The Giants also had a chance to take the lead in the eighth when the team had runners on first and second with one out. Dominic Smith struck out and Casey Schmitt — coming off a four-RBI game — popped up to first as San Francisco came up empty.
Robbie Ray earned his 27th start for San Francisco in a topsy-turvy game, while Milwaukee right-hander Chad Patrick made his 21st start of the season.
Matos smoked Patrick’s 88-mile-per-hour cutter some 391 feet over the wall for his seventh home run of the season.
The two-run shot produced by an uppercut swing was another great at-bat in a series full of them. The 23-year-old right-handed slugger went 2 of 4 with two RBIs, marking his fourth consecutive game with two hits.
“We’ve seen him do this before, and it was time to let him get up here and let him do his thing,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters. “So far, so good.”
After Matos figured out Patrick in the top of the second, Milwaukee’s Brandon Lockridge turned a Ray slider into an RBI when he poked the ball through the left side of the infield and cut the Giants’ lead to just 2-1.
Christian Yelich drove a ground ball through a hole in right to tie the game at 2-2. In the fifth, Caleb Durbin hit his eighth home run of the season to give Milwaukee a one-run lead.
Ray walked four and allowed six hits and three earned runs on 80 pitches, only 47 of them being strikes. The veteran also failed to strike out a single batter, the first time that has happened this season.
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The Brewers wore jerseys adorned with the name “Ueck” on the back in lieu of their own last names, as the team paid tribute to the late and legendary broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died in January. Giants shortstop Willy Adames, a former Brewer, wore special cleats to honor the man.
“It was very special, and very emotional,” Adames said on the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast postgame. “I’m so happy we were here for this weekend.”
The Giants’ series win was their first since Aug. 4-6, when they took two of three from the Pirates in Pittsburgh.
San Francisco will enjoy a day off before starting a six-game homestand against the Cubs at Oracle Park on Tuesday (6:45 p.m., NBC Sports Bay Area). Justin Verlander (1-10) is expected to start for the Giants, while Chicago has not named a starter.