SAN FRANCISCO—Brett Wisely guided a tying RBI single through the middle with two outs in the ninth inning, and Tyler Fitzgerald scored the winning run on a Trevor Richards wild pitch moments later, rallying the San Francisco Giants past the Toronto Blue Jays 4–3 on Tuesday night.

Richards (1–1) surrendered Patrick Bailey’s one-out single and walked Fitzgerald with two outs to put the tying and go-ahead runs aboard before Wisely’s single barely got through just to the right of second base.

Fitzgerald, who had hit a home run an inning earlier, found himself wanting Richards to “please throw a dirt ball.

“Anything in the dirt, I was going to try [to score],” said the speedy Fitzgerald, who is getting a chance at shortstop. “I guess I spoke it into existence.”

San Francisco Manager Bob Melvin praised his players for sticking with it through some tough at-bats in the ninth.

“You don’t get too many walk-offs in that fashion, but it was a relentlessness in the last inning,” he said.

Toronto starter Yusei Kikuchi struck out a career-high 13 while pitching into the eighth inning and Ernie Clement’s three-run home run in the seventh put the Blue Jays in good position—denying Blake Snell a chance at his first victory of the year.

Clement connected off reliever Ryan Walker, who allowed a one-out walk to Danny Jansen and pinch-hitter Spencer Horwitz’s double before Clement’s drive.

Snell, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner who signed a two-year, $62 million free-agent contract just before the conclusion of spring training in March, came off the injured list from a groin strain that had sidelined him since June 3. He and fellow left-hander Kikuchi engaged in an impressive pitchers’ duel.

Kikuchi’s winless stretch reached five starts, during which he is 0–3 since a victory at Milwaukee on June 11. He struck out the side in order in the second and had six strikeouts over his initial three innings before Heliot Ramos—the Giants’ first homegrown outfield All-Star since Chili Davis in 1986—homered leading off the fourth to put San Francisco ahead 1–0.

Kikuchi topped his 12 strikeouts against Oakland on July 23, 2021. This was his first game in double-digits since.

Fitzgerald homered to start the bottom of the eighth and pull San Francisco within 3–2.

While he’s still 0–3, Snell is encouraged with his progress. He allowed only a second-inning single to Davis Schneider, struck out three, and walked three over a season-high five innings. He threw 73 pitches, two fewer than the approximate limit Melvin had in mind.

“Just find a rhythm, trust my stuff, trust my body better, just more confidence knowing that I’m able to repeat is significant,” Snell said.

The Blue Jays are visiting this side of San Francisco Bay to play the Giants for the first time since splitting a two-game set May 14–15, 2019.

Toronto took two of three at home from the Giants in June 2023, surrendering just five runs.

Trainer’s Room

Blue Jays: Third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa has begun testing his sprained left knee with some baseball activity and did some light running and throwing. ... Right-hander Yimi García (nerve inflammation in pitching elbow) experienced a stiff neck and had his rehab outing with Triple-A Buffalo, N.Y., pushed back a day to Wednesday.

Giants: Second baseman Thairo Estrada and first baseman Wilmer Flores also were activated from the injured list. Estrada, who led off as the designated hitter, missed nine games with a sprained left wrist, while Flores also sat out nine contests because of tendinitis in his right knee. ... Shortstop Nick Ahmed was designated for assignment to clear roster space. ... Designated hitter Jorge Soler was in the original starting lineup but did not play because of illness.

Up Next

Former Oakland right-hander Chris Bassitt (7–7, 3.43 earned-run average) is set to pitch back in the Bay Area for the Blue Jays on Wednesday opposite Giants All-Star right-hander Logan Webb (7–6, 3.09).

By Janie McCauley