WASHINGTON — First baseman Brandon Belt, hitless in his previous six at-bats, hit a solo homer to lead off the top of the 18th inning against reliever Tanner Roark as the San Francisco Giants beat the Washington Nationals 2-1 on Saturday night in Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead in the National League Division Series.
Belt, after taking a borderline pitch on the outside part of the plate, launched a full-count offering over the fence in right field for the go-ahead run to silence a crowd that watched the longest postseason game in history. The Giants can clinch the series at home on Monday with a win.
It was the 10th postseason win a row for the Giants, who extended their major-league record. It was the longest game by time in postseason history, besting the 18-inning game that took 5:50 between the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros on Oct. 9, 2005.
Washington third baseman Anthony Rendon had a franchise playoff record four hits in the longest postseason game by innings in Washington baseball history.
The longest previous game in D.C. postseason history involved the Washington Senators in the 1924 World Series.
After second baseman Joe Panik drew the first walk against Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Nationals brought in closer Drew Storen.
The right-hander, who blew Game 5 of the NLDS in 2012 to the St. Louis Cardinals, allowed a single to catcher Buster Posey and then third baseman Pablo Sandoval drove in the tying run with a double down the left field line. But Panik was thrown out at the plate to end the inning on a play that was upheld on a review.
Zimmermann allowed just three hits with one walk for the Nationals as he came within one out of a shutout before he was pulled in favor of Storen.
Giants starter Tim Hudson gave up one earned run and seven hits with seven strikeouts before he was lifted in the eighth inning.
Washington second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera was ejected in the top of the 10th after he fanned for the first out. He argued the second and third strikes and then was tossed by home plate umpire Vic Carapazza, who then threw out Nationals manager Matt Williams for arguing.
Bench coach Randy Knorr, a veteran minor league manager, took over for Williams.
Roark (0-1) was the losing pitcher and Yusmeiro Petit (1-0), a former starter, got the win after allowing just one hit and no runs in six innings out of the bullpen.
Hunter Strickland, who was called up Sept. 1 from the minors, got the save as he pitched the 18th. Right fielder Jayson Werth lined out to end the game with Rendon on first in a game that took 6:23.
Right fielder Hunter Pence had two hits for the Giants.
Rendon hit a sharp grounder past Sandoval at third for an RBI single to give the Nationals a 1-0 lead in the third against Hudson.
His two-out hit scored Cabrera, who led off with a double into the corner in left and took third on a groundout to second by center fielder Denard Span.
It was the second hit of the game for Rendon, who hit .287 in the regular season but was held hitless in his first postseason contest.
Zimmermann was coming off a home no-hitter against the Miami Marlins in the last game of the season on Sept. 28.
The no-hit drama lasted about five minutes Saturday as Posey, the third hitter of the game, lined a sharp single to center with two outs in the first inning.
The Nationals had won the last 13 games started by Zimmermann, with the last setback coming July 11 in Philadelphia. Zimmermann allowed just one earned run in his last 21 2/3 innings of the regular season.