SAN FRANCISCO — It took just one pitch.
If you had your head down, you certainly missed it. After the Red Sox scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie it, Kenley Jansen came in and immediately surrendered a walkoff home run to the Giants’ J.D. Davis. The first-pitch cutter thumped off the foul pole in left, resulting in a 3-2 Sox loss Saturday at Oracle Park.
“You can’t keep worrying about this one,” said Jansen. “It was just one pitch and he hit it off the pole. Majority of time, you’re going to miss it or foul it. And he clicked this one.
“That’s why we’re here, to keep grinding. So we’ve got to focus on the next one.”
The Giants allowed the Red Sox to hang in there.
San Francisco held a 2-0 lead going into the ninth, but was just 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.
The Red Sox offense, putting together just three hits through eight innings, suddenly had life in the ninth when Masataka Yoshida drew a pinch-hit walk against closer Camilo Doval. Jarren Duran then doubled off the right-field wall, and Justin Turner delivered a two-run single to tie the contest at 2.
Still, that wasn’t enough.
“I liked the effort and we played well,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “At the end we put together good at-bats and tied the game.”
The Giants had traffic on the bases all game. A whole lot of it early against Red Sox starter James Paxton in what could have been his final game with the Sox as the trade deadline inches closer. Yet Paxton, somehow, was able to elude damage for much of his outing.
Paxton scuffled his way through five innings that would require a whopping 104 pitches. Nevertheless, the Giants managed just one run, which came in the first inning when Wilmer Flores stroked an RBI double to right-center that scored Austin Slater from first.
“I was all over the place,” said Paxton. “I didn’t really have a good feel for where the ball was going.”
In the third, Paxton relinquished a one-out single and a walk, but wiggled out of trouble again, inducing a double-play ball to Rafael Devers at third.
The fourth and fifth produced the same results. A one-out single and a double to right by rookie Marco Luciano on an inside-out swing put runners on second and third. A lineout to first and fly out wrapped around a Mike Yastrzemski walk ended the fourth.
The Giants had runners on first and second in the fifth but Paxton froze Michael Conforto for a called third strike.
The Red Sox, however, were unable to figure out Ryan Walker, who went 2⅔ scoreless innings while striking out three and allowing one hit in what was a bullpen game. Sean Manaea came on in relief and turned in 4⅔ scoreless frames, striking out five and surrendering two hits.
As for Paxton, his five innings included eight hits, a run, two walks, and five strikeouts.
“I was just grinding,” Paxton said. “I gave it everything I had.”
That could be said for all Paxton’s starts this season. He’s made 13 of them, with a 3.34 ERA to go along with 80 strikeouts in 70 innings.
The trade deadline is Tuesday. Paxton, who is a free agent at the end of the season, potentially is the Red Sox’ biggest trade chip. The Mets made a deal Saturday to send Max Scherzer to the Rangers, and a Rangers scout was on hand to watch Paxton.
The Red Sox (56-48) have played stellar baseball as of late and are just 2½ games out of the final wild-card spot.
Paxton wants to remain with the Red Sox.
“I think that’ll be great,” he noted. “I’d love to stay. I’d love to fight for this team and get into the postseason. That’s what we want to do here.”
The trade deadline always brings angst. Paxton said he just wants to get beyond Tuesday. His next start for the Sox would be Friday.
Does Paxton stay? Or does he go?
“He’ll be ready for Friday,” Cora said with a smile.
Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him @byJulianMack.