Beltway Blues: Giants edge Nats in 18-inning thriller

Washington, DC (SportsNetwork.com) - As it turned out, the San Francisco Giants had the Washington Nationals right where they wanted them.

Pablo Sandoval's RBI double tied the game with two outs in the ninth inning, and Brandon Belt's solo homer in the 18th gave the never-say-die Giants a 2-1 victory over the Nationals in an epic Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Belt's leadoff blast off Tanner Roark (0-1) produced the deciding run in the longest game by time in postseason history, and staked the Giants to a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series with ace Madison Bumgarner set to take the mound when the set shifts to San Francisco for Monday's Game 3.

He was just one of a number of heroes in the Giants' 10th consecutive postseason triumph, seven of which have come with the club facing elimination.

Sandoval's double down the left-field line against Drew Storen set the stage for the six-hour, 23-minute marathon, while Yusmeiro Petit held the Nationals to a single hit over six scoreless innings in a splendid performance out of the bullpen.

Petit (1-0) walked three batters but struck out seven while matching zeroes with several Washington relievers in extra time.

Despite a four-hit effort from Anthony Rendon, the Nationals wasted a brilliant start from Jordan Zimmermann when Storen failed to hold a 1-0 edge in the ninth.

Just six days removed from throwing the first no-no in Nationals history, Zimmermann yielded just three hits and retired 20 straight hitters before being lifted by manager Matt Williams after walking Joe Panik with two outs in the fateful ninth.