Before returning from the injured list on Tuesday, Brandon Belt walked into the Giants’ clubhouse and slyly held up a “C” — leaning into the bit that he’s the team’s captain.
“Everyone was like, ‘daddy’s back,’” starting pitcher Logan Webb said after his Tuesday start.
Belt had missed the previous 23 games with right knee inflammation. But unlike most players, the 34-year-old veteran didn’t need to make any rehab starts. He’s proven to the Giants’ coaching staff that he knows his body. That he can ramp up to game shape on his own.
In his third plate appearance back from the IL, Belt took Royals starter Jonathan Heasley deep for a solo home run. The booming shot twisted the throttle on San Francisco’s offense, but the Giants never reached top speed. Lackluster fielding — a common issue for the Giants (35-27) in losses — allowed the Royals to plate three of their six baserunners in a 3-2 Kansas City streak-ending win.
Belt’s homer shaved Kansas City’s lead to 2-1. The Royals had scored two runs in the first inning after Brandon Crawford coughed up a ground ball. Crawford, playing in his 1,500th game as a Giant, ranged to his left but took the grounder to his wrist, allowing two runners to score.
Crawford later made up for the mistake by applying a slick tag to Bobby Witt Jr., who was trying to stretch a bloop single into a double. Luis González made the throw from shallow right — his second outfield assist in as many games.
With his 1,500th game, Crawford joins Willie McCovey, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds and Jim Davenport in the top-five of games played among San Francisco-era players; he’ll pass Davenport later this week.
In those 1,500 games, Crawford has supplied generally excellent fielding at shortstop. The four-time Gold Glover was a defensive replacement during Matt Cain’s perfect game, a key component of two World Series title teams, and a legitimate MVP candidate in his 2021. renaissance year. But in 2022, he’s already committed eight errors — one off last year’s total in about a third of the action.
Right before Crawford’s error, Witt hit a double that dropped at Mike Yastrzemski’s feet in right-center. Either Yastrzemski took an inefficient route to the ball or he and Luis González miscommunicated, but it looked like a makeable play.
Kansas City’s 2-0 lead held for three innings as the Giants stranded runners on the corners in both the first and second. They couldn’t find the big hit.
Then Belt supplied one. His first home run since April 20 came on a 3-2 fastball from Heasley. The Captain drove it 403 feet with an exit velocity of 102 mph. He didn’t look particularly spry rounding the bases, but home run trots don’t require speed.
Belt’s drive preceded an RBI sacrifice fly from Curt Casali to knot the score at 2-2.
But the Giants couldn’t build a lead, even as their bullpen kept Kansas City off the basepaths. Sam Long’s three innings as an opener extended his streak to 12 without an earned run. Zack Littell retired six straight Royals and Tyler Rogers worked a 1-2-3 seventh.
The two runs that bounced off Crawford’s wrist in the first inning burned when the Giants trailed 3-2 in the eighth — and went down in order in the ninth. Fielding has been an issue for the Giants for much of the season, but had been trending in the right direction during SF’s five-game winning streak.
Wednesday was a step back. But it likely won’t erase the progress made during the Giants’ 6-3 homestand.