On Wednesday, San Francisco Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said the left field position has been a “black hole” for his ball club.
Perhaps rookie Austin Slater took those words to heart, as the Giants’ rookie left fielder launched his first career home run in the top half of the fourth inning of Thursday’s ballgame.
Slater obliterated an 88-mile per hour fastball on the eighth pitch of his at-bat against Brewers’ starter Paolo Espino to give the Giants a 3-2 lead.
Ten different Giants’ players have started a game in left field for the club this season, and those players have combined to hit just .201 through 59 games this year. The three home runs Giants’ left fielders began the day with on Thursday was tied for the lowest long ball output of any position on the team before Slater’s blast gave the left fielders a boost ahead of the the team’s center fielders.
According to Statcast, Slater’s home run traveled 461-feet, which marks the longest home run hit by any Giants’ player this season.
An eighth round draft choice of the Giants back in 2014, Slater was called up to the major leagues last week and made his debut with the Giants on Friday in Philadelphia.