It is…… OUTTA HERE!
#SFGiants pic.twitter.com/kppHnqoHiV— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) July 27, 2019
Ah, Pablo Sandoval. At one time in this bizarre-to-the-thousandth-degree season, he was the Giants’ best hitter, and it wasn’t even close (was batting over .300 in late May, and was over .280 for most of the season, until July). There are just a few things that have changed since May, and while Sandoval is no longer a .300 hitter, he’s still got that little bit of sneaky, just-when-you-need-it power.
For the second time in three games, Sandoval broke an extra-inning deadlock with a chip shot of a home run, giving the Giants a 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres in the 11th inning. The win opened a crucial nine-game road trip (and an especially crucial five-game stretch leading to the July 31 trade deadline) that gives the Giants their sixth extra-inning win in 10 games.
They finally had a day off on Thursday after playing 14 games in 13 days and five extra-inning games in nine days (featuring four walk-offs). They won 11 of those 14 games and on Friday, took the short trip down to San Diego to kick off that trip.
As Farhan Zaidi made clear on KNBR 680, trade evaluations will be conducted riiight up until the clock hits midnight on the 31st. That’s why every single win the Giants accrue leading up to that date will be significant in deciding what the team looks like after that night.
So, on a humid night in which Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow said players were “perspiring a lot” the Giants, now 53-51, sweated out yet another close win to continue their streak as the hottest team in baseball.
A rare steal by Tyler Austin followed by a near homer from Donovan Solano off the center-field fence made it 1-0 in the third inning. In the top of the fifth inning, the Giants saw the bases juiced – as some like to say – with no outs after Brandon Crawford drew a walk. They failed to score a run as Jeff Samardzija struck out, Solano popped out and Brandon Belt grounded out.
In the bottom half of the inning, Austin Hedges looked to nearly be hit by a pitch, one which apparently missed him. The next pitch was a meatball down the pike that he torched off the Western Metal Supply Co. building to tie the game at 1-1.
Radio silence ensued until Sandoval’s bit of magic in the 11th, but not without some tremendous late-game defense from Kevin Pillar (and Brandon Belt, who made a basket catch in the bottom of the 11th inning in foul ground, and Brandon Crawford, who scooped a dangerous throw from closer Will Smith two batters later and managed to turn a game-ending double play out of it).
Kevin Pillar with an insane catch ? pic.twitter.com/sJs04Q9eQy
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) July 27, 2019