Bryce Eldridge put together the kind of night that changes the feel of a lineup in a hurry.
The Giants rookie matched career bests with four hits and four RBIs, Rafael Devers added two RBIs on a pair of singles, and San Francisco turned back Arizona 7-2 in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader to earn a split with the Diamondbacks. The Giants had already taken the opener 7-1, but the nightcap was the one that showcased the middle-of-the-order punch and a young arm holding steady long enough for the offense to take over.
The game was tight early. After a number-retirement ceremony for Jeff Kent, the teams were locked in a 1-1 tie through 4 1/2 innings in a matchup of rookie pitchers.
San Francisco finally pushed Mitch Bratt out of the game with a single by Grant McCray, a walk to Osleivis Basabe and a sacrifice bunt by Christian Koss. From there, the Giants kept stacking traffic.
Pinch hitter Drew Gilbert drew a walk from reliever Gerardo Carrillo to load the bases, and Devers came through with an RBI single to put San Francisco ahead for good. Eldridge followed with a single that brought home two more runs and stretched the lead to 4-1.
Bratt, now 1-3, allowed three runs on three hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.
On the other side, Yunior Marte made his major league debut after being promoted from Double-A Richmond and gave the Giants exactly what they needed. The right-hander worked 4 2/3 innings and held Arizona to one run and three hits while walking two and striking out three.
Reiver Sanmartin, who came on with two outs in the fifth and the game still tied, was awarded the win after retiring the only batter he faced. He struck out Lars Nootbaar, the Game 1 hero, to help set up the Giants’ surge.
Arizona briefly answered in the seventh, and San Francisco matched it in the eighth before the Giants’ bullpen closed the door. Carson Seymour and Dylan Smith finished things off, and the Diamondbacks dropped their third game in 13 tries against San Francisco in the season series.
Gilbert was part of the action all night, drawing his second straight walk and scoring in the seventh before walking and scoring again in the two-run eighth. Devers and Eldridge drove in the runs in that inning, and Basabe scored twice for San Francisco.
The Giants finished their homestand 4-3. Despite the split, Arizona moved into a virtual tie with the San Diego Padres, who lost at Tampa Bay, for the National League’s third wild-card spot.
In Other News...
Jeff Kent Made Barry Bonds Part Of An Emotional Giants Night
The Giants turned a long-awaited afternoon into a franchise celebration when they retired Jeff Kents No. 21 before the second half of a doubleheader against the Diamondbacks. Kents day carried the kind of emotion that comes with seeing his place in team history recognized, and it also brought Barry Bonds back into the ballpark, a notable presence given how infrequently he has been around Oracle Park this season.
Kent made clear that the relationship between the two former stars was built on competition as much as it was on respect, which gave the ceremony an extra layer for Giants fans who remember that era so vividly. He also nodded to Bonds still-open case for Hall of Fame consideration, even as this years Contemporary Baseball Era ballot did not go far enough to keep Bonds in the conversation there. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Infield Prospect Is Making His Return Feel Very Different
Jeff Kents return to Oracle Park for his number retirement ceremony brought back a familiar Giants name, but the story around the franchises infield future has shifted to the next generation. His son, Kaeden Kent, was activated from the injured list by the Eugene Emeralds and wasted little time showing why the organization is paying attention, putting together a strong recent game with multiple hits and home runs.
The Emeralds also got another jolt from Cam Maldonado, whose bat has been one of the louder ones in the Giants minor league system this season. Maldonado has already shown real power with a three-homer game and earned a promotion to Eugene, giving San Franciscos player-development pipeline a different kind of buzz as the club keeps looking for the next infield bat to emerge. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Mahles Turnaround Just Put The Giants On The Spot
Tyler Mahles move from San Francisco to Atlanta has quickly turned into one of those transactions the Giants cannot help but monitor from a distance. After struggling to find his footing in orange and black, he has looked far more like himself with the Braves, and the contrast has been stark enough to turn his stint in San Francisco into an uncomfortable comparison point for a club that has long tried to sell itself on pitching development.
The larger issue is not just Mahle. Atlanta pitching coach JP Martinez, who previously worked with the Giants, appears to have helped unlock something, and Mahle is hardly the only arm to flourish after leaving San Francisco. Kyle Harrison and Erik Miller have also found success with new teams, which only deepens the question hanging over the Giants: if these pitchers can take a step forward elsewhere, what exactly is being missed here? [Read more 🡒]