By Morris Phillips
In the biggest game of the year, with the odds stacked against them, the Giants turned to some kid from L.A. “who was sitting on the couch” two weeks ago, not so full of himself that he would ignore a mysterious phone call at 1:30 a.m.
And how did that work out?
Pretty good.
Trevor Brown provided the critical offense for San Francisco on Monday night in a tense, four-hour struggle with the NL West-leading Dodgers that went to the Giants, 3-2 in 12 innings. As Bruce Bochy so musically captured in the pre-game, the Giants are “staying alive” still facing the daunting task of making up a five-game deficit in the season’s final six games.
Brown, a 2012 10th round draftee out of UCLA, concluded his season with the Triple A Sacramento on September 7. Like Barry Zito for the A’s, Brown had turned the page on baseball in 2015 when he got a phone call from Giants GM Bobby Evans well after midnight in which he found out that the Giants wanted him to gear up and make his major league debut.
The injury-plagued Giants made room for Brown immediately, plugging him in at catcher and moving regular catcher, Buster Posey, to first base. Brown started all three games in the Bay Bridge Series over the weekend and was again behind the plate Monday in the biggest game of the year.
All Brown did was manage veteran Jake Peavy’s start beautifully and knock in the Giants’ first two runs with a double in the second inning. In the 12th, the Giants won it with Alejandro De Aza’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded plated Marlon Byrd with the game-winning run.
Peavy, who had worked with Brown in spring training, and manager Bruce Bochy couldn’t have been more impressed with the kid who grew up a Dodgers’ fan.
“Brownie’s got a lot of confidence,” Peavy said. “Brownie feels like he belongs. The moment’s not too big for him, he’s a smart kid who’s educated and he’s not letting the situation get the best of him.”
Far from it. Brown spoke of all the studying he crammed into his weekend, first studying the A’s hitters, then the Dodgers, developing chemistry with the entire Giants’ pitching staff, and then still maintaining energy for the game itself.
In his critical at-bat, Brown fell behind 0-2, saw a couple of balls, then on the sixth pitch against dominant starter Zach Greinke he pounced.
“I was looking for a fastball the whole at-bat and I finally got one and I hit it,” Brown said.
Brown’s double in the right field gap plated Byrd and Kelby Tomlinson and gave the Giants a lead that would maintain until the top of ninth when Andre Ethier’s RBI ground out evened the score.
That set up a tense, extra-innings’ duel in which both teams exhausted the meat of their bullpens in a search for critical outs.
The Giants got big stints from relievers Josh Osich, Santiago Casilla, and Hunter Strickland. Sergio Romo allowed two of three batters he faced to reach, and was unceremoniously lifted for Strickland, who coaxed a double play ball off the bat of Chase Utley.
The Dodgers’ bullpen was up to the task as well with former starting pitcher Juan Nicasio providing the lengthiest stint after Greinke departed after seven innings. Nicasio recorded five outs in the ninth and tenth innings, keeping the Giants scoreless despite walking two and giving up a hit.
Pedro Baez pitched the 11th for the Dodgers, getting Brandon Crawford to ground into an inning-ending double play.
In the 12th, Tomlinson and Byrd singled off Yimi Garcia to put runners at first and third with no outs. After Brown grounded out, De Aza provided the game-winning sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers have dropped all seven contests this season at AT&T Park, their longest losing streak in San Francisco since 1961. Overall, the Dodgers have dropped four straight, after being swept in Colorado over the weekend, and on Tuesday they face 18-game winner Madison Bumgarner.
Could the NL West-leaders be feeling the pressure?
“I don’t think so,” Peavy admitted.
On Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw and Bumgarner face off for the third time this season at 7:15pm.
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