The San Francisco Giants Wilmer Flores is congratulated by Giants third base coach Ron Wotus in the fifth inning on Friday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco (sfgate.com photo)
By Jeremy Kahn
SAN FRANCISCO-In what was known as a pitchers ballpark prior to this season, and for the first 20 seasons, Oracle Park is now a hitters park or so it seems thru the first four games of the home slate.
Wilmer Flores hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, helping the San Francisco Giants to a 9-2 victory over the Texas Rangers in a rematch of the 2010 World Series, when the Giants won their first World Championship since 1954.
Fast forward to 2020 and it is a totally different story for both teams, as both are in rebuilding stages after a terrific decade of the 2010s.
Things did not get off to a good start for the Giants, as Logan Webb gave up a first pitch home run to lead off batter Shin-Soo Choo to give the Rangers a quick 1-0 lead.
Webb ended up going third and two-thirds innings, allowing two runs (one earned), walking four and striking out four, as he did not fare in the decision.
Conor Menez replaced Webb and pitched 1.1 innings of perfect ball, as he struck out one and picked up his first win of the 2020 season. Shawn Anderson came on to replace Menez, and pitched a perfect sixth inning.
Once again, the Giants bullpen continues to impress, as Menez, Anderson, Wandy Peralta, Tony Watson and Sam Selman combined to go the final 5.1 innings, allowing zero runs, on just two hits, not walking a batter and striking out six.
Chadwick Tromp picked up his first major league hit in the bottom of the fifth inning to get the eventual game-winning rally, then Mauricio Dubon singled with one out. Austin Slater then flew out for the second out of the inning and then Flores planted a 2-2 offering from Mike Minor, and put it into the left field bleachers to give the Giants a 4- 2 lead and never looked back.
Tromp broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he doubled to left field to score Darin Ruf for his first major league run batted in. Dubon then singled up the middle to score Tromp from second base.
The Giants tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as Donovan Solano got in on the act, as he singled to right field to score Flores and then Ruf hit a double that just was out of the reach of Nick Solak in centerfield that scored Evan Longoria and Solano.
Every Giants starter picked up a hit on the evening with the exception of Hunter Pence, who is now 0-for-21 on the season.
NOTES: Pablo Sandoval is the only current Giants player remaining from the 2010 World Championship team. Elvis Andrus remains as the lone Rangers holdover from the 2010 team that won their first American League Championship in team history.
The Giants recalled Selman from their alternate site and have placed RHP Sam Coonrod on the 10-day IL with a right lat strain.
After scoring just 13 runs in their first five games of the season, the Giants have nearly doubled that total over the past three games, as they have scored 23 runs.
When Choo was hit by the pitch in the top of the 4th inning it was the 151st of his career, breaking a tie with Anthony Rizzo (150) for the most HBP among active players in MLB. It was also his 70th as a member of the Rangers, which is already a club record (next closest: Ian Kinsler-57).
UP NEXT: The Rangers will send Jordan Lyles to the mound on Saturday night, while the Giants have yet to announce their starter.
