By Morris Phillips
SAN FRANCISCO–Mike Yastrzemski doesn’t have an ounce of demonstrativeness in his body. Low-key, business-like, and surprisingly productive, let’s call the Giants’ outfielder the prototypical star for socially distant times.
Yastrzemski’s second homer of the game in the bottom of the ninth propelled the Giants to an improbable 7-6 win over the Padres, their first at home in a pandemic-shortened season. The homer, which sailed just inside the right field foul pole and into McCovey Cove enlivened 30 of the 300 or so people scattered throughout Oracle Park, all 30 of whom came streaming out of the home team’s dugout to greet their hero. With only their voices audible in a 40,000-seat stadium, the celebration at home plate was surreal and brief.
“Obviously we’re trying to do our best to stay safe and avoid as much contact as possible,” Yastrzemski recounted. “Sometimes in that situation you just have to follow the lead and everybody was doing the right thing. We just jumped around.”
Coming into Wednesday’s game, the Giants ranked last in extra base hits, 29th in home runs and 28th in runs scored. With four home runs and triple among their 12 hits on the night, the unheralded squad look like a competent, offensive force for the first time in six games.
But most of that damage came after starter Johnny Cueto departed and Trent Grisham’s three-run homer off reliever Shaun Anderson left the Giants trailing 6-2 in the fifth.
But the Giants clawed back, first with Alex Dickerson’s solo shot to center in the sixth, and Donovan Solano’s improbable, three-run homer in the eighth to tie it.
The 32-year old Solano had homered just 13 times in 1,296 at-bats over seven big league seasons coming in, but that didn’t stop him from turning into a right-handed hitting Barry Bonds while facing veteran reliever Craig Stammen. On a 2-1 changeup running in on his hands, Solano some how got his hips turned and his bat moving with home run heft without sending the ball into foul territory.
“Luckily I have a short swing and I was able to do some damage,” Solano said through his interpreter Edwin Higueros. “The only thing I was trying to do was make solid contact and at least drive one run in.”
Reliever Tyler Anderson helped the Giants’ cause with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief that kept the Giants within striking range before their rally began in earnest with two outs in the eighth.
“This team is full of fighters,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “These are their words and I believe them when they talk. They demonstrated that they can back those words up.”
The win prevented the Padres from claiming the major’s best record at 5-1, and an early lead in the NL West. San Diego got a two-run homer from Manny Machado, but they imploded late. Two Padres’ baserunners got picked off first base in the eighth, and three of the four San Diego relievers allowed home runs, preventing manager Jayce Tingler turning the ball over to All-Star closer Kirby Yates with the lead.
The Giants are expected to activate Evan Longoria and Brandon Belt from the disabled list prior to Thursday’s series finale. Kevin Gausman will be the Giants’ starter opposed by the Padres’ Dinelson Lamet.
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