Giants’ Victory Highlights Emerging Talents
SAN FRANCISCO — The swing was remarkable, leaving an impression.
Giants manager Tony Vitello reflected on Drew Gilbert’s contribution after Sunday’s 6-3 win against the Marlins, saying, “It was a very clean swing. Drew gave me the punch, and I told him, ‘That’s the swing!'”
Casey Schmidt’s pivotal home run in the seventh inning was a standout moment, but his significant play earlier in the sixth really sparked some excitement. The Giants are hoping this performance signals the beginning of something more promising.
On a different note, Rafael Devers’ struggles throughout the season were evident again. He made two weak outs during his first two at-bats on Sunday, raising more concerns. Nevertheless, things changed for him in the sixth. After a walk and taking the lead, Devers, who had been hitting 1-for-2, connected with a low, outside pitch from Calvin Faucher, sending the ball deep into the left-center field gap.
“Raffi took two hits, but he’s just out there fighting — not against himself, but against the situation,” Vitello mentioned. “Sometimes, it felt that way.”
The ball came off Devers’ bat at an impressive 168.2 mph, hitting the wall. Schmidt had already scored earlier in the game, and this was crucial as the team aimed to strengthen their lineup.
That RBI double marked the first time any of their key hitters — Devers, Willie Adames, and Matt Chapman — scored during the six-game homestand.
“We’re here to be productive and get runs,” Chapman stated. “But Casey is on fire right now, and we have other players who can carry our offense. We’re still improving, but I believe it will come together.”
The Giants wrapped up their series against the Marlins and Dodgers with a 4-2 record, despite not seeing strong performances from the middle of their lineup. This trio, which collectively makes $80 million this season, went just 8-for-61 with 23 strikeouts and three extra-base hits across six games.
Currently, Devers holds an OPS of .562, placing him in the bottom 20 of MLB hitters, while Adames’ batting average fell to .626, ranking him poorly after not recording a hit in 21 at-bats to close the homestand.
On Sunday, Vitello opted to give Adames his first day off of the season, hoping that the following day off in Philadelphia would aid in his recovery given the soreness he felt after starting 27 consecutive games.
“It’s difficult being outside every day, and I think that’s affected him,” Vitello noted.
However, there’s optimism for Devers. “The more at-bats he gets now, the closer he gets to who he really is, even if he’s not at his peak,” Vitello shared before the game, assuring that Devers wasn’t facing any physical issues. “It’s more about frustration than a lack of confidence.”
For now, the Giants will rely on Schmidt’s clutch hitting and the continued success of Lee Jung-hoo, who had four RBIs in Sunday’s game and marked his fourth multi-hit outing at home.
There’s also a quieter factor at play contributing to the Giants’ offensive improvement: patience at the plate.
While batting .250 places him in the top ten in MLB, his on-base percentage of .295 is among the lowest. The team’s focus on increasing their walk rate became noticeable as they amassed 11 walks against Miami, marking a season-high for a series.
Vitello acknowledged the team’s lowest walk rate of 5.5%, emphasizing that it’s a focal point in the hitters’ meetings. It’s perhaps not coincidental that a walk preceded Schmidt’s game-tying homer in his final at-bat.
“You don’t want to aim for walks; it’s risky,” Chapman remarked after drawing two walks in the win. “But I think we had a lot of weak swings early, and instead, we need to stay disciplined and look for the right pitch.”
This can be seen as a positive shift for a team that had previously faltered.
After securing two out of three games against the formidable Dodgers, they faced a setback by losing the last game of that series and the first against the Marlins. Still, they managed to rally and win the last two against Miami.
Initially, the Giants struggled, losing all but two of their first 15 games while often giving up early runs. At one point, they were down 1-0 early on Saturday before bouncing back to lead 3-0 by Sunday’s sixth inning.
With this winning streak, the team has now taken three series in a row, a significant achievement.
“I feel like we’re developing as a team,” Vitello said.
