Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Brandon Belt watched Buster Posey’s first swing of the season. He saw a cutter that didn’t get far enough inside, and he saw Posey whip hip hands quickly through the zone. His hips stayed with him, exploding through and smashing a 106.5-mph rocket to left for a home run.
Belt hadn’t seen that swing in years. Two years ago, the first baseman said, his catcher couldn’t do that.
“Probably going to see a lot more of that from Buster this year,” he added.
A day later, Belt witnessed it again.
Posey followed up his Opening Day dramatics with another encouraging swing Friday, taking an outside fastball from Seattle’s Yusei Kikuchi and sending a charge through it, staying with it for a homer to right-center.
Posey had not homered in consecutive games since May 2017. He was not sure if his bat would ever be the same again even before he opted out of the 2020 season.
After a season off to care for newborn twins, he has returned and sent an immediate message that he’s not done yet.
“I definitely think that particularly the way I turned on that pitch [Thursday], I don’t think I have done that in a while,” Posey said after the Giants’ 6-3 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Friday, their first of the year. “And even the one tonight, I felt like I really stayed through it well, so it was nice to see.”
Two games, two homers for Buster Posey ? pic.twitter.com/yqMXg17OGu
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 3, 2021
Nice to see and nice to feel. He said his hip, which underwent 2018 surgery, feels “a lot better.” There was a scare in camp with some tightness, and it will bear watching all season, but the early returns are promising.
Both the swings and just the ability to continually squat on back-to-back days. After Posey caught 10 innings Thursday, Gabe Kapler said he may sit Posey on Friday and give Curt Casali a start. After conversing with Posey, though, he wanted to play.
The 34-year-old credited the Giants’ trainers and called it a good sign that he’s moving this well this early.
The results are a nice sign, too. Posey’s third-inning blast went 404 feet, measured at 103.7 mph off the bat.
“You’ve seen a lot of balls hit on the screws to the middle of the field over the course of the last few games, and that was the one that got out,” Kapler said after Posey’s 1-for-4-with-a-walk night. “…That ball was drilled and obviously very encouraging to see him go out in the middle of the field and a big field at that.”
A night after the Giants’ bullpen melted down, allowing six eighth-inning runs and eventually walking in the game-losing run, Wandy Peralta, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee pitched 3 1/3 scoreless, hit-less innings.
Rogers got into a bit of trouble but escaped in part because of a nice Donovan Solano play up the middle. McGee needed 11 pitches to earn his second scoreless frame and first save.
“I think it’s a good reminder that you’re going to have some bullpen blow-ups from time to time, and it’s important to turn the page and get those guys right back out,” Kapler said over Zoom.
Solano’s ability to put the barrel of the bat on balls — regardless of where they’re pitched — continues to astound. Even himself, apparently.
His go-ahead two-run double in the seventh involved whipping his hands around on a very inside fastball, several inches off the plate.
Solano’s 5th hit in two games is a 2-run go-ahead RBI double pic.twitter.com/9xtmosoBFq
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 3, 2021
How did he do it?
“To be honest with you, I really don’t know how I was able to hit that pitch,” Solano said through translator Erwin Higueros. “I just think it’s a blessing from God.”