Thairo Estrada, the Giants’ best all-around player through the first month, had a chance to drive in the tying run from second. He popped up.
Brandon Crawford, the longest tenured veteran whose walk-off home run last year played on the Oracle Park scoreboard during media day, had a chance to drive in the tying run from second. He struck out.
So the Giants were on their last out. Rookie Blake Sabol dug in against closer Ryan Helsley, an All-Star last year. The Rule 5 Draft pick fell behind 1-2 — down to his last strike.
Then, the miraculous happened. Sabol, who noticed that Cardinals pitchers were giving him mostly offspeed pitches during the game, sat on a slider and launched it to center field. The catcher — SF’s only remaining healthy one on the roster — flipped his bat and let out a scream. When he reached home plate, his teammates awaited him, jumping up and down and dousing him with water.
“I mean, that was probably one of the best moments of my life, for sure,” Sabol said postgame.
Sabols’ two-run walk-off home run lifted the Giants to a 5-4 victory over the Cardinals. The Giants’ fourth straight win came in one of the most dramatic fashions imaginable and represents by far the highlight of San Francisco’s season so far.
“It’s a very challenging situation for a young hitter,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “You just don’t see it end that way very often. It can’t come off the right way when you say surprised, because you have a lot of faith and Blake Sabol’s talent and ability, but it was a really unexpected outcome. Lot of excitement for Blake. Never seen a happier individual than Blake Sabol…One of the cooler moments I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here.”
The walk-off was SF’s first of the year. Per MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs, Sabol is the fifth Giants rookie to hit a walkoff homer in the Wild Card era. His no-doubter was the Giants’ first walkoff hit since Wilmer Flores on Sept. 4 of last year.
Here are the best sights and sounds from the remarkable moment.
