The palm trees beyond the right field swayed throughout the game. Fans in the bleachers had to hold onto their caps as gusts of wind blew nearly 20 mph. Balls flew all over, and out of the Oracle Park yard.
Michael Conforto and Austin Slater (plus former Giant Austin Wynns) each homered in the San Francisco’s most productive offensive performance in weeks.
The Giants (48-41) knocked 11 base hits, their most in a game since June 23. The offense has been averaging 2.4 runs per game in its past 11 contests, so getting five on Saturday afternoon was a major lift.
On a day in which both teams combined for 20 hits, the Giants prevailed over Colorado, 5-3. Alex Wood provided five strong innings in relief and All-Star Camilo Doval tallied his MLB-leading 26th save with a 1-2-3 ninth. Brandon Crawford caused a moment of breath-holding when he exited early with a hamstring injury, but that tightness isn’t considered significant.
“We love the ability to come back in games,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said postgame. “Obviously, we can play from behind. We did it a lot during that 10-game winning streak…But we’re going to be best when we score early, when we score early leads, and we let this great bullpen of ours protect those leads like they did today.”
The Giant and Rockies traded two runs apiece in the first two innings. Colorado tagged Ryan Walker for a run in the first off two singles that found grass and a stolen base. In the bottom half, Michael Conforto went the other way for a two-run homer.
Conforto’s 13th homer of the year put the Giants up 2-1. It was his first long ball in exactly a month, and a sign that he could be finding his footing again after a mild hamstring strain knocked him out for a few days.
Walker, the opener, gave the lead right back when former Giant Austin Wynns tagged him for a solo shot in the top of the second. Wynns jogged around the bases in a businesslike manner for his first trot of 2023.
The wind helped carry each homer; both Conforto and Wynns’ homers had exit velocities below 100 mph.
Slater didn’t need the help. His sixth-inning two-run shot had an exit velocity of 105.5 mph and soared 399 feet. It would’ve left 29 of the 30 ballparks.
Slater was pinch hitting for Mike Yastrzemski, giving the Giants the platoon advantage as their preferred outfield duo. It was Slater’s seventh pinch homer of his career — which trails only Wilmer Flores in MLB since he debuted in 2017.
“Austin Slater coming up in a big spot, against a left-handed pitcher, in a pinch-hit at-bat, and having success is about the least surprising thing that we have happen around here,” Kapler said. “He’s just so good at it. He’s so prepared for it, and he’s so dangerous.”
As Slater and Conforto’s homers produced a 5-2 lead, Wood preserved it by striking out three in five scoreless innings. Saturday was his third straight outing out of the bullpen, a role that he has somewhat begrudgingly embraced.
Wood signed with the Giants before 2021 to start. Up until recently, he’s been exclusively a starter. The Giants, though, have viewed pitching roles as more malleable and this year have increasingly viewed pitching as innings covered rather than games started.
“I think Alex’s skill set is that he can pitch in any situation and pitch well in any situation,” Kapler said pregame. “I have the highest level of belief that all of our players are equipped to handle the most challenging circumstances. That’s why they’re Major Leaguers. That’s how they got here. By overcoming challenges and being good through those. Alex, but all of the pitchers on our staff, have it in them to be great in any role, covering any responsibilities.”
Wood has been in the basket of starting-caliber pitchers to either tandem-start or come in after an opener with Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, Tristan Beck, Keaton Winn and Jakob Junis this year. For any of them to claim a full-time rotation spot, they’ll have to earn it with consistent performance.
“The expectation is that he’ll start games for us,” Kapler said of Wood. “I’m not going to lay out the rest of the season. Baseball has been and will always be a game where opportunities are earned. Pitchers, players, athletes, they take control of opportunities and situations. Often times, they don’t let them go. But all of those things have and always will be earned and performance-based.”
Wood faced 18 batters — avoiding his precarious third-time-through splits — in his five scoreless innings. He mostly ditched his slider, instead relying on his sinker and changeup to retire batters. Although he did give up seven hard-hit balls, the outing was an unabashed positive.
“They know what I want to do,” Wood said. “They know I want to take the ball to start the game. I think I’ve been pretty clear on that.”
After the game, Wood said that this was the first time he knew for sure when he’d be entering the game (aside from, obviously, when he’s starting). That allows him to time his routine accordingly and set him up for success.
Wood, and Stripling to a degree on Friday, put themselves on stronger footing in the conversation.
“I’ve had two bad starts,” Wood said. “We’ll see what it’s like moving forward. It’s kind of out of my hands. But I definitely want to take the ball to start the game, for sure.”
