On Thursday evening, Aaron Nola ran into the San Francisco Giants, a team that has endured no shortage of offensive struggles this season. It was a match made in heaven for the Phillies’ ace, but baseball is a funny game.
Three hours ahead of the Giants’ Saturday evening matchup with the Diamondbacks, relief pitcher Albert Suarez, outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and outfielder Jarrett Parker were sitting around their lockers, busting up in laughter and bouncing stories off the centerpiece of the conversation. That centerpiece, of course, was Pablo Sandoval.
Long story short, Parker holds a slight upper hand in the left field mixing pot for now, should he keep showcasing his power and prove that it is sustainable.
Last October, Matt Moore shut down a fierce Chicago Cubs’ lineup over eight innings of work, allowing two hits in Game 4 of the NLDS in a dominant effort that was as close to perfect as any San Francisco pitcher could hope to throw against the eventual World Series champions.
The Giants’ decision to sit a veteran like Hunter Pence, a hot-hand like Nick Hundley, and one of the team’s most productive hitters in the past few months, outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, is a product of not only who the Giants are right now, but what they’ll look like moving forward for the remainder of the regular season.
A night after smashing a seventh-inning double to put the Giants on the board, and a 10th inning walkoff single to help San Francisco score its largest comeback victory of the season, Jarrett Parker was at it again.
Jarrett Parker is one of the Giants’ hottest hitters, a clear defensive standout and a player who could help his cause significantly if he continues to play well for the remainder of the regular season.