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Patrick Bailey flung his bat almost as quickly as the ball traveled out of Oracle Park, one of the quickest yet most demonstrative bat flips you’ll see. Nice wrist action. Nice release. Nice delivery.
Bailey knew the ball was gone on contact. He knew the Giants were beating the rival Dodgers. He knew he’d enjoy one of his most memorable trots around the bases. He knew his walk-off grand-slam would ignite the sellout crowd and rock the China Basin neighborhood.
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“Just trying to put the ball in play,” he said with a straight face long after he put an exclamation point on Friday night’s 5-1 victory that pulled the Giants a mere half-game out of the playoff race.
With 15 regular-season games remaining, including six more over nine days with the Dodgers, the Giants are in dandy position to overtake the slumping Mets for the final wild-card spot, though they’d need to finish a game ahead of the New Yorkers, who hold the tiebreaker advantage.
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More games like Friday’s series opener could do the trick. The Giants received another splendid start from Justin Verlander, a circus play by third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Dom Smith, one of the season’s most dynamic throws by right fielder Grant McCray, and a game-winning rally in the 10th inning.
The lone bummer for the Giants was Smith sustained a right hamstring injury while stretching and performing the splits to catch Chapman’s throw in the fourth inning. The extent of the injury wasn’t immediately known. He exited the game and was expected to undergo tests Saturday.
Otherwise, the Giants had all kinds of reasons to celebrate.
“One of the more fun games in the regular season I’ve been a part of,” said the 42-year-old Verlander, who surrendered one run in seven innings on the day he officially reached 20 years of big-league service time. “Obviously, we know where we’re at. Playing the Dodgers here at home. Just one of those games that had a bit of a playoff atmosphere to it from the beginning and one of those games you never know who’s going to step up and make a great play or have a great at-bat.”
Where do we start?
How about the Chapman-Smith play? The Dodgers had two runners in scoring position when Andy Pages hit a grounder so far to Chapman’s left that it seemed unplayable, but Chapman made the play. His throw was a bit low, and Smith stretched as far as humanly possible to reach it.
It was the third out, but Smith was forced from the game and replaced by Wilmer Flores. The Giants are hoping it’s a minor hamstring ailment. But if it’s not? Let the speculation begin: Bryce Eldridge, anyone? Chief executive Buster Posey has been firm on not wanting to promote the prized prospect because of the reps he still needs in Triple-A.
The McCray play was even more impressive. The Giants’ 26th man, he has hardly played since getting called up in early September. But with the bases loaded in the ninth, McCray entered as a pinch-runner for Luis Matos at third base and tried to score on Flores’ shallow fly to center – Pages’ throw home was on the money, and McCray was out.
Nobody second-guessed the decision to take off. Third base coach Matt Williams told McCray to run, and Melvin said it was the right call: “You’ve got to send him there. They’ve got to make a perfect throw, and they did. Runs were tough to come by. It was the right decision.”
McCray remained in the game as the right fielder and quickly redeemed himself, gloving Mookie Betts’ fly and making a perfectly wicked 101.7 mile per hour heave to nab Ben Rortvedt at third base, the hardest throw on a Giants outfield assist since 2015 when the Statcast era began.
“Nobody likes getting thrown out, especially not me, a fast guy,” McCray said. “I really hate getting thrown out. I just wanted to return the favor.”
Not only is McCray the fastest player on the team, he also has the best outfield arm. He shared with reporters that second baseman Casey Schmitt boasted of having a superior arm. “Can you guys let him know he doesn’t?” Schmitt said.
“There were plenty of plays you could call the play of the game,” Melvin said. “I don’t know if there was a bigger play than that.”
Then there was Bailey, who was considered an all-mitt, no-bat catcher for much of the season. He had just two home runs through August, including an inside-the-parker, and now he has four more in September. Three in his past four games. It’s not just the power game – he’s hitting .288 in his last 16 games and .333 in September.
A switch-hitter, he homered from the right side Friday for the first time since Aug. 29, 2023.
What gives?
“Left handed, making adjustments to the stance and trusting the swing and ability,” said Bailey, who’s employing a wider stance from the left side. “Right-handed, just sticking with it and swinging at the right pitches and trusting the ability.”
As for the walk-off grand slam to beat the Dodgers, the first by a Giants catcher since Jack Hiatt in 1969?
“In those situations, I’m trying to be as peaceful as I can,” he said. “As relaxed as I can. I’m trying to not let the emotions get a hold of me.”
If that was the case on this wild night, he was the only one.