Five best SF Giants moments from the first half of the 2023 season
The SF Giants return from the All-Star break today and embark on a four-city road trip to kick off the home stretch before the playoffs. Before they face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates, let’s take a look back at the top five moments of the Giants’ very successful first half of the season.
SF Giants 1B LaMonte Wade Jr. (right) high fives coach Mark Hallberg. (2023)
Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
5. LaMonte Wade Jr. Hits the 100th Splash Hit by a Giant in Oracle Park History
When LaMonte Wade, Jr. hits balls into McCovey Cove, he likes to make them count. His first came in 2021, when he broke the tie in a game against the Houston Astros with a home run that went right over his mother’s head. He broke the overall Splash Hit century mark in June with his fifth water shot after a two-month drought, absolving fans of the worry that 100 would never come. Wade is one of only 28 Giants to hit a fair ball into the Cove, and it’s a wonderful milestone to celebrate in the midst of his resurgent, All-Star-caliber season.
4. Blake Sabol Walks Off the Cardinals
It’s easy and correct to attribute much of the Giants’ first half success to their rookies. Casey Schmitt, Patrick Bailey, Luis Matos, Ryan Walker, and Tristan Beck have all made big contributions to the team when called upon. You could make a case for any of them to be featured here. But the guy who got it all started? Blake Sabol. Yes, he’s been prone to rookie mistakes on the basepaths and behind the plate, but he deserves as much credit for the Giants’ unexpected youth movement as anyone.
Sabol faced off against Ryan Helsley on April 25th in the bottom of the 9th, representing the Giants’ last hope with two outs. Mike Yastrzemski was on second base, having just driven in a run, but the Giants still trailed 4-3. Helsley got two strikes on Sabol, but he didn’t get a third: Sabol pounced on a slider and sent it over the center field wall, walking off the Cardinals. That home run showcased Sabol’s ability to perform at the big league level, and his approach at the plate continues to improve. The rookies who have arrived after him are following in his footsteps handsomely.
3. Mike Yastrzemski Walks Off the Padres
Mike Yastrzemski has been responsible for several of the Giants’ most exciting moments in the past five seasons, and this year is no different. He too has bounced back from a lackluster 2022 season, getting back to a solid approach at the plate to go along with his reliable defense. The Giants and the Padres faced off on June 19th, with the Giants looking to continue their seven-game winning streak (more on that in a moment).
The Padres appeared to be in control, taking a 4-2 lead into the 9th inning. But the Giants came back as they had so many times in the season already, tying the game and sending it to extra innings. They played small ball in the 10th to get runners on second and third, bringing Yaz to the plate. Fans wondered: could this be another moment like his go-ahead splash hit against the Diamondbacks in 2021? Like his walk-off slam against the Brewers in 2022? Could this be the latest installment of Mike Yastrzemski coming through in the clutch?
The answer was a resounding yes: Yaz turned around a 96 mph fastball and made the last pitch of the game into splash hit #102. Comeback wins always spark excitement, but this one posed a thrilling question: are the Giants… good?
2. The Giants Sweep the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium
Honestly, that sentence holds up all by itself. But okay, let’s talk about it a little more. The Giants rolled into LA after sweeping the Cardinals, ready to write another chapter into one of the best rivalries in sports. They proceeded to get no-hit for six innings by Emmet Sheehan, a double-A callup making his big league debut. Okay, momentum from the Cardinals sweep is dead, right? Wrong.
Pitching mastermind Dave Roberts pulled Sheehan after the 6th inning and the Dodgers bullpen fell victim to the Giants’ late inning comeback magic. This game included one of the craziest missed pop ups you’ll ever see, but the Giants escaped with a win. The next game was a complete and utter beatdown: the Giants scored 15 runs against the Dodgers, who got carved up by Alex Wood and Tristan Beck and failed to score a single run. It was the largest margin of victory in a shutout in Giants history. They extended their winning streak to seven games, winning 7-3 and finishing off the sweep behind a gritty performance from Logan Webb. Actually, speaking of…
1. Logan Webb Pitches His First Complete Game Shutout
Has there ever been a better response to being snubbed for the All-Star Game? Webb has matured into the ace of the Giants' pitching staff, and it was never more apparent than this start against the Rockies. He and Patrick Bailey worked in perfect harmony, using the movement on his changeup to great effect and inducing ten strikeouts. The rest of the team supported Webb by playing airtight defense, and JD Davis supplied a solo homer as the only run Webb would need. Logan Webb is the latest in a line that includes Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and Madison Bumgarner: a homegrown pitcher who blossoms into the ace of the Giants' pitching staff. His consistency and durability earned him the opportunity to finish the game himself, and he took it. He struck out the side to end the Giants’ first half, sending his team and the fans into the All-Star break excited for what the second half will hold.
