SF Giants lose in Brandon Crawford’s sendoff despite Kyle Harrison’s no-hit bid
The SF Giants lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-2 on Sunday afternoon, officially finishing the 2023 season with a 79-83 record. The rest of the standings had already been set, though. The Giants were eliminated from postseason contention earlier this week and were surpassed by the Padres for third place in the division. It was a rare moment on an MLB diamond where the outcome of the game was less impactful than the storyline surrounding it. At Oracle Park on Sunday, of course, that story was Brandon Crawford.
SF Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford hugs one of his children at Oracle Park on October 1, 2023.
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
In what many expect to be the final game of Crawford's big-league career, fans turned out in droves early to watch him go through his pregame warm-up routine one more time. Before the game got underway, Crawford caught four ceremonial first pitches, one from each of his four children.
Then, when the game was about to get underway, the rest of the Giants team let Crawford take the field alone in the top of the first inning. Crawford, who rarely wants to be the center of attention, took a moment to basque in a standing ovation and tipped his cap to the crowd.
Baseball is a ruthless sport. It is also a ruthless industry. As Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi showed on Friday when he fired manager Gabe Kapler, whether it was justified or not, continuity is hard to come by.
That's what makes Crawford's 13-year tenure with the Giants, the organization that drafted him back in 2008, so rare. The fact that it was during a dynastic run with the team he grew up rooting for makes Crawford's story really feel like a fairytale.
Crawford was the last vestige of the Giants' 2010-2014 dynasty left on the field with the team. If he does retire this offseason, as many expect, or signs with another franchise, fans will no longer have that on-field reminder of the glory years.
Crawford famously hit a grand slam in his big-league debut and surely hoped to bookend his career with another blast. However, he was unable to add to his long list of memorable highlight plays. He struck out twice, grounded out, and flew out in his four trips to the plate before interim manager Kai Correa pulled him in the top of the ninth inning to allow him to receive a standing ovation.
Perhaps fittingly, as the current face of the franchise played his final game, rookie pitcher Kyle Harrison (Giants Top Pitching Prospect) started on the mound. Of the Giants' massive rookie class, Harrison might have the best chance to join Logan Webb and Camilo Doval as the faces of the franchise going forward. Harrison has electrified Oracle Park during his best outings since a late-season call-up and showed off some of that potential.
Harrison's command was iffy throughout his outing, issuing two walks and hitting three batters. However, he also held the Dodgers' talented lineup scoreless across five no-hit innings. Removed after throwing 94 pitches, Harrison finished the season with a 4.15 ERA across seven big-league starts with 35 strikeouts and 11 walks in 34.2 innings pitched.
Another rookie, Casey Schmitt, ended his season on a high note as well. He got the Giants on the scoreboard by lining a solo home run off Ryan Pepiot in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Then, in the bottom of the eighth, Schmitt flew out to center field in a rematch against Pepiot. However, the second and third base umpires had called time prior to the pitch because a ball had come onto the field. So, Schmitt got a second chance. He lined the next pitch he saw into the left-field bleachers to record his first multi-homer career in the majors.
The Giants bullpen struggled mightily after replacing Harrison in the top of the sixth inning. John Brebbia allowed a single and walk to two of the three batters he faced before Correa replaced him with Taylor Rogers. Rogers allowed both inherited runners to score on a pair of singles before a three-run homer by Enrique Hernández gave the Dodgers a 5-0 lead. One batter later, Rogers signaled to the team's training staff, and he was removed from the game.
Veteran Ross Stripling managed to right the ship, pitching the final 3.1 shutout innings of the season without allowing a run. Still, the veteran swingman's season ERA remained well north of 5.00, making it seem likely that he will not opt-out of his contract this offseason.
The Giants will head into the offseason with an uncertain future. President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi has just one year left on his contract and will have to hire a new manager before likely overhauling the roster. Constant change is just a reality in modern MLB. But for the past 12 years, Brandon Crawford has been the SF Giants' only Opening Day shortstop. He has seen highs. He has seen lows. And on Sunday, it sure seemed like he said goodbye.
