Photographs by Scot Tucker/SFBay
They almost gave it away. Then, just like that, Willy Adames ripped it right back.
Amid the pulsating bedlam of a statuesque Oracle Park home opener, Adames played the hero Friday afternoon, lining a two-out, two-run single to right in the bottom of the 11th to cap a chaotic, see-saw, 10-9 Giants victory over Seattle.
Forget the script. This game mulched it. Composted it. Then fertilized it with a slurry of pure adrenaline and maybe a little Bay Area magic.
For a rare Friday day game meant to celebrate 25 years of baseball alongside McCovey Cove – and three-time Cy Young winner Justin Verlander making his anticipated home debut – the bunting-clad narrative quickly shifted to one of survival, resilience, and ultimately, euphoria, extending the Giants’ (5-2) early-season streak to five improbable wins.
Moments before Adames sent home what remained of 40,865 delirious and determined fans after more than four hours of baseball, it looked bleak.
Painfully bleak.
The Mariners (4-4) had already clawed ahead 9-8 in the top of the 11th when reliever Spencer Bivens (W, 1-1, 7.36 ERA) – who, incredibly, would still notch the win – uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Cal Raleigh to scamper home.
But these Giants, at least through the first week, seem to possess a stubbornness manager Bob Melvin surely appreciates.
Luis Matos, the automatic runner, moved to third on a groundout. Tyler Fitzgerald worked a crucial one-out walk off Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas (L, 0-1, BS, 4.76 ERA), the last arm available from Scott Servais‘ bullpen. After LaMonte Wade Jr. struck out looking – a call that drew groans – the stage was set for Adames, the club’s big offseason acquisition brought in for moments precisely like this.
Adames didn’t waste time, jumping on the first pitch from Vargas, a slider, and punching it into shallow right. Victor Robles, the Mariners right fielder, perhaps momentarily stunned, couldn’t field it cleanly. Matos scored easily. Fitzgerald, hustling all the way, slid headfirst across the plate just ahead of the relay, igniting a mob scene near first base.
This victory, their fifth straight, pushes the Giants further into unexpected early-season territory. Gritty wins like these forge an identity. They battled back after falling behind multiple times, answering Seattle blows with their own, in a contest featuring a staggering seven lead changes and 32 combined hits.
The journey to the 11th was just as turbulent. Matt Chapman, another key veteran presence, had seemingly rescued the Giants earlier, blasting a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the game at 8-8 after Seattle had erupted for three runs against Camilo Doval in the top half. Wade was a constant sparkplug, collecting three extra-base hits – two doubles and a triple – and driving in two crucial runs.
Yet, the story cannot be told without acknowledging the jarring home debut of Justin Verlander. The future Hall of Famer, feted before the game, looked anything but comfortable.
Julio Rodriguez tagged him for a leadoff homer just four pitches into the first inning, and Verlander lasted only three innings, tagged for six hits and three runs, unable to provide the ace-like stability the Giants desperately need atop their rotation.
Across the diamond, Luis Castillo didn’t fare much better for Seattle, also lasting only three innings while surrendering three runs. This quickly devolved into a bullpen battle, a taxing affair for both managers that chewed through arms and frayed nerves.
In the end, though, it was the Giants pouring onto the field. A wild, unpredictable, exhausting, and ultimately exhilarating start to the home slate. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t clean, but it was a win fueled by timely hitting and sheer will. And for a team trying to prove the doubters wrong, that’s all that matters right now.
They survived. They won.
Onto the next one.
Up Next
At Oracle Park Saturday at 1 p.m., Seattle slots Bryce Miller (0-1, 4.76 ERA) against Giants lefty Robbie Ray (1-0, 5.06 ERA).
