Yesterday
Here are the top 5 June 22 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1958 at Philadelphia, 3 games out of first in our inaugural season, we've got a doubleheader on a Sunday at Connie Mack, it's 4-4 in the 14th when Willie Kirkland homers off Ray Semproch and that holds up for the 5-4 win. To that point it was the longest game in San Francisco history. Kirkland fell off a cliff after his first season with the Indians (we traded him after the '60 season). He was an annual 3 win player, always with an OPS+ over 100, but from '62 forward he was replacement level.
1964 at Cincinnati, 11 over .500, 2 games out, headed to Crosley for a 4 game series, we're down 2-1 in the 6th, Willie McCovey hits a grand slam off of John Tsitouris, we win it 6-2. McCovey hit 18 grand slams in his career, this was number 2. It's his only career grand slam as a left fielder.
1968 at Pittsburgh, we're 7 games out, up 1-0 in the top of the 5th, Willie McCovey hit a 3 run homer off Bob Moose to put us up 4-0. We'd win the game 10-3. McCovey leads the majors with a 174 OPS+ in '68 and finishes third in the MVP vote. Stretch is worth six and a half wins above replacement and it's the 15th best season for a first baseman in franchise history.
Walk off 1988 home vs. Padres, we're 6.5 out of first after losing the first two games of the series, we're down 7-5 in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded with two out - Mark Davis (12 for 12 in save opportunties on the year) has a full count on Will Clark - who doubles everybody home to win the game 8-7, he had a total of 7 RBI. Will's 24 years old, had a 160 OPS+ and was worth seven and a half wins above replacement - it's his second best Giants season and the 8th best season for any first baseman in franchise history.
2012 at Oakland, 4.5 back and starting a series across the Bay in front of a sold out Coliseum, we're down 3-1 in the 9th, Brandon Belt doubles home the tying runs off of Ryan Cook. We go on to win 5-4. Belt was drafted in '09, came up in '11 and took over first base this year. Through 2016 Belt kept that job and entered 2017 as the 27th greatest San Francisco Giant of all time.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
