Go-ahead homers for your first MLB hit are pretty clutch too #Shawsome pic.twitter.com/khxYwdATeh
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 3, 2018
Chris Shaw did not have a great first few outings to start his major league career. He went 0-for-6 in his first three games, striking out six times. But on Labor Day, Shaw pulled off the unimaginable. In a game in which the Giants trailed the Colorado Rockies 7-2 at one point, the team surged offensively.
The team added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh. Then, the eighth rolled around and the improbable became reality. After Gorkys Hernandez was hit by a pitch, Alen Hanson stepped in for Kelby Tomlinson and hit a two-run home run to tie the game at 7-7.
Then, Shaw stepped in for the pitcher’s spot. After seeing two strikes go by, Shaw teed off, using the power that led him to 24 home runs in the minors this season, and smashing a ball for a home run to right field, giving the Giants an 8-7 lead over the Rockies. What’s especially sweet for Shaw was having his mom and girlfriend in the crowd to witness his first career hit and home run.