SAN FRANCISCO–Pablo Sandoval admitted it. He was swinging for the fences.
Why wouldn’t he? After the season Sandoval has endured, and the year the Giants have struggled through, who wouldn’t want to cap off the year with a walkoff home run?
Eventually, Sandoval made it happen.
“I feel happy, feel excited for that moment, especially when we round the bases, I wanted to cry, I don’t know what’s going on with me next year,” Sandoval said. “I’m just focused to work on the offseason and I’m just focused to come back stronger and do everything I can.”
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Sandoval unloaded on a pitch and sent the Giants to their 64th win of the season with a shot to the arcade in right field at AT&T Park. After being designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox in July and finishing the year in San Francisco, Sandoval’s future is in flux. Though he didn’t hit particularly well for much of the two months he spent with the Giants, Sandoval capped off the year in epic fashion, and reflected on sending Matt Cain out with a win in his final game in the orange and black.
“You know, it’s exciting, it’s exciting to finish the way we finished,” Sandoval said. “It’s special for Matt Cain’s final day. It’s just one of those things you’re looking for. give the effort to win, but yesterday we lost, but today was the most important day because it’s the last day he was going to be around with us in a uniform, so do it for him and for the fans, this is special for me.”
After winning three World Series with the Giants, Sandoval left the club in free agency following the 2014 season and signed with Boston. The third baseman inked a lucrative five-year, $95 million deal, but injuries and poor performance wound up costing Sandoval his roster spot.
He finished the season on a redemption tour with San Francisco, and he was quite pleased with how that tour ended up.
“It’s one thing, when God gives you the opportunity to come back with a team, give you a second chance with a team that you love and give you an opportunity to be here, so I wanted to be successful and end it on the right way for them,” Sandoval said.