© Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Aramis Garcia made no question about where his priorities are following a fantastic debut performance for the Giants. After striking out in his first two at-bats, Garcia came back and hit a solo home run in his third at-bat to lead off the eighth inning and put the Giants up 2-0 with his family looking on. The team batted around and he came back up to hit a two-out, RBI single later in the inning.
Following the game, Garcia said having his family there to see the home run and watching their reactions to it was incredible.
“It’s everything,” Garcia said. “I’m here because of them. Seeing their reaction on the board for a few seconds was awesome. My dad reacted just how I thought he would. He’s been doing that since I was in the minor leagues. But to see the rest of my family in tears, it was emotional.”
Garcia didn’t pretend for a second like he was expecting to hit a home run.
“No, I mean the way my first two at-bats were going, I was just hoping to put something in play,” Garcia said. “That was incredible. It was an incredible moment. I’m so thankful right now.”
As is customary when a player gets their first hit as a home run, Garcia had to negotiate for the ball back. He rebuffed the initial offer, but eventually reached a deal with the fan who caught it.
“They wanted a mitt, but I wasn’t able to do that,” Garcia said. “But just a couple bats, some batting gloves and some signed baseballs.”
The two hits that Garcia pulled off in the eighth also put him into the Giants’ record books, according to Andrew Baggarly.
Aramis Garcia is the first Giant in the San Francisco era to get his first two big league hits in the same inning. The last MLB player to do it was the Astros' Derek Fisher in June of last year. #PerElias
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) September 1, 2018
When asked whether the ball would go to his dad, Jose – who also goes by Aramis – Garcia was blunt.
“Oh yeah,” Garcia said. “I don’t think he’ll let me give it to anyone else.”