Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
In typical #ForeverGiant fashion, the once Orange and Black are uniting to Beat LA.
The Braves are undefeated this postseason after a 5-1, Game 1 victory over the Dodgers in Monday’s start to the NLCS that really should have been called by Jon Miller, Dave Flemming and Krup and Kuip, such was the contribution from ex-Giants.
Pablo Sandoval had a moment, even if it was an odd one. Mark Melancon shut the door. Will Smith posted another scoreless inning. A bit further from the Farhan Zaidi era, Adam Duvall and Charlie Culberson were on the winning squad, too.
If the Giants couldn’t crack October, the next best thing may be unfolding at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Sandoval, whose last game as a Giant came Sept. 9, before he was designated for assignment and eventually brought in by Atlanta, finally appeared in a postseason game with a chance to add to a tremendous big-game legacy. The Panda pinch-hit in the eighth of a 1-1 game with the go-ahead run on second and every Giants fan on the edge of his or her seat. He was hit before he could try for a hit, though, loading the bases before Culberson, who came up with the Giants and played six games with San Francisco in 2012, struck out.
Dustin May golpeó a Pablo Sandoval y se metió en un PROBLEMÓN#NLCS #MLBenFD #Postemporada @RolandoNichols @MottaJaime @LasMayores pic.twitter.com/5O1PKYFwIO
— FOX Deportes (@FOXDeportes) October 13, 2020
Smith, who was signed away from the Giants last offseason, pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth to make it 5 1/3 perfect postseason innings in wins over Cincinnati, Miami and now the Dodgers. He has struck out seven and not been touched.
The Braves broke it open in the ninth, curiously using a bunch of non-ex-Giants (Austin Riley, Ronald Acuna, Marcell Ozuna and Ozzie Albies) to cushion the lead out of a save’s reach.
And yet Melancon, who was dealt from the Giants at the 2019 deadline, still put the finishing touches on the triumph with a 1-2-3 ninth. The second out came off the other Will Smith’s bat and was fielded by Sandoval, who threw across for the out.
Look at me, I can be, centerfield!@ozzie @austinriley1308 @FreddieFreeman5 https://t.co/WYuvMA2yoK
— Mark Melancon (@Mark_Melancon_) October 13, 2020
If there was a concern for the 6-0-in-the-playoffs Braves, it was an oblique injury that forced Duvall from the game, another Giants product who played in 28 2014 games with San Francisco. Maybe the Braves can call up Gregor Blanco or Angel Pagan to replace him.