Bambi on ice

Giants 6, Marlins 2

Casey Schmitt found himself stranded on the infield dirt, seething. He did not want to be there. He did not mean to be there. And yet, for the second day in a row, there he was, a few desperate feet from where he intended to be.

Schmitt had again rounded second base and slipped, as if the Marlins had dropped a Mario Kart banana peel in the perfect spot. Both times he was tagged out as he scrambled back to the base. This time he slammed his right hand against the dirt. He trudged back to the dugout only to watch Jung Hoo Lee line the next pitch off the wall, a hit Schmitt could’ve walked home on.

Redemption could only come in one form.

Eury Perez delivered it as a high fastball. Schmitt launched it 404 feet into the afternoon sun, where no defender could make a play. Where Schmitt could slip and sit for lunch if he wanted to. Where all anyone could do is laugh about what happened.

Because there’s no better way to get around the bases than a go-ahead home run trot.

Up next: The Giants go for the series win against a Marlins team that I think is … not bad? Pretty good? Better than the Giants? They sent five .300 hitters to the plate on Saturday. The Giants sent Luis Arraez. Thank goodness for him. It’ll be Landen Roupp against Max Meyer at 1:05 pm.