Dream on
Giants 11, Nationals 10
The ball hung in the air impossibly long, and when it finally came down, a lost season had a little more meaning to it.
Bryce Eldridge, the Giants’ best prospect in years, capped the team’s greatest comeback in decades with a walk-off grand slam.
He said after the game he wants to be the face of the franchise, something that certainly takes more than one moment in one game.
But if there’s anything salvageable in the next four months, let it be Eldridge believing he can be The Guy on a team that should already have one, or two, or three of them.
Before Wednesday the Giants hadn’t won any of the 30 games they were losing after six innings. Eldridge’s tin roof homer, straight out of J.T. Snow’s playbook, broke the streak by turning a 9-1 deficit into an 11-10 win.
And while it doesn’t fill me with hope about this season, it does about the future. I don’t know if Tony Vitello or Buster Posey or anyone else will be a part of it. But Wednesday afternoon made it easy to believe Eldridge won’t only be a part of it, he’ll be leading it.
Stat pack:
Entering Wednesday, teams were a combined 1-3,090 when trailing by 8+ runs after 7 innings over the last 20 seasons. (ESPN)
Wednesday was the Giants’ greatest comeback since moving to San Francisco. It was the first time since 1947 that the Giants have won a game when trailing by eight runs heading into the eighth. (Alex Pavlovic)
Eldridge, 21, became the youngest player ever to hit a walk-off grand slam. Roberto Clemente previously held the record. (ESPN)
On your way out… listen to Jon Miller’s call. What an absolute delight.