Home is where the heat is

Marlins 8, Giants 5 (F/10)

Matt Williams didn’t wave home Jung Hoo Lee based on what he saw in the moment. No, he sent Lee scrambling to the plate as the winning run based on what he had seen over the last many weeks.

As third base coach, Williams has a unique vantage point of the Giants' hitting struggles. He's certainly had a lot fewer visitors over the last 30 days than he did the season's first 30 days. On this homestand alone the Giants are hitting .136 with runners in scoring position.

You have to imagine the prolonged struggle factored into the pivotal moment of Wednesday's game. The instant Patrick Bailey's single landed in left field, Williams had a split second to decide.

Does he hold Lee at third with one out and leave it up to No. 9 hitter Christian Koss to win the game? Does he send Lee, one of the fastest players on the team, and hope the Marlins make a mistake?

Turns out the only mistake made was by Williams, thinking he could make up for weeks of missed opportunities with one wave of his arm.

Up next: The easiest part of the Giants’ schedule rolls on. They’ll try to avoid getting swept by the Marlins this afternoon. It’ll be Hayden Birdsong (3-1, 3.25 ERA) against Jason Junk (2-0, 2.60 ERA) at 12:45 pm.