This one's for the haters

Giants 4, Astros 3 F/10

If you allowed one Giants fan every day to sit in Farhan Zaidi's chair and change the roster however they'd like, Austin Slater would get released every day. Every day.

It's not without justification. He's been awful at the plate. But even worse in the eyes of armchair GMs across the Bay Area, Slater's recent return from the IL cost Luis Matos his roster spot. Promising youngster sent down for struggling veteran. Bad optics in a mediocre season.

One swing does not change all of this—but it's a start. Slater's walk-off hit capped a bizarre 10th inning, full of errors, bunt singles, and Heliot Ramos getting beaned by a foul ball.

Who knows if it's a sign of better things to come for Slater or merely a brief flashback. Luckily for him, Farhan Zaidi is the only one sitting in Farhan Zaidi's chair.

Up next: Good pitching matchup on tap. Jordan Hicks (4-2, 2.82 ERA) squares off with Ronel Blanco (5-2, 2.78 ERA), who’s been excellent since throwing a no-hitter earlier this year. First pitch at 6:45 p.m.