SAN FRANCISCO — Whether you had a dog on your lap or were in a kayak, Joc Pederson made sure you went home happy on Sunday.
Pederson hit two home runs in the first three innings and led the Giants to a 13-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. The first was a two-run blast the other way, blurring the sour taste of the nearly hit-free Saturday and landing in the stands where hundreds of dogs enjoyed Oracle Park’s first dog day in years. The second landed in the bay for Splash Hit #101.
The Giants made their second straight bullpen game and didn’t even have to resort to their high-leverage arms. Unless you count Brandon Crawford (he would).
After 13 years of waiting — and craving — Crawford clinched the ninth inning for the Giants. He opened his first appearance with six straight balls but bounced back, hitting a grounder, a flyout, and a popup with two runners.
Joc Pop
Pederson spent four months with the Cubs in 2021 and had plenty of former teammates to chat with ahead of Friday night’s game. He certainly enjoyed battling with his old team all weekend.
Pederson hit a career high on Friday with four hits, all singles. On Sunday he had two homers, two singles and a walk.
The splash hit was Pederson’s sixth and first since last September. This was his 20th multi-homer game and the first since May 24 last year when he had three against the New York Mets. That was Pederson’s last four-hit game through Friday. This weekend he managed to increase his OPS from 0.808 to 0.934 in three days.
Pederson was the first Giant with four hits, four RBI and four runs in a home game since 1988.
Bullpen bounce back
Ryan Walker had a rough day on Friday and was in the midst of a rebound that cost the Giants the game, but he bounced back significantly on Sunday. Walker managed a career-best performance in three innings, throwing 51 pitches and allowing just one unmerited run. He knocked out a pair and allowed two, with the only run scoring after his own error at a grounder down the right.
Walker carried the heaviest load for a bullpen, which did a good job after the Giants decided not to add another Minors bulk innings arm. John Brebbia started for the second straight season and bounced out in the first, earning him three goalless frames as a ‘starter’ in the series.
Hey, you’re an all star?
That game was all but over in the sixth game, but the Giants kept going — and Thairo Estrada continued to build the All-Star resume. Estrada hit home runs on the sixth and again on the seventh home run for nine hits this year. He increased his OPS to .843.
Estrada started the day second among MLB second basemen in WAR (and first in the National League) and fourth in WRC+.
Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast