SAN FRANCISCO – A doubleheader. A country concert. A Saturday night in the City.
But nothing at Oracle Park was as important as Blake Snell taking the mound for what could very well be his last time as a Giant.
Snell has been tied to several rumors ahead of Tuesday's MLB trade deadline, and his showing Saturday didn't disappoint those who came to watch the two-time Cy Young award winner.
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Snell struck out 15 batters -- the most of his career -- with two walks, two hits and no runs in six innings of work.
Matt Chapman hit his 15th home run of the season.
And after a tough road trip to open the second half of the season, the Giants are keeping things rolling with their second consecutive win.
But they don't have much time to celebrate. The second half of Saturday's doubleheader begins around 7:30 p.m.
San Francisco Giants
Here are the takeaways from the win:
Snell shines under spotlight
As a two-time Cy Young winner, eyes typically always are on Blake Snell when he takes the mound.
But on Saturday, three days before the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline, more eyes than usual were locked on the left-handed pitcher.
And Snell shined bright -- the brightest of his pro career -- under the spotlight.
He wasted no time and got straight to work Saturday, striking out Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar to start things off.
From then on, the momentum carried over through six solid innings of work.
By the fourth inning, Snell struck out 10 -- including five straight at one point. He added two more the following inning and in the sixth, reached a career-high 15 strikeouts with an 82-mph curveball to Rockies first baseman Kris Bryant.
It was the 31st double-digit strikeout of Snell's career.
Snell received a well-deserved standing ovation on his way to the Giants' dugout.
Bailey lifts low-fueled offense
Just a few hours after scoring 11 runs against this same Rockies team, the Giants' homer happy offense from Friday night was nowhere to be found Saturday afternoon.
It has been an issue for the team all season, failing to capitalize with runners on base.
Saturday was no different ... for most of the game.
After LaMonte Wade Jr. and Heliot Ramos got on base in the opening inning, Patrick Bailey and Tyler Fitzgerald both struck out to end the inning.
In the second, Matt Chapman helped San Francisco get on the board with a solo homer to left. Mike Yastrzemski kept the momentum rolling the following at-bat with a triple, but Brett Wisely grounded out and Jorge Soler struck out looking for out number three.
Two innings later, the Giants managed to load the bases, but Soler, who has been on an offensive groove as of late, did the very last thing any batter would want to do in that position: Ground into a double play for the final two outs.
But things changed in the seventh, and it was Patrick Bailey who helped turn things around for San Francisco.
After Soler reached second base on an error and Wade Jr. reached first after being hit by a pitch, Bailey cleaned things up and brought the boys home with a two-run double to lift the Giants to a 3-1 lead.
Team LOB: 8
Team RISP: 1-12 (Fitzgerald 0-2, Soler 0-2, Yastrzemski 0-2, Chapman 0-1, Ramos 0-2, Wisely 0-1, Bailey 1-2)
A home run party of one
While most of San Francisco's offense was recovering from a home run hangover, Chapman joined the party a little late.
But the Giants needed it, as it wound up being the only homer of the game.
Chapman's 390-foot home run was his 15th of the 2024 season.
Six innings later, on a wild pitch by pitcher Peter Lambert, Chapman scored yet again after he doubled to center and then reached third on a pickoff error by Lambert to give the Giants a 4-1 lead.
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