Darren Baker, son of former Giants manager Dusty, needed only one pitch in the big leagues to record his first MLB hit as his father gleefully watched from the stands.
Baker lined a single up the middle off reliever Ethan Roberts in the ninth inning of the Washington Nationals' 14-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday at Nationals Park, providing a bright spot on a day where there wasn't much to celebrate for the home team.
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Darren, famous for his unforgettable involvement in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series, was called up this weekend by Washington, who Dusty also managed for two seasons from 2016 to 2017.
Giants fans surely remember when a then-three-year-old Darren was rescued out of harm's way by first baseman J.T. Snow while serving as San Francisco's bat boy when Dusty managed the team during the 2002 World Series.
Two decades later, Darren now is the one running on MLB basepaths, creating an incredible full-circle moment for the 25-year-old.
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Darren played college baseball at the University of California-Berkeley and was drafted in the tenth round by Washington in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Darren slashed .285/.348/.688 across 435 at-bats in the minor leagues during the 2024 season before making his MLB debut Sunday, and now has a golden opportunity to strengthen his case to remain in the major leagues if he can continue stringing hits together to close out the season.
He got off to a great start.
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