Mac Williamson wasted no time in making an impact in his return to the big leagues.
Williamson homered and drove in four runs after being promoted from Triple-A Sacramento, helping the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 14-4 on Tuesday night.
It was just the Giants’ third win in the team’s last 21 games at Coors Field.
“Today was everything I could ask for and more,” said Williamson, who missed much of last season with a concussion. “It’s one day. Tomorrow is a new day and you’ve got to lock it back in. There’s going to be ups and there’s going to be some downs and if I can stay right in the middle, I think I’ll be OK.”
Evan Longoria and Kevin Pillar also homered in support of Madison Bumgarner (2-4), who went six innings and allowed three runs on eight hits. He had eight strikeouts. Steven Duggar and Brandon Crawford each had two-run singles, pinch-hitter Tyler Austin added a two-run triple and Joe Panik had three hits, including an RBI single.
Charlie Blackmon homered to lead off Colorado’s first inning. Chris Iannetta also homered for Colorado, Ian Desmond tripled twice, driving in a run and Raimel Tapia had three hits and an RBI.
Williamson’s return to the Giants culminated an arduous, year-long comeback that included being designated for assignment by the Giants after a disappointing showing in spring training. He had begun last season as the Giants’ left fielder but in late April tripped over a bullpen mound while going for a foul ball and crashed head first into the padded railing. He struggled with lingering concussion symptoms for much of the rest of the season.
“Last year was extremely frustrating on multiple levels,” Williamson said in the clubhouse before the game. “It is definitely gratifying that I was able to get it somewhat back together. I’m feeling good.”
After clearing waivers, Williamson accepted the Giants’ assignment to Sacramento, where he quickly regained the team’s attention by turning his fortunes around, batting .378 with nine homers, including three on Monday night. One of them traveled 511 feet.
He hit a 371-foot drive that was no less impressive in the Giants’ five-run fourth. He got hold of a 1-1 offering from Antonio Senzatela and drove it over the left field wall for a three-run homer. Crawford singled ahead of Pillar’s home run, and the Giants took a 6-1 lead.
“It was a tight game there and nothing like getting a three-run homer to really ignite the offense,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “It just got things going and then everybody was doing something.”
Williamson also made a running catch at the wall of a line drive off the bat of Nolan Arenado in the Colorado eighth and starting a relay that shortstop Crawford finished with a throw to the plate that got Tapia trying for home.
Williamson added an RBI single in the fifth.
Senzatela (2-2) allowed seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was Senzatela’s first loss to the Giants as a starter. In six previous starts against the Giants, he had gone 5-0 with 3.16 ERA.
Iannetta, the Rockies catcher, said location was a problem for pitchers throughout the night.
“We were missing by a lot, it wasn?t just ‘Senza,” Iannetta saiud. “I think it was everybody tonight. Trying to go down and away almost a chase pitch to Mac Williamson and it was up and in. Pillar we were trying to go down and away and possibly in the dirt and it was up middle. We missed by a substantial amount, but that? s baseball. It happens. It stinks when it does.”
UP NEXT
Giants: LHP Derek Holland (1-4, 5.34 ERA) is slated to be reinstated from the 10-day injured list to start the middle game of the series. He has recovered from a bone bruise on his left index finger which he sustained practicing bunting.
Rockies: RHP Jon Gray (3-3, 4.22 ERA) is seeking his first career win against the Giants. In seven previous starts against San Francisco, he is 0-3 with 5.18 ERA.
AROUND THE MAJORS TUESDAY
–Add Mike Fiers to the list of major league hurlers to throw multiple no-hitters. Fiers earned his second with a masterful 131-pitch performance in the Oakland Athletics’ 2-0 win over the Reds. He completed the no-hitter by fanning red-hot Eugenio Suarez for his sixth strikeout. Fiers entered the night 2-3 with a hefty 6.81 ERA before receiving help from Jurickson Profar’s defensive gem two RBIs. Profar made a diving catch on Kyle Farmer’s popup into short right field for the second out of the sixth inning, one batter before Ramon Laureano robbed Joey Votto of a home run. Profar also hit an RBI double in the second and a seventh-inning homer. Fiers is the 35th pitcher to toss at least two no-hitters.
— The Twins shut out the Blue Jays for the second straight night as Juan Berríos allowed four hits in seven innings of Minnesota’s 3-0 victory. Berríos won a career-best fifth consecutive start as the AL Central-leading Twins won for the eighth time in 11 games and moved a season-high 10 games over .500. Mitch Garver shook off a cut on the neck from a broken bat by going 3-for-3, including a two-run homer in the sixth off Aaron Sanchez.
— Lucas Giolito combined with two relievers on a five-hitter as the White Sox topped the punchless Indians, 2-0. Giolito scattered three hits over 7 1/3 innings, but Jace Fry loaded the bases in the eighth before closer Jesus Colome struck out Carlos Santana to get out of the jam. The Indians wasted a strong outing by starter Jefry Rodriguez and have scored just one run over their last three games.
— Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 4 with an RBI groundout and a walk in his season debut as the Angels beat the Tigers, 5-2. Ohtani was playing his first game since undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. Griffin Canning earned the win in his second career start, giving up two runs and four hits while fanning seven over 5 1/3 innings.
— The Rays are a season-high 11 games over .500 after Brandon Lowe homered on the opening pitch in the bottom of the first to jumpstart a 6-3 win over the Diamondbacks. Lowe also poked an RBI grounder during a three-run seventh as Tampa Bay improved to 9-1-2 in series play by opening the three-game set with consecutive victories. Ryne Stanek and five other relievers combined on a seven-hitter.
— The Yankees pulled out a 5-4 win over the Mariners when Cameron Maybin narrowly beat right fielder Jay Bruce’s throw home on DJ LeMahieu’s game-ending single in the ninth. Gio Urshela hit a tying two-run homer three batters earlier before LeMahieu’s hit capped New York’s rally from a 4-1 deficit. The Yanks have won 13 of 17 and remain two games behind the AL East-leading Rays.
— Mitch Moreland’s three-run blast was one of three homers belted by the Red Sox in an 8-5 win over the Orioles. J.D. Martinez hit a two-run drive in the first inning and Xander Bogaerts delivered a solo shot while Boston scored its first six runs via the long ball. Marcus Walden tossed three innings of one-run relief for the Bosox.
— Whit Merrifield and Ryan O’Hearn each hit a grand slam while the Royals were ripping the Astros, 12-2. Merrifield finished a double shy of the cycle, collecting four hits and tying a career high with five RBIs. Danny Duffy picked up his first win in three starts since returning from a shoulder injury, allowing two runs and six hits over 6 2/3s.
— Gregory Polanco’s first home run in eight months was a two-run blast in the sixth inning of the Pirates’ fifth win in six games, 5-4 against the Rangers. Melky Cabrera added a pinch-hit, two-run double to back spot starter Steven Brault, who combined with six relievers on a five-hitter. Hunter Pence homered and drove in all four runs for Texas, but the rest of the Rangers went 2-for-27.
— The Dodgers earned their ninth straight home win as Hyun-Jin Ryu and Justin Turner led a 9-0 romp over the Braves. Turner set career highs with three home runs and six RBIs to back Ryu, who tossed a four-hit shutout. Ryu struck out five and walked none in his second career complete game and first since 2013.
— Kris Bryant smacked a three-run, walk-off homer with two out in the ninth to complete the Cubs’ 5-2 victory over the Marlins. Albert Almora Jr. also connected as the Cubs won for the eighth time in nine games. Chicago rallied after Jon Lester yielded a pair of unearned runs over six innings.
— Lorenzo Cain poked a three-run double while the Brewers erupted for six runs in the seventh inning of a 6-0 shutout of the Nationals. Wily Peralta worked five innings of three-hit relief after Adrian Houser pitched the first two frames of Milwaukee’s fifth consecutive win. Washington starter Steven Strasberg struck out 11 and carried a three-hit shutout into the seventh before running out of gas.
— Bryce Harper’s first grand slam as a Phillie was part of a six-run second against Dakota Hudson in an 11-1 romp over the Cardinals. Rhys Hoskins was 4-for-5 with a homer and three runs scored to back Aaron Nola, who limited St. Louis to a run and three hits in six innings. Hudson gave up eight runs – two earned – over five innings.
— The Mets ended a four-game skid by beating the Padres, 7-6 on rookie Pete Alonso’s two-run homer in the ninth. Alonso also supplied an RBI single while New York was scoring three times in the seventh to erase a 5-2 deficit. Robinson Cano was 4-for-5, including a first-inning double that was his 2,500th career hit.