What we learned as Giants blast five homers in win vs. Royals originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Saturday’s game in Kansas City was moved up a couple of hours so that the teams could potentially avoid ugly weather in the forecast. The home team would have preferred a rainout.
The Giants hit five homers and blew out the Kansas City Royals 9-0 at Kauffman Stadium, winning for the fourth time in five games on this road trip and dealing another blow to a team hoping to lock up an American League wild-card spot.
LaMonte Wade Jr. and Matt Chapman each hit a pair, becoming the first Giants to do it in the same game since Joc Pederson and Thairo Estrada last June. Mike Yastrzemski added a three-run blast that capped a six-run sixth inning.
The power display helped Landen Roupp pick up his first win in the big leagues on a day when he again proved that he should be part of the rotation competition next spring.
Here are three observations from the Giants’ win:
Dad Strength
On his first day back from the paternity list, Chapman had his second multi-homer game as a Giant and 12th of his career. He’s up to 26 in his first year in San Francisco, giving him an outside shot at ending The Drought.
The Giants haven’t had a player reach 30 homers since Barry Bonds in 2004, and Chapman joined Brandon Belt (29 in 2021) as the only players to hit at least 26 homers over the last decade. There are just seven games left in the season, but Chapman does have a shot. After one more in Kansas City, the Giants head to hitter-friendly Chase Field in Arizona.
Plus, Chapman can rely on dad strength. He and his wife, Taylor, welcomed Gia Alexandra into the world on Thursday.
Keep That Ball!
A day after Mason Black picked up his first big league win, Roupp did the same. The 26-year-old allowed just three hits and walked three in five shutout innings.
Roupp has made three starts in September and gone exactly five innings in each of them. Overall, he has allowed just three earned runs in 30 1/3 innings in the second half.
The Giants used Roupp as a reliever earlier this season, but they always have believed he’ll be a starter long-term, and he certainly is making a statement. Both Black and Roupp have shown they should get a shot for back-end spots next spring, although it’s going to get crowded.
The Giants were happy with Kyle Harrison’s rookie year and Hayden Birdsong has had a solid debut, too. Even putting Blake Snell (who has an opt-out) to the side, they’ll have Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Jordan Hicks locked into spots next spring.
What a Trip
This always was going to be an enjoyable road trip for LaMonte Wade Jr., who played in his hometown for the first time when they visited Camden Yards. The second stop might have been more fun, though.
Wade got the scoring started with a long solo shot in the first and later added a second solo homer. It was his second career multi-homer game and got him to eight for the season. Wade had just three previous homers in the second half of the season.
Wade and Chapman became the first pair of three-four hitters to each hit a pair of homers in the same game for the Giants since 1993, when Barry Bonds and Matt Williams did it.
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