‘Contagious' Giants comebacks begin to define team's identity (2024)

Just when it appeared the Giants' late-inning heroics had run its course, LaMonte Wade Jr. delivered a blunt reminder that the magic brewing in San Francisco's clubhouse isn't going away any time soon.

Wade's RBI knock in the top of the ninth opened the door for another improbable Giants victory -- their fourth in a row after trailing entering the eighth inning in each game.

Mike Yastrzemski's bases-clearing triple in the top of the 10th put the final exclamation mark on San Francisco's 7-2 win over the New York Mets on Saturday, sending a large portion of the home fans remaining in the stands at Citi Field headed to the exits as the Giants yet again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Following Saturday's win, manager Bob Melvin explained the emphasis San Francisco places on fighting until the final out is recorded, acknowledging the down-to-the-wire nature that has defined the Giants' current road trip.

"We talk about it every day; it's the 27th out," Melvin told reporters. "Until then, every at-bat means as much in the first as it does in the ninth, and we seem to have a little flair for the dramatic here recently."

San Francisco's skipper lauded the importance of Wade's game-tying hit in the ninth inning, detailing the confidence that permeated throughout the dugout on the heels of this week's string of comeback wins.

"Well, you know a big hit can ignite you, and Wade comes off the bench -- who wasn't even going to play today, except to hit -- and gets another huge hit like he tends to do," Melvin explained."After that, once we tied the game we had a really good feeling that we were going to win the game based on what has transpired the last few days."

One late-inning rally is cause for celebration. Two back to back might be a coincidence. But four games in a row? Now that's a pattern, and one that didn't surprise Melvin given the mindset his team has adopted when trailing in late-inning situations.

"Very contagious," Melvin said regarding San Francisco's come-from-behind success. "We've come back [from] bigger numbers than one, so all it takes is one big hit to get a run. But it is, the talk in the dugout late in games is, 'Here we go again.' "

Jordan Hicks has been dynamite for the Giants since signing a four-year contract with San Francisco in the offseason, delivering another dazzling performance on the mound in Saturday's win. Hicks only allowed one run in five innings of work against the Mets, and despite not getting a decision, still remained upbeat -- beaming with pride while detailing the never-say-die identity the Giants have cultivated.

"For me, at least, I feel like I never lost hope. I feel like the belief is there," Hicks said. "You're only down one in this game, but like the previous ones, the first one you come back from is like, 'Ok, we just did that.' Then the second one. As you go it's like, 'All right, I guess we're just going to fight back every single time we're down.' Which is a good identity to have. Just a good feeling to be winning."

San Francisco's string of unforgettable comeback victories this week is the only time since 1901 where the Giants have won four consecutive games when trailing after seven innings in each contest, per Sportradar. No other MLB team has accomplished that feat since the Washington Nationals did it in 2006.

The Giants' four-game winning streak also is the first time since 1997 that San Francisco has recorded four consecutive comeback victories on the road.

With Saturday's win, the Giants now are above .500 for the first time since March 30 -- their third game of the 2024 MLB season -- placing San Francisco into the third NL wild-card spot, a half game in front of its division-rival San Diego Padres.

While there still is room for one final chapter to be written when the Giants close their six-game road trip against the Mets on Sunday, San Francisco's unwavering grit and resilience sparked an improbable week of baseball that will be looked back on fondly for generations to come, and perhaps, laid the foundation for a summer to remember.

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