What we learned as Giants' homer frenzy continues in series win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
CHICAGO -- There are a million different ways to go 3-3 on a road trip. This might have been one of the weirdest.
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For the third time in a week, the Giants followed a disappointing offensive performance with an impressive one, hitting five more homers to secure a 16-6 win over the Chicago White Sox and a series victory at Guaranteed Rate Field.
After getting shut out twice in New York, the Giants took the first game in Chicago by hitting seven homers. They struggled on Wednesday against Dylan Cease, only to show up Thursday and crush Lance Lynn and an iffy White Sox bullpen.
The Giants hit double-digit homers in a series for just the eighth time since 1958, and they didn't stop at 10. Their 13 homers matched their franchise record for the most in a three-game series.
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The game was so lopsided that it ended up with position players on the mound for both sides. Here are three more things to know:
Blake By The Lake
Through his first five big league starts, Blake Sabol's only hit was a bunt single. In the second inning, he made sure he'd go home with a bit more momentum in his bid to stick on the roster as a Rule 5 pick.
Sabol jumped on a hanging cutter from Lance Lynn and sent his first big league homer over the center field wall at 108.5 mph. The homer went an estimated 434 feet, making it the longest of the season for the Giants, who have hit some no-doubters on this trip. He later added a pair of singles.
Sabol started behind the plate for the second time and fared well. His most glaring mistake was a back-pick to first that sailed into right field. With Joey Bart still on the IL, Sabol is likely to get another start behind the plate this weekend against the Kansas City Royals.
Day Game Dingers
The Giants took the lead in the first when Michael Conforto hit a three-run shot into the seats in right. After Sabol's homer, Mike Yastrzemski padded the lead with a two-run shot down the line, his second of the trip. Wilmer Flores hit a two-run shot in the sixth to get the scoring into double-digits for the second time in three days.
For the second time this series, White Sox infielder Hanser Alberto took the mound in the ninth. He loaded the bases and J.D. Davis unloaded them with his second career slam, the fifth homer of the day for the Giants.
This is, apparently, who these Giants are. Farhan Zaidi said in the spring that he thought the lineup would be closer to the 2021 version that led the NL in homers, and the Giants have an MLB-leading 15 through six games. Their previous franchise record for the first six games was 11, done four times, most recently in 2021.
Not For Long
Alex Wood got plenty of run support in his season debut but wasn't able to stick around long enough to qualify for the win. Wood was pulled after giving up back-to-back singles to open the fourth, with one of the runners coming around to score after Jakob Junis took over.
Wood gave up three runs, but just one was earned because Thairo Estrada booted a grounder in the second inning. He allowed six hits and walked two.
Other than Anthony DeSclafani, nobody on the starting staff will fly home happy. The rotation had a 4.40 ERA on the trip, with just two of the six starts lasting longer than five innings.
