Scooter Gennett re-introduced himself to his new teammates in a big way Saturday night.
The Giants infielder crushed a two-run, 413-foot home run in San Francisco's 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Gennett's homer wasn't his first hit in orange and black -- he doubled Friday night -- but it was his first dinger since Sept. 20, 2018.
In a postgame interview with Giants broadcasters Duane Kuiper and Javier Lopez, Gennett was well-aware of how much time had passed.
"Yeah, it was a good time for the first," Gennett said. "It's been, like, 10 months since I hit a home run, so it was nice to have a runner on base when I did it."
Gennett swung at the first pitch he saw Saturday, and Jon Gray's 95 mph off-plate subsequently ended up in the right-field bleachers. Although Gennett entered the day 6-for-10 against Gray, he joked with Kuiper and Lopez that he had a different strategy in mind going against the Rockies starter.
"Sometimes I hit better on the pitches that aren't in the strike zone," Gennett quipped. It's kind of weird."
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While Gennett's home run gave the Giants breathing room, it wasn't enough for them to uphold. The Rockies scored five unanswered runs and led 5-4 entering the top of the eighth inning.
Buster Posey, pinch-hitting for reliever Sam Coonrod, stepped up to the plate with two men on base. The Giants catcher fell behind 0-2, but worked the count 2-2 and fouled off Carlos Estévez' 92 mph slider. On the very next pitch, Posey doubled to right and gave the Giants the lead for good.
The game-winning hit from Buster Posey 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/WP5EaUizUd— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 4, 2019
Gennett said he long admired the Giants' resilience from afar, and he got a taste of it in his second game with the team.
"I've always respected the way they go about their business, and it's one of my things," Gennett told Kuiper and Lopez. "Just play the game hard, play it the right way and everything else seems to work out."
The 29-year-old Gennett, who was an All-Star for the first time in 2018, played just 21 games with the Cincinnati Reds before his trade to San Francisco after missing much of the season with a severely strained right groin. He made his season debut on June 28, and seems to still be working his way back in the field and at the plate.
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Gennett did not get another hit after his first-inning home run, and is just 2-for-9 through his first two games with the Giants. The Rockies also took the lead on his fifth-inning throwing error. The Giants might not need him to rediscover his All-Star form, but an improved Gennett would be a big boost as the team chases the second NL wild-card spot.
"Man, it feels great." Gennett said of being in a playoff race. "That's what it's all about, and this team -- they play the game the right way. Obviously, it's my second day here and I'm getting to know the guys more and it seems like everybody's rooting for each other, and that's what I'm used to. It's refreshing to see."
