Anyone hoping the Giants move in the Oracle Park fences got some fuel for their rhetorical fire Wednesday.
On the same day San Francisco's home-run drought at home extended to four games, the New York Yankees set an MLB record by hitting their 49th home run of the season against the Baltimore Orioles -- the most in baseball history against a single opponent.
Forty-three of those came in 10 games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, giving the Yankees three more dingers than the Giants have ... in 53 games at Oracle Park. The Yankees surpassed the Giants' total Wednesday in a 14-2 rout of the Orioles.
Mind-boggling graphic on our broadcast pic.twitter.com/CDpgNoi7qN— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) August 8, 2019
Yes, there are some circumstances to consider.
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For one, the Orioles are on pace to lose over 100 games and the Yankees are really, really good at clubbing dingers. New York sits second in homers (198) despite sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, among others, missing time due to injury. For another, Camden Yards is hitter-friendly. Its outfield is closer to home plate than Oracle Park's, save for down the right-field line.
A really good power-hitting team dominating a bad team in their division -- or, a team they know as well as any other opponent -- reads like a recipe for some gaudy home-run totals. This might be less of a "Move The Fences In" argument as it is one for the Giants to bring in more power.
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It's not like Giants opponents have had too much trouble hitting homers at Oracle this season. San Francisco has allowed 67 home runs in its home ballpark, or nearly 30 more than hitters wearing orange and black have hit.
Still, the Giants have only averaged more than home-run per home four times in the history of Oracle Park, and each season -- 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004 -- occurred when Barry Bonds was patrolling left field. The Giants' front office probably didn't need to see the Yankees' record to consider the merits of moving in the fences, but it's yet another example of San Francisco's struggle hitting homers at home.
