SAN FRANCISCO -- One day after receiving a spark from Daniel Johnson, the Giants got another big lift from fellow newcomer Dominic Smith.
In his second game as a Giant, Smith went 3-for-4 and delivered a go-ahead two-run double to help San Francisco edge San Diego, 3-2, and secure a split of this four-game series in Thursday afternoon’s finale at Oracle Park.
“These guys that we brought in have been impactful,” manager Bob Melvin said. “It’s pretty cool to see these guys come in and contribute right away. It makes them feel like part of the team that much quicker.”
The Giants trailed, 2-0, after Manny Machado launched a two-run shot off left-hander Robbie Ray in the top of the third, but they quickly erased the deficit by nicking Padres right-hander Dylan Cease for three runs in the bottom half of the inning.
The Giants loaded the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a single from Matt Chapman before Willy Adames put them on the board with a sacrifice fly to right field. Chapman then stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position for Smith, who knocked them both in with a Statcast-projected 376-foot drive to right-center field that sailed over the head of Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill and bounced over the wall for a ground-rule double.
Smith’s clutch hit was even more impressive considering he fell behind, 0-2, against Cease before coming back to win the nine-pitch at-bat by elevating a 3-2 slider, giving the Giants a one-run lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“Right there, I’m just trying to fight off enough pitches until I get something in the zone,” Smith said. “It was still a good pitch, down and away, but I was able to hit it in the air and out of the reach of Jackson out there. I’m just really trying to not do too much. I think it’s helped so far. This team, as soon as I came in, they welcomed me with open arms and make it fun to go out and compete.”
Smith also had a pair of singles, providing a much-needed boost at first base, where the Giants have received some of the worst production in the Majors this season. The lack of offense prompted the club to part ways with longtime first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr., who was designated for assignment on Wednesday, and bring in Smith on a one-year Major League deal.
Smith, 29, opened the season at the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, where he batted .317 with a 1.011 OPS, seven home runs and 22 RBIs over 23 games in May before exercising his opt-out clause on Sunday. The Giants quickly scooped him up when he became a free agent, slotting him into their starting lineup at first base in each of their past two games.
“You look at the numbers, he had some power, too,” Melvin said. “We weren’t really looking for a power element. We’ve got some guys who can hit the ball out of the ballpark. We’re looking for more of that professional at-bat and not strike out, put a ball in play in a tough at-bat like that. That’s exactly what we got in a big situation.”
While Oracle Park isn’t exactly known as a friendly destination for hitters, Smith said he always enjoyed coming to San Francisco on road trips and appreciated the chance to finally soak in the energy from the home crowd this week.
“When I came in as a visiting player, it was always rowdy,” Smith said. “It was so hard to play as a big league player. To finally be a home player and have them cheering for me is so fun. It makes it tight for them, and we feed off of that. It was a great day, and we look forward to continuously playing good games.”
Smith’s first three hits as a Giant helped back another superb start from Ray, who improved to 8-1 after striking out nine over seven innings of two-run ball. The reigning National League Pitcher of the Month is tied for the Major League lead in wins and ranks third in the NL in both ERA (2.44) and innings pitched (77 1/3), which should put him in the running for his second career All-Star nod this year.
While Ray hung a curveball that Machado hit out for his 350th career homer, he dominated with his four-seam fastball, which he threw 69 percent of the time against the Padres. Eight of his season-high-matching nine strikeouts came on his electric heater, which Ray used to generate 12 of his 21 swinging strikes on Wednesday.
“Just another fantastic game from him that we needed big time,” Melvin said.