MILWAUKEE -- Willy Adames’ return to American Family Field on Friday started out, predictably, as a lovefest.
During pregame introductions, the Brewers honored their former shortstop with a stirring video tribute that featured highlights from Adames’ time in Milwaukee, where he played from 2021-24 before leaving to sign a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants this past offseason.
Adames -- who donned a yellow sleeve on his right arm in a nod to the Brew Crew -- received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd, doffing his cap and crossing his arms across his chest to feign an embrace of the fans.
Adames drew more applause when he came up to take his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, stepping out of the box to tip his helmet and soak in the love. But those cheers quickly turned to jeers when he hammered a first-pitch fastball from lefty Jose Quintana out to left field, collecting the first of his two solo home runs in the Giants’ 5-4 walk-off loss to the MLB-best Brewers.
The 29-year-old shortstop’s power display ended up turning the crowd against him, as he was booed after giving the Giants a quick 1-0 lead with his Statcast-projected 419-foot drive in the first inning. He wore out his warm welcome even further by homering again off reliever Aaron Ashby in the eighth, cutting the Brewers’ lead to 4-3.
It was the 10th multihomer performance of Adames’ career.
“They changed their minds really quick,” Adames said. “It was cool to see that. Obviously, I know that they didn’t mean those boos. But it felt really good to see that they have that much love for me. They know that I have the same love back. It was really, really special to see it and feel it. I kind of just embraced everything and soaked it all in. It was really cool.”
Luis Matos, who launched a solo homer off Quintana in the second, helped spark a late rally in the top of the ninth, when he reached on a two-out double against Brewers closer Trevor Megill. Pinch-hitter Dominic Smith followed with a grounder that deflected off Megill and rolled to the left side for an infield single, allowing Matos to advance to third.
Matos subsequently scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 4, but William Contreras countered with the knockout blow in the bottom of the ninth. He drove a hanging slider from Randy Rodríguez out to left-center field for his first career walk-off homer, handing the Giants their fourth consecutive loss and their 11th in their last 13 games.
“That’s just another day,” Adames said. “It feels like the same way that it’s been going for us. I feel like we played better baseball today. Contreras had a really good pitch there, and he took advantage of it.”
Adames endured a slow start to his Giants tenure, but he now leads the club with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs and ranks fourth with a .722 OPS over 127 games this year. His former Brewers teammates certainly weren’t surprised to see him deliver more game-changing production as part of his emotional homecoming on Friday.
“I think everybody knows the hitter that Willy is and his ability to do that,” Contreras said. “I'm just happy that I was able to get that one in the end. I think it's something that's written in baseball there -- he comes to play his old team and hits two homers in the first game. That's how baseball goes."
The Brewers have surged to the top of the standings even after losing Adames to the Giants, but it’s clear that the popular infielder is still missed deeply in Milwaukee.
“There was a special vibe in the air, for sure,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “Willy was spectacular. We saw that Willy Adames -- he was trying to break our heart tonight. We were talking today about how we lost a lot last year, nothing more than Bob Uecker and what he meant to our organization and our players. But we also lost some really good players, none bigger than Willy Adames.
“What he meant on the field -- playing a critical position so well, hitting the 30 homers like he does. But what he meant to our culture and how he represented how we play the game and how we compete and how we treat others and how we mold the locker room no matter where you’re from, no matter if you’re old or young, Willy did all of that. He did a wonderful job.
“So it was special. But he started to tick me off a little bit with the second homer.”