Giants’ Shaun Anderson shows off his bat and his arm
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SAN FRANCISCO — Through nearly three seasons in the minor leagues, Shaun Anderson compiled a career batting average of .114.
His current Major League average: 1.000.
Making his big league debut, the Giants’ top pitching prospect hardly disappointed, as the Giants rallied to defeat Toronto 4-3 at Oracle Park on Wednesday. The 24-year-old notched five innings, allowing three runs (two earned), two hits and three walks while striking out five.
Anderson matched with two hits of his own though, with his first coming when he crushed a double off the bricks in Triples Alley in his first career at-bat.
An RBI-double from Freddy Galvis marred Anderson’s first inning, who began his career by issuing a leadoff single to Brandon Drury. Anderson promptly walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. the next at-bat, but punched out Rowdy Tellez for his first career strikeout.
After inducing a fly out from Randal Grichuk, Anderson nearly escaped unscathed. But Galvis had other plans, roping a double into the gap to score Drury and put Toronto up early, 1-0, and extending the Giants rotation’s first-inning woes for another game. San Francisco pitchers have allowed a first-inning run in 10 of their last 11 games.
However, Anderson settled down solidly after the first while pitching around three errors. He sandwiched a run-scoring wild pitch in the third between two 1-2-3 innings, before Guerrero’s RBI groundout in the fifth tagged him for his third run. Anderson finished with 96 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Despite the three runs, Anderson was ultimately saddled with the no-decision, thanks in part to his battery mate. After hot-hitting Pablo Sandoval tied the game in the bottom of the first with his tenth double of the year, Aramis Garcia responded with his first big fly of the season in the second — a two-run shot off Toronto starter Edwin Jackson — that carried just over the left field fence to put the Giants up 3-1.
Brandon Crawford would go home the hero though, via his go-ahead solo shot in the bottom of the sixth. Crawford hasn’t had the most ideal start to the year — the two-time All Star entered Wednesday’s game batting just .207 — but the swing he put on Ryan Tepera’s 1-0 sinker was reminiscent to years past.
His second homer of the year broke a 3-3 tie, and thanks to four scoreless innings from the bullpen — including Will Smith striking out the side in the ninth — the Giants were able to hold on for the win.