The Giants called up a puppy and all but crowned him the third baseman of the future, and Scott McClain's reaction was priceless.
One swing said it all.
McClain smashed a ball halfway up the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer that proved the difference in Saturday night's 7-6 victory over the Pirates. Nate Schierholtz hit his first big-league homer, and Pablo Sandoval added a key pinch single, but McClain was the star among "the kids," as manager Bruce Bochy called them, even though McClain is a 36-year-old rookie.
McClain's homer came hours after the Giants made an unprecedented move - at least for them - by promoting Conor Gillaspie, a 21-year-old third baseman, three months after he was drafted. Third base is where McClain was playing at Triple-A Fresno, though he was at first Saturday.
McClain knows the drill. He knows the Giants are going young and any hint of a commitment to a minor-league journeyman is not the right message to a fan base that long ago tired of lineups of late 30-somethings.
Still, McClain wants to be part of the future, and who could blame him? After countless bus rides throughout all levels of the minors since 1990, minus a four-year stint in Japan, he realizes life in the bigs isn't half bad.
"Being 36, who knows how far my future goes in this game," McClain said. "To contribute like this in a big game, and doing it in San Francisco, it's icing on the cake. Whatever happens from here forward, I'll take it in stride."
The 6-foot-4, 231-pounder led the organization in homers and RBIs this year, and his homer in Denver on Wednesday was one of the most heartwarming stories of the Giants' season, considering it was his first in the majors after hitting 362 in the minors and Japan.
So along comes Gillaspie, and McClain responded to his presence in don't-forget-me fashion, with a game-winning homer. Wednesday's simply piled on in a 9-2 rout of the Rockies. Saturday's was the difference-maker, a no-doubter on the first pitch he saw from lefty reliever John Grabow.
"It felt better than the first one," McClain said. "I was pretty happy about it."
It capped a five-run rally in the seventh inning and gave the Giants a 6-4 edge. The Pirates made it 6-5 in the eighth - Andy LaRoche doubled with one out off Tyler Walker and scored on Doug Mientkiewicz's single off Brian Wilson, who went on to earn his first five-out save of the season.
Schierholtz, fresh off the Olympic team, made it 7-5 with his homer over the brick wall in right. Wilson gave up a run in the ninth on two singles and Ryan Doumit's sacrifice fly, but he struck out Adam LaRoche and retired Brandon Moss on a grounder.
Schierholtz went homerless in 112 at-bats with the Giants last year. It took him 19 more at-bats this year to go deep, and his Danville-based family retrieved the ball (thanks to some negotiating) so the outfielder could store it next to his bronze medal.
"I'm a little more relaxed this year, and that's a big difference," said Schierholtz, who's 9-for-19 in four starts.
McClain is 5-for-10 with five RBIs.
"With the job he's doing, he's making some noise," said Bochy, who added, "I certainly hope so," when asked if McClain has a chance to join the Giants in spring training next year.
"It's awesome what he's doing," said starting pitcher Matt Cain, who gave up four runs and 10 hits in 62/3 innings. "He's got a long history in the minor leagues. We're as excited for him as he is for himself."
Long before McClain and Schierholtz homered, Rich Aurilia hit one himself, his 10th, to snap a 23-inning scoreless streak against the Pirates in San Francisco. The Giants had lost seven straight home games to the Pirates.
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