What we learned as Flores' walk-off hit secures another Giants sweep

The San Francisco Giants maintained their position as one of the hottest teams in baseball, beating the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on Sunday at Oracle Park.

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Apr 6, 2025 - 17:27
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What we learned as Flores' walk-off hit secures another Giants sweep

What we learned as Flores' walk-off hit secures another Giants sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – That’s how to open up the first Giants homestand of the 2025 MLB season.

The Giants maintained their position as one of the hottest teams in baseball, beating the Seattle Mariners 5-4 on Sunday at Oracle Park to complete the series sweep and continue their best start to a season in more than 20 years.

Wilmer Flores was the hero this time, delivering a first-pitch pinch-hit single to drive in Luis Matos with the game-winning walk-off hit in the ninth inning.

Matos reached on a fielder’s choice then advanced to third when Mariners right fielder Victor Robles crashed into the net chasing down Patrick Bailey’s fly ball. Robles threw the ball back in but remained on the ground for several moments before being taken off the field via cart.

Umpires reviewed the play and Matos was sent back to second before Flores lined a sharp single to right for the game-winner.

Camilo Doval got the win despite surrendering the tying run in the top of the ninth.

Jung Hoo Lee had two hits and has reached safely in all eight games that he has played this season Mike Yastrzemski homered and drove in three runs.

The Giants are 8-1 for the first time since 2003.

Giants pitcher Jordan Hicks had mixed results in his second start of the season. The former reliever-turned-starter had five strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings but allowed six hits and three runs.

Here are the takeaways from Sunday’s game:

Funtastic Fourth

San Francisco’s offense broke out for four runs in the fourth, marking the second time in nine games that the Giants have put up four in one frame.

Three of the first four San Francisco batters in the inning had singles, and Yastrzemski capped the inning with a booming three-run blast into the left field stands that gave the Giants a 4-2 lead.

That is an obviously encouraging sign considering San Francisco has been held to four runs or fewer in three of their first eight games.

Gold Glove Style

For many years, the Giants didn’t have to give much thought to their defensive play at shortstop because they had four-time Gold Glove winner Brandon Crawford there to make all the plays.

Willy Adames is the newest player to try to fill the gap Crawford created when he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after the 2023 season. Adames hasn’t won a Gold Glove, but he made a tremendous play against the Mariners on Sunday.

Seattle’s No. 3 hitter Julio Rodriguez bounced a sharp grounder up the middle in the fifth inning that Adames chased down behind second base. In one motion, Adames did a 360-degree spin and fired the ball to first base to get the out.

Serving It Up

During his brief time with the Giants, Hicks has done a good job of keeping the ball in the yard before giving up a pair of solo home runs to the Mariners.

Seattle slugger Julio Rodriguez smashed a 2-1 sweeper from Hicks for a 423-foot home run in the first inning before Cal Raleigh added a 347-foot drive leading off the third.

It was the first time since June 11, 2024 that Hicks was tagged for two home runs. The 28-year-old right-hander didn’t give up a home run in his final 12 starts of 2024 or his first start this season.

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