SAN FRANCISCO — Patrick Bailey remained calm, collected. His celebration was subtle yet suave, a drop of his bat with a flick of his wrist. The stoicism, though, could only last so long, fading with every base he touched. Once Bailey reached home, the official completion of a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, Bailey surrendered himself to the moment.
He heaved his helmet to the heavens. Rafael Devers tossed water in Bailey’s vicinity, and Heliot Ramos followed behind with yellow Powerade. Willy Adames, as is his wont, ripped off Bailey’s jersey, the two emphatically dapping hands and bumping chests.
And there were the fans, an announced attendance of 40,509 that orchestrated one of the loudest crowd pops of the season. This night was not just a celebration of a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. This night was an affirmation that the Giants, a team whose playoff ambitions appeared gone, are within reach of October baseball.
“I think it shows a lot of who we are as a team to go through what we went through,” Bailey said, “to have one of the roughest stretches in baseball and to be able to compete right now.”
“It’s a dream come true, honestly,” said outfielder Grant McCray. “It’s something that kids dream of. It’s intense. It’s fun. It’s energy all around. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. If we can keep this going until October and play every game like that, then I’m all here for it.”
The Giants’ standing as a contender with 15 games remaining is largely the product of their best run of the season, winning 14 of their last 19 games. It’s also been a product of the continued free fall of the New York Mets, who have lost seven games in a row and 11 of their last 15 games. Should the Giants maintain this brand of ball, October baseball is well within their grasp.
Justin Verlander went bar-for-bar with the Dodgers’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto as each starter turned in seven innings of one-run ball. McCray redeemed himself after being thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth by unfurling an outfield assist in extra innings. Joey Lucchesi, Ryan Walker and Joel Peguero combined for three scoreless innings of relief.
“It’s been extremes all year, and we’re riding this one right now,” said manager Bob Melvin. “It’s taken everybody to win these games.”
For Verlander, his latest quality start was possible due in part to a sacrifice from Dominic Smith, who sacrificed his body for an out.
With two on and two out in the top of the fourth, Andy Pages pulled a grounder into the six-hole. Third baseman Matt Chapman, who successfully appealed his one-game suspension, made a diving stop and fired to first. Smith stretched as far as his body would allow, inadvertently hitting the splits in the process. Pages was out; Smith was hurt.
As Smith collected himself, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tried to challenge the ruling. The call stood and the Giants maintained their 1-0 lead, but Smith’s night was over due to a right thigh injury. An MRI on Saturday will determine the severity of Smith’s ailment.
The Giants’ one-run lead would not hold. Former Giant Michael Conforto homered to center in the top of the seventh, and Los Angeles threatened for more.
Ben Rortvedt, the Dodgers’ No. 9 hitter, doubled with two outs, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position. With a base open, Melvin elected to intentionally walk one MVP in Shohei Ohtani to get to another MVP in Betts. Melvin had two relievers ready and warmed but stuck with Verlander.
On his 105th and final pitch of the night, Verlander reached back for 95.5 mph four-seam fastball. Betts, despite his recent hot streak, hit into an inning-ending fly out. As Verlander walked off the mound, he was greeted with a raucous standing ovation.
“It’s one of those games that had a bit of a playoff atmosphere to it from the beginning,” said Verlander, who reached his 20th year of service time. “It was one of those games where you never know who’s going to step up and make a great play.”
McCray saw his opportunity to make a play in the bottom of the ninth. Luis Matos, pinch-hitting for Drew Gilbert, reached base to start the inning when Betts made a throwing error. After Ramos struck out, Devers singled to right field and Matos advanced to third.
With Adames due up, Roberts went to right-hander Blake Treinen. An intentional walk of Adames brought up Wilmer Flores, who entered the game for Smith. On an 0-1 count, Flores sent a sweeper from Treinen to shallow center field.
McCray, who was pinch-running for Matos, challenged the right arm of Pages. Pages’ throw arrived with feet to spare. McCray was out, the inning was over.
“You gotta send him there,” Melvin said. “They have to make a perfect throw, and they did. The way that game went, runs were tough to come by. Their guy throws well in the outfield. Once it got to that spot with the bases loaded, we’re going to try to get our fastest runner in there.”
The next half-inning, McCray wanted to “just make a play.” A play, he made.
With runners on first and second, Betts skied a fly ball to McCray in right field. Rortvedt, the automatic runner, challenged McCray, who unfurled a dart for the double play. At 101.7 mph, it was the hardest-thrown outfield assist by a Giant in the Statcast era (since 2015).
“There’s plenty of plays that you could say were the plays of the game. I don’t know that there was a bigger play in the game than that,” Melvin said. “That’s a guy that’s been sitting around for quite some time. Didn’t even know he’d be in this game. The next thing you know, he’s got the ball and he’s got to make a perfect throw to third.”
An even bigger play loomed in the bottom of the frame.
With one out and a runner on third, Roberts summoned the left-handed Tanner Scott to face Jung Hoo Lee. An unintentional walk of Lee and an intentional walk of Casey Schmitt brought Bailey to the plate with the game on the line.
Scott tried to elevate a fastball. It wasn’t elevated high enough.
Bailey turned a 96.5 mph four-seamer from Scott into his third walk-off hit of the season; his third home run in the last four games; and his first homer as a right-hander since Aug. 23, 2023. In the process, Bailey became the first player in MLB history with a walk-off inside-the-park homer and walk-off grand slam in the same season.
“Both are definitely pretty cool,” Bailey said with a smile. “I’m definitely not as tired with this one.”
Originally Published: September 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM PDT