One night after he authored a little piece of franchise history, Bryce Eldridge will be shooting to help the San Francisco Giants keep their longshot playoff hopes alive when they seek to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday afternoon.
The organization's top prospect finally got into the hit column after beginning his big-league career 0-for-9, and did it in a big way Saturday night, slicing a bases-clearing double in the first inning of the Giants' 7-5 loss.
The three-run double was a first in Giants history as a player's first big-league hit. The youngster, at 20 years and 335 days, became the youngest Giants player since Jack Clark on Sept. 12, 1976, to post multiple RBIs in a game.
"I think I hit my best when there's people in scoring position. I was just confident in the moment," the first baseman told reporters after the game. "I'm just glad I got the job done. That's what we're here to do."
The Giants (76-79) four games behind the New York Mets (80-75) in the National League wild-card race with just seven games remaining, giving them just a 0.1 percent shot at making the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. Still, disappointed by the team's seventh loss in its past eight games, manager Bob Melvin took time to praise Eldridge.
"It's a big hit against a real good pitcher in a big moment," he said of the double against Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow that one-hopped the left-field fence. "His at-bats have been really good. It's nice to get that first hit out of the way, especially a big one like that."
Eldridge, who also drew a walk and went 1-for-3, figures to be in the lineup Sunday against Dodgers right-hander Emmet Sheehan (6-3, 3.17 ERA), who has pitched brilliantly in his past four starts. He has allowed just four runs and 11 hits in 24 1/3 innings and is 2-1 in the stretch.
Sheehan pitched 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the middle of a 2-1 win at San Francisco in July, getting the win. It left him with a 1-0 record and 1.20 ERA in three lifetime appearances, including two starts, against the Giants, with 15 strikeouts in 15 innings.
The Giants are hoping for a memorable first from another rookie when righty Trevor McDonald (0-0, 9.00) makes his first major-league start in the series finale.
He made his big-league debut out of the bullpen last September, throwing three shutout innings against the St. Louis Cardinals, but had been back in the minors this year before getting promoted last week. He allowed two runs in two innings in his season debut Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a 6-5 loss.
He has never faced the Dodgers (88-67), whose fourth consecutive win Saturday moved them within any combination of four wins and four losses by the San Diego Padres (84-71) over the final seven games from clinching the NL West title.
One batter McDonald won't see Sunday will be Dodgers star catcher Will Smith, who had a hairline fracture detected in his right hand in an MRI taken Saturday.
The 17-homer All-Star likely will miss the rest of the regular season, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Saturday's game that he's questionable after that.
"Optimistic that he's going to come back at some point," Roberts said. "Having him available for the postseason, we're still hopeful."
--Field Level Media
