Even as the Giants face an uphill battle in the NL wild-card race, ace Carlos Rodón couldn't help but notice how committed the fans remain.
"We lost seven straight before we swept the Phillies here. It's nice to still have fans in the stands," Rodón said to reporters after the Giants' 5-3 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday at Oracle Park.
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"We have very faithful fans."
Rodón, who has the ability to opt-out of his contract with the Giants after the season ends, took his praises for Giants fans further, calling them the "best fans" in MLB.
"Selling out when we're down, what, eight games now? It was fun. I'm grateful for them," Rodón continued.
In front of a packed crowd, Rodón weaved in and out of trouble, amassing his first season with 200-plus strikeouts and more importantly, helping close the gap between them and the Phillies.
San Francisco Giants
Currently, the Giants are eight games out of the final wild-card spot, and with 30 games remaining, they have to play near-perfect baseball to make it back to the playoffs.
With opt-out looming this winter, Rodón has some choices to make regarding his future soon. However, Rodón is focused on seeing what the Giants can do in the waning stages of the regular season at Oracle Park and won't speak on his decision at present.
"You definitely want to play in front of a full stadium," Rodón said. "Fans that care. As you know, Giants fans do. That’s a decision for later on. Like I said, there’s 30 games left or so. We have to finish off those 30 games and see what we can do."
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Although no one can foresee the future, one thing is certain: Playing in front of a packed crowd and feeding off their energy is definitely helpful to a team chasing a playoff spot.
That's something Rodón can attest to, especially following his outing on Sunday afternoon.