SAN FRANCISCO -- Carlos Rodón has been through enough big moments in his MLB career that it wasn't difficult for him to predict how Ford Proctor, a teammate he has known for less than a week, might have reacted when he hit a grand slam to pick up his first big league homer in the Giants' 6-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday night at Oracle Park.
Rodón called it an awesome moment for the Giants and guessed that Proctor blacked out as he sprinted the bases. A few minutes later, Proctor, standing in front of his locker with the grin still plastered to his face, confirmed those suspicions.
"I honestly don't remember rounding the baes," Proctor said. "It was the fastest I've ever run around the bases, I know that."
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Proctor made it home-to-home in 19.2 seconds, easily setting a new mark for fastest home run jog by a Giant this season. The enthusiasm was warranted.
The 25-year-old is hoping to make a good impression during this two-week audition at the end of a lost -- likely, but we'll get to that later -- season for the Giants, and he certainly won some new fans Thursday. Proctor's slam gave Rodón a five-run lead and just about clinched the lefty's 14th win given how sharp he was on the mound, and it provided nearly all of the punch in a victory over the Rockies that was the ninth in 10 games for the Giants.
Proctor called it one of the best moments of his life, and they're piling up quickly. He made his big league debut on Saturday and picked up his first hit Sunday. On Thursday, he went the opposite way to join teammate Brandon Crawford and 14 other Giants who have hit a slam for their first big league homer.
"I always try to think the other way, just (because) a lot of my mistakes are a lot of times to the pull side, so just thinking the other way is something I've always done," Proctor said. "That's kind of where I'm comfortable hitting the ball, the other way. The pitch was -- I honestly don't remember where the pitch was -- but I was just trying to stay that way and I'm happy that it worked out."
San Francisco Giants
Rodón did the rest for the Giants, striking out 10 in six strong innings of what may have been his final home start in orange and black. The Rockies scored four runs in the ninth to chop into a six-run deficit, but Camilo Doval entered and recorded the final out for his 27th save.
With the win, the Giants got back to .500 for the first time since August 23, and they also stayed alive in the NL Wild Card race.
Earlier in the day, the Philadelphia Phillies lost for a fifth straight time. A few minutes before Proctor's slam, the Milwaukee Brewers gave one up in the seventh inning to fall to the Miami Marlins. The elimination number for the Giants has been stuck on two all week, putting them in a surprising spot.
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Proctor is here, like many others, because the staff long ago turned September into an extended ramp to 2023. But the newcomers have played well, so well over the last 10 days that they are now getting more high-leverage opportunities than they anticipated. Proctor, the 65th Giant to appear in a game this season, was the latest to take advantage.
"I'm really excited for the opportunity," he said. "I'm just trying to have fun and enjoy being up here."