WATCH: Joc Pederson Silences Hecklers With Go-Ahead Home Run
Apr 26, 2022, 9:07 AM | Updated: 9:07 am
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Joc Pederson’s red-hot start to the 2022 season continued in dramatic fashion during Monday afternoon’s 4-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Trailing 1-0 with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, the San Francisco Giants were four outs away from seeing its three-game winning streak come to an end.
Pederson stepped to the plate following Curt Casali’s two-out double, acting as the go-ahead run as a fan in the stands started screaming at the 30-year-old outfielder.
Before stepping into the box for his at-bat, Pederson turned and glanced at the heckler before digging in against Milwaukee right-hander Trevor Gott. On a 1-0 count, the Palo Alto native turned on a 94 mph sinker and drove the ball over the right-center field wall.
Pederson’s 435-foot blast gave the Giants a 2-1 lead and himself a share of the Major League lead in home runs with his sixth long-ball of the season.
As soon as the ball left Pederson’s bat, he quickly turned to the stands and looked at the hecklers while pounding his chest before rounding the bases.
“I heard them talking and I stepped out and then I heard them talking again. A lot of chitter-chatter,” Pederson said postgame. “It’s nice to help the team and do what you can to win a ballgame. That’s what makes it fun, the interaction with the fans and adding a little pressure. I enjoyed it.”
Although the Brewers tied the game up at 2-2 in the bottom half of the eighth following a solo blast from shortstop Willy Adames, San Francisco pulled back out in front for good after rookie outfielder Luis GonzĂĄlez drilled his first-career homer–a two-run shot in the top of the ninth–to lead the Giants to their fourth-straight win.
Thanks to Pederson and GonzĂĄlez’s heroics, San Francisco entered play on Tuesday with a 12-5 record as they currently hold the third-best record in all of Major League Baseball.
Pederson’s success has been a key storyline over the opening weeks of play as the former Los Angeles Dodger leads the team in batting average (.362), on-base percentage (.392), slugging percentage (.787), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.179).
San Francisco will look to secure its fifth-straight win on Tuesday night when they open up the Bay Bridge series against the Bay Area rival Oakland A’s.
Sports 1140 KHTK will be carrying all of your Giants vs A’s coverage with pregame beginning at 5:45 pm PST prior to a 6:40 pm PST first pitch from Oracle Park.
