With a collection of River Cats and Flying Squirrels, the San Francisco Giants and/or their subsidiaries lost yet another player to injury just four innings in Monday night.
The team already has set a franchise record for players used in a season, 70, after adding infielder Marcelo Mayer and outfielder Bo Davidson to the roster before facing the Twins at Oracle Park, then starter Blade Tidwell left with elbow discomfort. Somehow, with zero players remaining from the Opening Day lineup and with a taxed bullpen, the Giants still beat Minnesota 5-2.
Advertisement
Davidson helped immediately, concluding his nine-pitch first major-league at-bat with a first-inning single that sent Drew Gilbert to third. Davidson got a standing ovation as his family danced in the aisles. “It was pretty exciting to see that, my brother was going crazy,” Davidson said.
A non-drafted free agent, Davidson was blown away by the fans’ reaction, saying the most unexpected thing for him was “the crowd, the fans. I’ve never been in a big stadium that’s got a third deck, so like when they stood up and the crowd got into it – I love that.”
Davidson stole second, then Brett Harris, a waiver-wire pickup who’d previously played for the A’s and Red Sox this year, drove both men in with a two-out single. Davidson is the first Giants player to record a hit and a seal in his debut since Red Tramback in 1940.
“He looked like he belonged physically and presence-wise,” manager Tony Vitello said.
Advertisement
“I’ve known Bo for a while, going back to the Fall League in 2024,” Gilbert said “To see where he was then, the all-around talent that he was, and see how he’s started to put it together, it’s pretty cool. He’s a super confident kid, super talented and we’re excited to have him.”
San Francisco Giants center fielder Drew Gilbert (0) celebrates his home run against the Minnesota Twins in the 5th inning during an MLB game at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)
Gilbert was the man of the night on the offensive side. He smacked a two-run single in the second and belted a solo homer in the fifth.
Giants 5, Twins 2
|
Minnesota |
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
Avg. |
|
Totals |
31 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
|
|
Jenkins cf |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.212 |
|
Keaschall rf |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.276 |
|
Lee 3b |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
.253 |
|
Clemens 2b |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.236 |
|
Jeffers c |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
.252 |
|
Roden dh |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
.284 |
|
Sabato 1b |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
|
Rodriguez lf |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
.194 |
|
Kreidler ss |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.215 |
|
AB |
R |
H |
BI |
BB |
SO |
Avg. |
|
|
Totals |
33 |
5 |
10 |
5 |
0 |
13 |
|
|
Gilbert cf |
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
.237 |
|
Cox 2b |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
.280 |
|
Davidson rf |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.250 |
|
Mayer dh |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
.215 |
|
B.Harris 1b |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
.194 |
|
Cavanaugh c |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.228 |
|
a-Knizner ph-c |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.219 |
|
Basabe 3b |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.205 |
|
Whitcomb 3b |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.175 |
|
Bandura lf |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
.158 |
|
Hill lf |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
.239 |
|
Koss ss |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
.230 |
|
Minnesota |
000 |
100 |
010_2 |
4 |
0 |
|
San Francisco |
220 |
010 |
00x_5 |
10 |
0 |
a-singled for Cavanaugh in the 6th.
LOB: Minnesota 3, San Francisco 4. 2B: Koss (6), Cox (3). HR: Lee (24), off Tidwell; Rodriguez (2), off Foley; Gilbert (11), off Matthews. RBIs: Lee (82), Rodriguez (5), B.Harris 2 (2), Gilbert 3 (43). SB: Davidson (1).
Advertisement
Runners left in scoring position: Minnesota 0; San Francisco 1 (B.Harris). RISP: Minnesota 0 for 1; San Francisco 2 for 6.
Runners moved up: Davidson. GIDP: Sabato, Knizner.
DP: Minnesota 1 (Kreidler, Clemens, Sabato); San Francisco 1 (Koss, Cox, B.Harris).
|
Minnesota |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
NP |
ERA |
|
|
Matthews, L, 9-11 |
5 |
8 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
9 |
100 |
4.90 |
|
|
Rogers |
1 |
1-3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
25 |
4.47 |
|
Adams |
1 |
2-3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
20 |
4.74 |
|
San Francisco |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
NP |
ERA |
|
|
Tidwell |
3 |
1-3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
57 |
4.45 |
|
Beck, W, 1-0 |
2 |
2-3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
32 |
5.94 |
|
Hentges |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
20 |
3.41 |
|
|
Foley |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
4.50 |
|
|
T.Harris, S, 2-2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
16 |
2.14 |
WP_Hentges.
ABS Challenge: Roden (Strike-Confirmed); Bandura (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Keaschall (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Mayer (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Cavanaugh (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Rogers (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Harris (Ball-Confirmed).
Umpires: Home, Andy Fletcher; First, Steven Jaschinski; Second, Dillon Wilson; Third, Rob Drake.
Advertisement
T: 2:28. A: 27,466 (41,915).
On the pitching side, Tristan Beck gets the laurels. Called up Sunday from the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, he took over when Tidwell exited mid-batter and delivered 2⅔ scoreless innings, retiring all eight men he faced.
“He’s such an easy guy to cheer for, it’s great that he’s going to be able to finish with us,” Vitello said. “You make your own breaks is definitely a true statement, but sometimes there’s things out of your control, and he’s been up and down a lot. He’s been nothing but an absolute pro. … I’m just happy for him. He was great. That’s a tough spot to pitch.”
Tidwell, who’d been projected to be a likely member of the rotation next year, was coming off his first win with San Francisco after allowing two runs in 6⅔ innings at St. Louis. Monday, he’d allowed a pair of two-out singles over the first three innings before Brooks Lee hit a leadoff homer in the fourth. Tidwell is scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday.
Advertisement
“I didn’t think there was any reason to risk it at that point in the year,” said Tidwell, who called trainers out as soon as he felt some discomfort. He has not experienced anything similar before, he said.
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blade Tidwell (46) exits in the 4th inning during an MLB game against the Minnesota Twins at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (Santiago Mejia/S.F. Chronicle)
Top starter Logan Webb went on the injured list last week, Robbie Ray and Tyler Mahler were traded last month, Adrian Houser has a right forearm strain and Hayden Birdsong, Trevor McDonald and Carson Whisenhunt have all had Tommy John surgery this year. If Tidwell cannot go Sunday, the Giants would need another starter or to throw a bullpen game.
Joe Whitman, another player who started the season at Double-A Richmond (the Flying Squirrels), has fared well at Sacramento, with a 3.74 ERA there should the team decide to add yet another Squirrel-River Cat.
Advertisement
The Giants have the second-youngest roster in baseball, at 26.3 years. The oldest active players, reliever Joel Kuhnel and catcher Andrew Knizner, are 31. Davidson is the 17th Giants player to make his debut this season, an ongoing franchise record.
Subscribe
There’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.
This article originally published at Giants pick up victory over Twins, but Blade Tidwell’s exit may be cause for concern.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
