SAN FRANCISCO – Listed at 6-foot-2, 232 pounds and with a sprint speed among the MLB's 27th percentile, Darin Ruf isn't exactly a speedster. But there he was Friday, chugging 270 feet from first base in extra innings, with a victory on his mind.
The topsy-turvy Opening Day affair featured some late drama before Austin Slater hit a game-winning double down the left field line in the 10th inning to score Ruf. The Giants walked off with an exciting 6-5 comeback victory over the Miami Marlins to begin the season.
"When you're slow you have to at least look like you're running fast," Ruf said. "That's the goal."
Sure, it's Opening Day for the players. Don't forget about the coaches, too. Third-base coach Mark Hallberg was tested in his first day since taking over for Ron Wotus, who retired as the longest-tenured coach in franchise history.
Ruf saw the left fielder was shading toward center field during Slater's at-bat so he knew he had a chance to get waved around home. Once he saw Hallberg's arms-a-wavin, a simple thought passed through his mind, "Just don't fall. That's about it."
Earlier in the game, Ruf said he was already congratulating Hallberg for sending Joey Bart home safely in his first close call as coach.
"That was his first real close call he had to make. I think that calmed him down," Ruf said with a smile.
Slater is aware that Ruf isn't the fastest, but his confidence in his teammate never wavered.
"Never a doubt," Slater said. "He unhitched the trailer and he got there."
The Giants looked like they were on cruise control heading into the top of the ninth inning.
Opening Day starter Logan Webb hurled six strong innings before Dominic Leone, Tyler Rogers and Jake McGee kept the visiting Miami Marlins in check. Fireballing Camilo Doval, fresh off his breakout 2021 campaign, entered in the ninth inning with a 4-2 lead and a chance at his first save of the season.
Jazz Chisholm had other plans.
Just two outs away from defeat, the diminutive No. 9 hitter hit a go-ahead two-run shot in the top of the ninth to wipe away the good Opening Day vibes from Oracle Park.
It was hardly the debut Doval and the Giants envisioned, as the 24-year-old also gave up another RBI single Jacob Stallings earlier in the inning and his ERA sits at an ugly 27.00.
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After the game, Giants manager Gabe Kapler outlined his approach to using McGee in the eighth and Doval in the ninth.
"We felt like (Doval) was our closer last year in some of the biggest moments and the last game of the season, Game 5 of the NLDS and playing the Dodgers in the biggest moment," Kapler said. "He did nothing but continue that momentum in spring training. He threw a ton of strikes and earned the opportunity the ninth on Opening Day. Doesn't mean that's what we're gonna do going forward. Obviously, didn't name a closer prior to today's game and I'm not gonna name a closer for tomorrow's game either. We'll see what makes most sense for the Giants and act accordingly."
Kapler said Doval ran into problems with his pitch mixing Friday.
"He was throwing his slider for a strike, which is great," Kapler said. "I think he was a little slider-heavy. I think Chisholm was able to square one up because he saw several of them. That's just part of this. Some days that slider's going to be wipeout and some days it's gonna sit and spin and some guys are gonna get good rips on it. I think he had a chance to use his fastball more in that inning, but that's something we'll discuss."
Doval got bailed out by Thairo Estrada, though.
In his first career Opening Day as Tommy La Stella’s injury replacement, Estrada knotted up the game with a no-doubt solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to set the stage for Slater’s game-winnner.
"Exciting Opening Day," Slater said. "Maybe a little more baseball than we hoped to play there. As long as came out on top, that's all that really matters."
