White Sox get pounded by homer-happy Giants
CHICAGO (AP) — J.D. Davis hit a grand slam in the ninth off mop-up reliever Hanser Alberto for his third hit, Michael Conforto cracked a three-run homer among three hits and the San Francisco Giants powered past the Chicago White Sox 16-6 on Thursday.
Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores each launched a two-run shot in San Francisco's five-homer, 20-hit attack. Rookie catcher Blake Sabol hit the first home run of his career and added two singles to give him four hits in his first six games.
Hanser, who started at third base, served up Davis' second career grand slam after giving up two singles and a walk. Davis finished with five RBIs and Joc Pederson drove in two runs as San Francisco finished a season-opening road trip at 3-3.
Tim Anderson had two RBIs for Chicago.
Guaranteed Rate Field is considered a longball-friendly park in warm weather, but the Giants teed off despite a 46-degree game-time temperature.
"I think even when it's cold, it can still play hitter-friendly," San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said. "These guys have power and can hit the ball in the air and this is the type of stadium that's going to reward them for taking good swings."
The Giants launched 13 home runs in the three-game series on Chicago's South Side, starting with seven in a 12-3 win on Monday. That tied a team record for a three-game series, set in 1961 against the Milwaukee Braves.
The Giants have 15 homers overall, the most in franchise history through their first six games since the team started keeping records in 1901.
Conforto, Yastrzemski and Davis each hit their second homer of the season and series on Thursday. Conforto, a former New York Met, signed with San Francisco in the offseason after missing 2022 recovering from right shoulder surgery.
The power surge is no surprise to him
"I think it's all the guys taking great at-bats and good swings out there, over and over and over again, and the offense kind of finally broke out," Conforto said. "We started the two games (in Chicago) that we put up a lot of runs and hit a lot of homers by not chasing, being really stingy with our approach in the zone and kind of forcing the pitcher to get into the heart of the plate.
"And we were ready when they did."
Jakob Junis (2-0) threw four innings of scoreless, two-hit relief for the win.
Giants starter Alex Wood allowed three runs, two unearned, on six hits in his season debut. The side-arming left-hander was replaced by Junis after allowing consecutive singles to start the fourth and reaching 71 pitches.
The Giants roughed up Chicago starter Lance Lynn (0-1) for eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.
"It was a long one," White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "Obviously, Lance wasn't at his best today. He left a couple of pitches up early."
Conforto launched a three-run shot deep to right in the first. Sabol made it 4-0 in the second on a drive to right center.
Anderson's singled in two runs the bottom of the second to cut it to 4-2.
Pederson's bases-loaded single in the fourth upped the Giants lead to 6-2. Yastrzemski went deep to right in the fifth to chase Lynn.
Flores' first homer of the season, off Jose Ruiz in the sixth, made it 10-3.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: SS Brandon Crawford got the day off with left forearm tightness. Thairo Estrada started in his place. … Kapler said "it's a longshot"" that OF Mitch Haniger (left oblique strain) would return by the end of the Giants upcoming opening six-game homestand. The Bay Area native signed with the Giants as a free agent in December.
White Sox: Slugger Eloy Jiménez, on the 10-day injured list (strained left hamstring), ran and played catch before Thursday's game. He was hurt running from first to third on Monday. The team originally said Jiménez would miss two to three weeks, but on Thursday Jiménez said "I feel very normal today" and that he could pinch-hit or play if he weren't on the IL. … 3B Yoán Moncada, who has hit safely in each of Chicago's first six games (11-for-25, .440) got the day off.
UP NEXT
Giants: RHP Alex Cobb (0-0, 2.45) faces Kansas City RHP Brad Keller (0-1, 3.86) in San Francisco on Friday in the Giants home opener.
White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 3.60) starts against Pittsburgh's Rich Hill (0-1, 5.40) on Friday in the Pirates home opener.
