It is a good thing that the SF Giants pulled out a win against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday morning. The discussion would have been very different had Joey Bart’s grand slam been the difference in the game.
SF Giants survive Joey Bart revenge game with late comeback against Pirates
Of course, Bart began the season with the Giants. He was out of options but the Giants decided to carry a third catcher without a clear role. That was only for a few days as Bart was designated for assignment in the first week of the season.
The front office had hoped that they would sneak him through waivers. However, that did not happen as he was shipped to the Pirates in exchange for pitching prospect Austin Strickland.
This turned out to be a very nice move for the Pirates and a good landing spot for the former second overall pick. Bart was competing with another top pick, Henry Davis, for playing time at backstop but Davis has since been optioned to Triple-A. They have another veteran in Yasmani Grandal on the roster. Though, Bart should see considerable playing time with the Pirates.
In the early going, the results have been promising. He is slashing .267/.362/.517 (149 wRC+) with four home runs, 12 RBI, and seven runs in 69 plate appearances. This includes a key grand slam against the Giants on Thursday:
Bart Dart: Grand Slam Edition pic.twitter.com/SbXcHVeyWA
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 23, 2024
It is easy to say that the Giants made a mistake in letting him go. That said, he had several seasons to prove he could stick in the majors and he just ran out of time with San Francisco.
Things were not looking good for the Giants after this swing of the bat. However, this young Giants lineup has some fight in them even when they are down. Heliot Ramos scratched one run across the board with a solo shot to left field in the seventh inning.
The Giants completed their comeback in the eighth inning with a five-run effort thanks to a three-run blast by Matt Chapman and an RBI single by Brett Wisely to give the Giants the lead. By the way, Chapman is heating up and helping the Giants on both sides of the ball.
The Giants held on to the lead and clinched the series victory. It was not a pretty series win by any means, and at one point, it looked like the narrative was going to be about Bart. It still is, but it is easier to digest given that San Francisco came out with the win.
