SAN FRANCISCO -- Before kicking off their 2025 home slate against the Mariners, the Giants played a highlight reel of the top moments from Oracle Park¡¯s 25-year history.
Barry Bonds¡¯ historic home run chase. J.T. Snow saving a 3-year-old Darren Baker. Matt Cain¡¯s perfect game. The three World Series title runs. Heliot Ramos recording the first ever right-handed Splash Hit.
Willy Adames ensured they could add another memorable game to the list on Friday.
Adames delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Giants to a dramatic 10-9 win over the Mariners, ending a wild back-and-forth affair that featured seven lead changes and lasted four hours and three minutes, marking San Francisco¡¯s longest game since the pitch clock was instituted in 2023.
The Giants trailed, 9-8, after the Mariners went ahead on a wild pitch by Spencer Bivens in the top of the 11th, but they countered with one final rally in the bottom half of the inning.
Luis Matos opened the frame at second base as the automatic runner and advanced to third on a groundout by Sam Huff. Tyler Fitzgerald then walked and stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. After LaMonte Wade Jr. was called out on strikes to make it two outs, Adames finally ended the game by lining a first-pitch cutter from Carlos Vargas to right field for his sixth career walk-off hit.
It was the 12th walk-off win in a Giants¡¯ home opener since 1958, helping the club improve to 6-1 to start the season.
¡°It was amazing,¡± Adames said. ¡°Obviously, it was a great game. We were battling until the end. We were resilient until the end. That¡¯s a good sign when a team shows that. We were just punching back every time. I love that. Thank God we came out on top and got the win. Hopefully we can continue to roll tomorrow.¡±
Adames¡¯ late heroics made up for some earlier missed opportunities by the Giants, who squandered a prime scoring opportunity in the bottom of the ninth.
Bailey led off the inning with a double off the top of the right-field wall and was quickly replaced by pinch-runner Christian Koss, who advanced to third on a wild pitch by Gregory Santos. Still, the Giants couldn¡¯t cash in. Fitzgerald lifted a fly ball to right field that was too shallow to score Koss. LaMonte Wade Jr. -- who finished 3-for-6 with two RBIs -- then reached on an intentional walk to bring up the heart of the order, but Adames popped up and Jung Hoo Lee grounded out to preserve the 8-8 tie and force extra innings.
¡°A lot of twists and turns,¡± manager Bob Melvin said. ¡°We did a lot of good things right. We obviously didn¡¯t do some things right. It kind of went both ways. But for an Opening Day like that, with a packed house, nobody left for one second. It seemed like there was drama every single inning. At least we put on a good show.¡±
Justin Verlander, who returned to pitch at Oracle Park for the first time since Game 1 of the 2012 World Series, endured a short start in his home debut, giving up three runs on five hits over 2 1/3 innings.
The 42-year-old right-hander surrendered a solo home run to Julio Rodr¨ªguez in the first inning and then couldn¡¯t get out of the third after the Mariners forced him to throw 35 pitches in the frame.
Cal Raleigh expedited Verlander¡¯s exit by working a 13-pitch walk that loaded the bases with one out for Randy Arozarena, who drew another free pass to force in a run. Jorge Polanco followed with a game-tying single to center field, bringing Verlander¡¯s day to an end.
The other new guy -- Adames -- enjoyed a more eventful afternoon on both sides of the ball. The Giants¡¯ $182 million man made an impressive leaping grab to rob Rodr¨ªguez in the fifth, but the Mariners¡¯ star outfielder got the better of him in his next at-bat, smoking a 111.1 mph single that deflected off Adames¡¯ glove and put runners on first and second with one out in the sixth.
¡°Man, they tried to kill me today,¡± said Adames, who also couldn¡¯t handle a pair of hard-hit grounders in the seventh. ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s a friendly competition, and that¡¯s what you want when you¡¯re playing against a good team and good players.¡±
The Giants entered Friday as the only team without an error this season, but they lost that distinction after Fitzgerald missed Raleigh¡¯s subsequent bouncer up the middle, opening the door for the Mariners to score three unearned runs against Camilo Doval. Still, San Francisco ultimately found a way to outhit its mistakes, answering back with another pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 8.
¡°Good teams find different ways to win ballgames,¡± Verlander said. ¡°Like I said in spring, this team has something special. I think we were kind of overlooked. It¡¯s early, but I think you can see that this team is pretty good.¡±