In many good stories, the giants are both literal and metaphorical, and so it is with this one.
Joe Kelly, a frequent subject of boo’s and the possessor of a 7.59 ERA entering last night’s game, was dealing with both kinds of giants last night. There were the literal Giants—the baseball team based out of San Francisco—but there were also the metaphorical giants: doubt, wildness, a chorus of haters.
And after starting the outing with three straight balls, and ultimately a full count walk of Brandon Belt, Joe Kelly slew them all.
Tyler Austin (who you may remember as the man from the Yankees Joe Kelly plunked and then kind of beat up last April) hit Kelly’s fifth straight curveball weakly to third base, resulting in an out at second.
Buster Posey (who you may remember as one of the best catchers in the game) was dispatched by a 99 mph fastball, which froze him as it passed over the heart of the plate.
Evan Longoria (who you may remember as a really good hitter before he was moved into the park where hitters not on steroids go to die) managed a single on a groundball up the middle.
And then, with runners on first and third, two outs, and the Dodgers clinging to a nine-run lead, Kevin Pillar weakly hit the ball back to Kelly, who threw him out at first base to end the game.
Joe Kelly’s fielding percentage on the night? 1.000.
Joe Kelly’s accurate throws to first base? All of them.
Joe Kelly’s runs allowed? Not a one.
Joe Kelly’s giants slain? No literal deaths, but plenty of metaphorical ones.
It may well be that Joe Kelly Bobblehead Night was the turning point. This was only his first outing since, but the positivity of the results is undeniable.
And that ERA? Already down to a closer-to-respectable 7.25.
