BOSTON — During batting practice on Saturday afternoon, a member of the Giants organization made a light-hearted observation that was actually quite factual. This series, he pointed out, was as close as Giants players would get to experiencing a playoff atmosphere the rest of the way.
The Boston Red Sox are headed for the postseason, and while Fenway Park will turn it up several notches in October, it has been a raucous atmosphere through two night games in front of sellout crowds. This is the first time here for many on the Giants roster, and for two days, there has been a beeline to sign the inside of the Green Monster and take photos surrounded by history. Add it all together, and this really is the biggest atmosphere left on the schedule for a team that’s 25 games under .500
That means it’s also a great place to learn about players who hope to be part of something better in 2027, and on Saturday night, two young right-handers showed they might belong.
Blade Tidwell threw 5 2/3 shutout innings and struck out a career-high seven in his best start as a big leaguer. In the eighth, Dylan Smith buzzed through the heart of the order with challenge fastballs, leaving the bases loaded and holding — for a few minutes at least — the lead.
The Giants ultimately lost 3-2, because that’s what they do. Smith might actually be a Dude, but this bullpen is still woefully short and suffered an 11th walk-off loss, the most for the organization since 2009.
“A heartbreaking loss,” manager Tony Vitello said. “There’s no other way to put it.”
As Red Sox fans chanted “Yankees suck!” and spilled out onto the streets, Vitello’s players dressed in a quiet clubhouse. But over time, some might come to fully appreciate this night, especially Tidwell and Smith.
“If you can do that in this situation and in this setting with this atmosphere, you should be able to do it probably just about anywhere,” said veteran catcher Andrew Knizner, who recently opted out of a minor league deal with the Red Sox. “I mean, to do what they did against a great lineup, they did a really good job.”
Tidwell bounced back from a six-run outing last weekend and said the reason was simple. His back was bothering him the last time out, but on Saturday he felt good physically and struck out the side in the first. He scattered three singles, and two didn’t leave the infield. It was an important night for a player trying to win a rotation job next season, but also a memorable one.
“I haven’t been part of an atmosphere that loud probably since Omaha in college,” Tidwell said. “It was definitely memorable. The history behind this park — it was cool. I don’t really feel the crowd whenever I’m pitching, but more when I came out of the game. I soaked it all in yesterday too, so I was good to go today.”
The righty was back in the clubhouse when Smith entered with two on, no outs and the Giants holding a two-run lead in the eighth. Tidwell said that “spiked his nervous system,” but Smith struck out Boston’s three and four hitters with the bases loaded and then got a long flyball to center.
“That was incredible. He came guns blazing right down their throat,” Knizner said. “He was just throwing fastballs right past guys. I mean, that’s tough to do against a good hitting team and especially in a big part of their order, the middle part of their order, and he went right after them.”
The inning gave Smith seven strikeouts in three innings on this trip, but it also led to a mistake.
Nights like this aren’t only about seeing what young pitchers can do. The Giants also are hoping for growth from their rookie manager and his staff, but the group continues to try and stretch relievers, hoping that they can keep their adrenaline going and squeeze out another out or two after sitting in the dugout.
Vitello has been dealt an awful hand with this bullpen, but when he looks back on the year, perhaps he’ll also see plenty of nights when there were other moves to make. Smith had not recorded more than three outs until Wednesday in Cleveland, but he was sent back out for the top of the ninth in hopes that he could get right-hander Caleb Durbin. He walked him on four pitches and his velocity was predictably down.
Vitello said the plan was for Smith to face the righty and then hand it over to Sam Hentges for two outs. Instead, Hentges was tasked with getting three, and he entered with a runner on. The Red Sox tied the game on a hit-by-pitch and two hits.
Asked if the staff discussed just giving Hentges a clean inning, Vitello said yes.
“What Smitty did was incredible,” he said. “It’s a lot to ask him to go back out there in the ninth against a right-handed hitter, and then you know, from there they didn’t really slow down.”
The end came quickly, and created an odd scene. With the bases loaded and one out, Wilyer Abreu pulled what looked to be the game-winning hit right down the line. Bryce Eldridge stopped it and made the right play, throwing to the plate, but the throw brought Knizner out onto the dirt. As the Red Sox celebrated, the Giants gathered in a group to watch the review on the scoreboard. It went against them.
“That’s a tough play. Eldridge made a nice play to catch the ball and make the throw and get it (to me), but it’s a do-or-die play,” Knizner said. “It’s just tough. Things happen so fast. I don’t know if I held the base or not, and it’s hard to feel because it’s flat on the ground. But obviously I didn’t.
“They went to replay and it upheld. It’s just a tough way to lose a game, but I said this to a couple of guys: There are a lot of really good points in that game that are going to get overlooked because of that last play.”