CINCINNATI — Heliot Ramos became the 19th player to start in left field for the San Francisco Giants over the past 19 season openers, and the move paid off when he homered against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday.
In the fourth inning, Ramos got to a full count against Reds starter Hunter Greene and then fouled off five straight pitches before lofting a two-run homer to right field, cutting the Giants’ deficit to 3-2.
“I was just trying to be aggressive in the zone,” Ramos said. “He wasn’t going to walk me. I didn’t get off my plan. Hunter Greene was nasty. But we never gave up.”
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San Francisco got a three-run homer from Wilmer Flores in the ninth inning and beat Cincinnati 6-4.
Ramos saw 11 pitches, the most by a Giants player who homered since Michael Conforto, who went deep on the 12th pitch at Arizona on May 12, 2023.
“That at-bat was epic,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Because not only did he hit a two-run homer to make it 3-2, made (Greene) throw a lot of pitches, took a little wind out of his sails, and next thing you know he’s out of the game after five. That was huge for us.”
The Giants have had a different left fielder start every season since Barry Bonds last played there in 2007. The 19-year streak matches the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles franchise, which started a different left fielder every season from 1937 to 1955.
It’s also the longest streak of opening days by a team starting a different player at one position since 1900.
Ramos made 66 appearances in left in 2024, including 59 starts. Conforto, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, started in left for the Giants last season.
“He’s finally getting a chance to show what he’s capable of,” Giants starter Logan Webb said of Ramos. “At that point in the game, we needed a big hit.”
Current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts succeeded Bonds in left field in 2008.
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