The Minnesota Twins and San Francisco Giants will continue to show off some of their top prospects when they meet in the second game of an interleague series Tuesday night.
Minnesota’s Emmanuel Rodriguez belted his second big-league homer and San Francisco’s Bo Davidson recorded his first major league hit in his debut as the host Giants took the opener of the three-game set 5-2 on Monday night.
Right-handers Taj Bradley (11-6, 3.81 ERA) of the Twins and Anthony Molina (3-1, 4.18) of the Giants are the scheduled starting pitchers in the rematch.
On a night when the Twins (73-84) managed just four hits against five Giants pitchers, Rodriguez led off the eighth inning with a 411-foot bomb to center field at spacious Oracle Park.
The 23-year-old wasted no time getting his first career homer at home on Sept. 12 in his first at-bat. Rodriguez smacked the fourth pitch he saw at the big-league level over the fence off the Cleveland Guardians’ Franco Aleman.
With winning and losing taking on less importance for the Twins, who were eliminated from postseason contention on Sunday, Rodriguez has been able to focus on his own individual success. He says his heart is beating out of his chest performing under his profession’s brightest lights.
“Emotions, all the anxiety … it’s something you cannot describe,” he told reporters earlier this month about being a big-leaguer. “I just try to enjoy every second of it, even if I don’t remember most of it.”
Another Minnesota newcomer made his major league debut on Monday. Aaron Sabato, a 27-year-old first baseman, was promoted from Triple-A Saint Paul and went 0-for-3.
Davidson enjoyed a more impressive opening outing, getting an opportunity to run the bases after singling in his first big-league at-bat.
Davidson used his burst of energy to steal a base in the first inning, positioning himself to score on Brett Harris’ two-run single that gave San Francisco a lead it never relinquished.
Recognizing the 24-year-old outfielder could be a mainstay in the club’s future, Giants fans greeted the call-up from Triple-A Sacramento as if he were an established all-star in his first trip to the plate.
Giants manager Tony Vitello applauded the welcome afterward.
“I thought the crowd was awesome,” he said in his postgame media gathering. “It kinda gets hyped up when a guy is making his first appearance. Bo feeds off that. The presence he had in the box and in the outfield tonight was outstanding.
“It’s good he got the first hit out of the way and had something to show for it. But he looked like he belonged both physically and presence-wise.”
Bradley is set to make his first-ever appearance at Oracle Park. The 25-year-old Los Angeles native has never faced the Giants (65-92) in his four-year career.
In his past four starts, Bradley is 2-0 with a 2.88 ERA.
Molina, in just his third major league season, does have some experience against the Twins, having thrown two innings against them — allowing two hits and no runs — for the Colorado Rockies in 2024.
In five appearances (four starts) since joining the Giants in a trade that sent right-hander Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves last month, Molina is 3-1 with a 3.91 ERA. He fired 5 1/3 shutout innings in his most recent outing, Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.
–Field Level Media
