The San Francisco Giants claimed a 7-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night to remain ahead in a close-contested race with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West title. The win improved the Giants to a 100-54 record and made them the first MLB team to clear the 100 mark in the 2021 season.
The Giants topped the Rockies thanks to dominant at-bat performances that saw Tommy La Stella, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, and Mike Yastrzemski all hitting home runs.
This season was the first time since 2003 that San Francisco managed to hit 100 wins. But this most likely won’t be enough to claim the division as the Dodgers are just one game behind with a 99-55 record and are expected to hit the 100 mark of their own any time now.
Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters after the Rockies game that the team will take some time to enjoy the achievement since not a lot of people thought the Giants have what it takes to compete this season.
“It’s a big deal,” said Kapler. “We know our division is extraordinarily talented, but we also know that we’re talented. Our goal was to win the division and not just sneak into the playoffs.”
To Kapler’s point, the Giants’ success in 2021 caught many people off guard. More attention was given to the Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, with San Francisco being given an outside chance. However, they proved everyone wrong, and they are now looking to go all the way.
“It’s a big accomplishment, but we’re looking for more,” San Francisco pitcher Alex Wood said of the team’s mindset.
