Bryce Eldridge gave the Giants their first-inning lead with the longest drive of his Major League career, then closed a 10-3 night in St. Louis by making the kind of defensive play that means just as much to him.
Bryce Eldridge’s big swing came with a bigger defensive finish
| Game | Score | Eldridge | Home Run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giants at Cardinals | Giants 10, Cardinals 3 | 2-for-4, 3 RBIs | 112.7 mph, 461 feet |
Eldridge’s first-inning home run reached the right-center seats at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, a Statcast-projected 461-foot blast that put San Francisco ahead early. The 112.7 mph exit velocity made it the Giants’ hardest-hit homer of the season, while the distance made it the longest homer hit at Busch Stadium this year and San Francisco’s longest outside Coors Field.
The 21-year-old first baseman said he recognized it off the barrel, calling it the best ball he had struck all season. It was a tape-measure shot, but not the play that brought the biggest smile after the final out.
With two outs in the ninth, Victor Scott II sent a difficult ground ball toward first base. The 6-foot-7 Eldridge got up to pull it in and end the game, a finish that spoke to the work he has put into a position that once drew plenty of questions.
“A defensive play like that matters a lot to me,” Eldridge said. “I take pride in it and in the work behind it.”
From a big bat to a first baseman
Eldridge arrived in pro ball with his offensive potential never in doubt, but with uncertainty over where he would settle defensively. He said he took the criticism personally rather than allowing himself to become only a hitter.
Giants infield coach Ron Washington has spent substantial time with him since Spring Training, working through more than routine ground balls. Their daily focus has included footwork, positioning, cutoff responsibilities and the judgment needed when runners move toward second base.
Washington said Eldridge has bought into the work required of a player the organization views as a major part of its future. The coach now sees a more comfortable defender, one who looks at home at first base rather than merely stationed there.
For Eldridge, the difference begins below the waist. Better footwork, he said, has allowed everything else—his glove work, balance and reactions—to fall into place.
Washington made clear that the progress belongs to the player. Coaches can provide drills and instruction, he said, but Eldridge deserves credit for applying those lessons in games.
Production has followed the adjustment
| Stretch | Batting Line | RBIs | Major League Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past 28 games entering Wednesday | .340/.424/.557 | 28 | Third in MLB since Aug. 14 |
The defensive strides have come during one of Eldridge’s strongest offensive runs. After Tuesday’s two-hit, three-RBI performance, he carried a .340/.424/.557 line over his previous 28 games. His 28 RBIs from Aug. 14 through Tuesday ranked third in the Majors.
Manager Tony Vitello has seen a hitter getting more at ease against left-handed pitching, in two-strike counts and in high-leverage moments. In Vitello’s view, Eldridge is still climbing.
Rafael Devers helped him get there during an earlier rough patch. Eldridge had been studying video and searching for mechanical answers when Devers offered a simpler approach: stop chasing a swing fix, establish rhythm and use left-center field.
Eldridge described the feeling as “dancing with the pitcher.” Instead of feeling rigid and uncomfortable in the box, he said, he learned to be more athletic and find a better rhythm.
Devers’ influence has extended through a young Giants clubhouse. Vitello said the veteran gradually assumed a larger mentoring role as he became more settled in San Francisco, keeping teammates loose, offering counsel and becoming the kind of established presence he once had around him in Boston.
Devers underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury, ending his season and leaving Eldridge with the everyday first-base opportunity down the stretch.
That means more pregame work with Washington and more chances for Eldridge to show the Giants he can contribute even when the ball does not travel 461 feet. Washington’s objective is not a designated hitter who can get by at first base. It is a complete player who can help win games on either side of the ball.
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Bryce Eldridge’s 461-Foot Homer and Defensive Growth Lift Giants
SEO Description
Bryce Eldridge hit a 461-foot home run in the Giants’ 10-3 win over the Cardinals, then showed why his defensive work at first base matters just as much.
