The San Francisco Giants are making themselves at home at Dodger Stadium. Back-to-back wins over the two-time defending World Series champions have the Giants sitting 4-1 against Los Angeles on the season, with four wins in their last five games overall.
The baseball has been good. The entertainment off the field has been even better.
After Monday night’s 9-3 victory, the Giants outfield gave the crowd something to talk about that had nothing to do with the final score.
Vitello’s Reaction Said Everything
GettySan Francisco Giants Manager Tony Vitello.
Drew Gilbert, Harrison Bader, and Jung Hoo Lee found themselves at the center of a viral moment after a rather suggestive postgame celebration in center field. By Tuesday afternoon, manager Tony Vitello was fielding questions about it before Game 2 of the series.
He handled it exactly as you would expect. “They’re a close-knit group, let’s put it that way,” Vitello said with a laugh, declining to offer any further opinion on the matter.
Tony Vitello didn’t want to say too much about last night’s outfield celly 🤣
A Group That Keeps Things Loose
GettyJung Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants.
This is not the first time the Giants outfield has grabbed attention for what happens after the final out. Gilbert, who has developed a reputation for keeping things light, has been caught on camera going in for a kiss on Lee. Lee responded in kind at a later point by attempting to knock Gilbert’s and Heliot Ramos‘ heads together.
Bader, reinstated from the injured list on Monday, wasted no time joining the fun.
The chemistry is genuine and has been visible all season. Gilbert’s recall on April 15 seemed to add an energy to the outfield group that has carried over into the win column. The Giants are a different team when that group is loose and playing together.
Giants Make It Back-to-Back at Dodger Stadium
San Francisco backed up Monday’s win with a 6-2 victory on Tuesday night, with Eric Haase putting on a historic performance. The veteran catcher homered twice off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, becoming the first Giants catcher ever to accomplish that feat at Dodger Stadium. Adrian Houser gave up just two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings, continuing a strong stretch in May. Matt Gage came on in a critical spot and delivered again, striking out Max Muncy with a nasty slider to keep the lead intact.
The Giants are starting to look like a different team than the one that trudged through April.
Final Word for the Giants
Vitello did not have much to say about the celebration. He did not need to.
The outfield is loose, the wins are stacking up, and the mood in the Giants’ clubhouse appears to be exactly where a manager wants it heading into a long stretch of the season.
Close-knit, indeed.
Giants’ Tony Vitello Drops Hilarious Quote After Viral Celebration