San Francisco Giants: 15 Greatest Moments at AT&T Park

4. Pablo Sandoval’s Three Home Runs in Game 1 of the 2012 World Series

Two days after celebrating a pennant in the rain, the Giants were supposed to bow down to the almighty Justin Verlander. The Detroit Tigers’ ace was supposed to slam the door on the Giants so-called “luck,” leaving a dent on the team. But this is AT&T Park, more magical than Disneyland, and there is strength in numbers. On this night, the orange and black army emerged victorious.

After being benched throughout most of the 2010 playoffs, Sandoval made a name for himself, and what better place to leave your mark on the game than in the Fall Classic. Come October, no one scares Sandoval, as he has evolved into a fantastic playoff hitter. He had previous history with Verlander from the All-Star Game just a few months before when he roped an RBI triple against the Detroit fireballer.

The Panda attack began in his first at-bat when he homered to the farthest part of the yard, proving that the underdog Giants meant business. By the third inning, it was clear that Verlander wasn’t fooling anyone as Sandoval came to bat with a two-run lead and another man on first. The second home run knocked Verlander out, much to his disbelief and all but sealed the game with the way Barry Zito was pitching.

But Sandoval was out to make history, as he took reliever Al Alburquerque deep in his third at-bat. With the third home run in one World Series game, he joined a prestigious club featuring only Albert Pujols, Babe Ruth, and Reggie Jackson. The nation was watching Sandoval make history, and unfortunately, the Boston Red Sox were getting their checkbooks out.

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