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San Francisco Giants: Former Giants Contributing to World Series Lead

By Sean Bialaszek

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Eduardo Nunez #36 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his thirteenth inning catch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 26: Eduardo Nunez #36 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates his thirteenth inning catch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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Former San Francisco Giants are contributing to the Boston Red Sox efforts as they lead the World Series after three games.

As the World Series rolls on, a pair of former San Francisco Giants have contributed to a Red Sox team that leads the Dodgers two games to one. Eduardo Nunez has had big parts in two of the games, while Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless inning during the epic 18-inning game three.

Nunez had a huge hit in game one. With the Red Sox leading 5-4 in the seventh inning, Nunez put plenty of insurance on the board, hitting a pinch-hit three-run homer over the Green Monster to extend the lead.

He also had his fingerprints all over game three. He was part of a go-ahead rally in the 13th inning, hitting an infield single with a runner on third base. Nunez slid safely into first and the throw got past a Dodger defender, allowing Brock Holt to score. The Dodgers tied it back up and Nunez hit a leadoff single in the 15th, but would be thrown out on a botched sac bunt attempt.

Hembree threw a scoreless inning in that marathon, holding the Dodgers off the board in the 11th inning. After a quick groundout and a pop-up, Hembree worked around a two-out walk, striking out Chris Taylor to end the frame.

Hembree, a hard-throwing right-hander, was drafted by the Giants as a fifth-round pick in 2010, and worked his way through the system before making his big league debut in 2013. He only appeared in nine games as a September call-up, but made a good impression with 7.2-shutout innings. He struck out 12 batters while allowing only six baserunners.

He started the 2014 season back in the minor leagues, and wouldn’t get back to the big leagues with the Giants. That July as the trade deadline neared, the Giants shipped Hembree to Boston, along with left-handed pitcher Edwin Escobar, in exchange for starting pitcher Jake Peavy.

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Peavy would be instrumental in the Giants’ postseason push, pitching to a 2.17 ERA and 1.042 WHIP in 12 starts down the stretch. He then threw a 5.2-inning shutout start in the NLDS against the Nationals, and famously almost tackled Travis Ishikawa as he neared third base following the NLCS-clinching walkoff home run.

Hembree, on the other side, has made 195 appearances in his five years with the Red Sox. He owns a 3.59 ERA with Boston, striking out more than a batter per inning (9.2 K.9). This postseason, he’s made four appearances without allowing a run in 4.2 innings.

Nunez was acquired by the Giants at the 2016 trade deadline in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. He was an exciting spark plug-type player down the stretch that year, collecting 16 extra-base hits and 13 stolen bases in his 50 games with San Francisco. Unfortunately he was injured right before the postseason, and could only take three at-bats in the NLDS against the Cubs.

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    • He returned the next year and was one of the few good players on a team that would eventually lose 98 games. Nunez played so well that he earned a trade to a contender, getting shipped to Boston around the deadline. Nunez hit .321 with eight home runs in just 38 games with the Red Sox in 2017. He re-signed as a free agent the following offseason.

    The Giants seemingly did well in that trade. They acquired right-handed starter Shaun Anderson, who has shot through the minor league system and emerged as the team’s top pitching prospect. Anderson will likely see the big leagues for the first time in 2019, if everything goes according to plan.

    Boston also has a pair of former Giants on their coaching staff. Bench coach Ron Roenicke and first base coach Tom Goodwin both spent time with San Francisco during their playing careers. Roenicke was a backup outfielder and pinch hitter for the Giants in 1985, while Goodwin was part of the 2002 team that reached the World Series.

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    Those two players are no longer Giants, but they have both contributed to a team that is now two wins away from a World Series victory, which would earn both their first World Series rings.

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