The Giants took on the Padres at Oracle Park on Sunday. The Giants needed a win or a Dodger loss to clinch the NL West. If they lost and the Dodgers won, they would go to a tiebreaker at Oracle Park on Monday. The Giants were 106-55 coming into the game, trying to win, clinch the NL West and get the franchise record for most wins. The Padres had been eliminated from playoff and were 79-82, coming off their extra inning win the day before against the Giants. The Padres won 3-2 thanks to Jake Cronenworth who had an RBI single in the 10th inning to give the Padres the lead. The Giants had Logan Webb on the mound while the Padres had Reiss Knehr on the mound trying to ruin the Giants season.
The Giants got a strong start from Webb who struck out the side in the first inning. Centerfielder Trent Grisham, Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and Third Baseman Manny Machado all struck out swinging on Webb's beautiful yet confusing pitches. The Giants were retired in order in the first with Second Baseman Tommy LaStella and Rightfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. flying out to Center Field, and First Baseman Wilmer Flores grounding out to second. Webb kept his dominance up in the second retiring the side in order. In the bottom of the second, Posey walked to leadoff the inning, but Knehr recovered, retiring Crawford and striking out both Leftfielder Kris Bryant and Centerfielder Mike Yastrzemski. Webb dominated the third too, striking out Leftfielder Jake Marisnick and Reiss Knehr.
The Giants started to rally in the third, with Logan Webb singling with 1 out. LaStella lined out to Center Field, but Webb made it to second on a wild pitch. Flores singled, putting runners on the corners as 2021 Millie Mac Award Winner LaMonte Wade Jr. came up. He was walked, loading the bases up for Future Hall of Famer, Catcher Buster Posey. Posey singled, bringing in both Webb and Flores. The Padres responded with a leadoff double from Grisham and after Tatis moved him over to third on a ground out, Manny Machado sac flied to Center Field to score Grisham. The Padres brought in Dinelson Lamet to try to keep themselves in the game. The Giants went off in the fourth, though, with a leadoff walk from Kris Bryant, a walk from Yastrzemski, but Third Baseman Evan Longoria struck out. Lamet walked Logan Webb to load the bases. Tommy LaStella lined one into Right Field, scoring Bryant. The Padres pulled Lamet and put in Craig Stammen to try to finish the inning. Then Flores hit a double, knocking in Yaz and Webb. Wade hit a sac fly to Marisnick which brought in LaStella. Buster Posey hit his 1,500th career big league hit which knocked in Flores. Shortstop and the People's MVP Brandon Crawford then struck out. Logan Webb struck out Rightfielder Wil Myers before Adam Frazier doubled and he hit Marisnick, putting runners on first and second. He retired the side, though, striking out Pinch Hitter Tommy Pham to end the half inning. In the 5th, with a runner on first and two outs, Logan Webb came up to face Nabil Crismatt. He lined one down the Left Field Line and into the stands for his first career homer. Webb's homer put the Giants up 9-1 and was a historic moment for the young, local star from Rocklin, California. Webb retired the side in order in the 6th, striking out Tatis again. Crismatt retired the side in order, also, in the 6th. In the 7th, Jake Cronenworth hit a double, but the Giants challenged the ruling on the tag. Cronenworth was safe, but had never called time and when he got up off the base, LaStella had tagged him out. His hit was ruled a single, and he was ruled out on the tag. Webb got Myers out on a 3-1 play (Webb tags runner at first after Flores throws the ball to him). Webb and Flores collaborated on 4 different 3-1 plays throughout the game. In the bottom of the seventh, Brandon Crawford and Kris Bryant were on first and second when Mike Yastrzemski came. Yaz doubled, scoring Crawford and Bryant, and making it a 10 run game. Crismatt struck out Longoria and Webb. He forced LaStella to pop out to end the inning. Logan Webb allowed 3 consecutive hits from Marisnick, Catcher Webster Rivas and Pinch Hitter Victor Caratini to load the bases. Webb was pulled for Kervin Castro, and received a standing ovation for his great performance as he left. Grisham knocked in a run with a single, but Castro recovered by striking out First Baseman Jurickson Profar. Shortstop Jake Cronenworth knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to Left Field. Wil Myers walked and the Giants pulled Castro for Jarlin Garcia who made Adam Frazier pop out to end the inning. James Norwood retired the Giants in the 8th, and the Giants brought in local star Dominic Leone to close out the game. He retired Marisnick, struck out Rivas and finally struck out Pinch Hitter Eric Hosmer to win the game and the NL West.
The Giants finished the 2021 season 107-55 1 game ahead of the Dodgers who had beaten the Brewers. Logan Webb got the win, throwing 7 great innings and 8 strikeouts, while Knehr got the loss. The Padres finished 79-83, 28 games behind the Giants, in 3rd in the NL West. The Dodgers will face the Cardinals in the NL Wild Card on Wednesday to see who faces the Giants in the NLDS. This win today, capped off one of the most historic seasons in Giants History.
Above: Pictures from the Giants v. Padres Game On Sunday
A Video Taken Right After the Giants Clinched the West