Angel Pagan scores the winning run on an inside-the-park home run to beat the Rockies in May 2013. | AP Photo
Six years ago today, the San Francisco Giants had one of the most memorable regular season wins in the history of Oracle Park. On May 25, 2013, Angel Pagan blessed us with one of the most exciting plays in baseball, the inside-the-park home run. This moment was even more special because it won the game in extra innings. Let’s watch it.
Remember where you were for this? I do. I’ll never forget watching this game. Watch for Tim Flannery’s reaction. I’m not sure anyone was happier than him that day. Including Pagan. And as you can see, Angel was PUMPED UP.
Heading in to this match-up, the Giants were 26-22, just one game behind both the Rockies and DBacks who were tied for first place. After Angel’s mad dash, the Giants were in a 3-way tie with both those teams, and poised to go on a run.
The even year thing wasn’t on our minds back then. As Giants fans, we were all happy to see the team competing again after winning 2 titles the previous 3 seasons. But this game against the Rockies turned into a blessing and a curse. Yes, we had one of the greatest regular season memories in Giants history, but it came at a cost.
Angel Pagan strained his left hamstring on this play and was sidelined until August 30. The Giants lost 3 months of Pagan, and it was a big deal as he seemed to be what made the engine go for the Giants offense.
The Giants were 27-22 with Pagan, and then 32-52 without him in the lineup during those 3 months. They went from tied for first place in the division to last place with a record of 59-74 when Pagan eventually returned at the end of August.
The stats bear it out as well. With Pagan in the lineup, the Giants were batting .269 with a .327 OBP and they averaged 4.5 runs per game. While Pagan was sidelined, they hit .252, had a .310 OBP and only averaged 3.4 runs a game. That 1 run they lost per game made a huge difference.
But hey, that’s all in the past now, as we now know the Giants recovered the next season to win their third title in five years. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
If you missed any of the previous installments in this series, you can click the links below to check them out.
TWIGH: Opening Day Timmy | Zito Loves Coors | California Baseball Begins | Robby Hits For The Cycle | The Comeback | Willie’s Hit Parade
I highly recommend reading some of those, especially last week’s about Willie Mays. The Giants have had some great moments in history and we’re only through May.
We recorded episode 166 on Monday. Subscribe to the podcast in all the usual places. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and like the YouTube channel for more content.
The TortureCast 
We miss Pagan bad!