TORONTO _ Pablo Sandoval may not be the Giants' best hitter throughout the season, but he's their best hitter right now.
With a 424-foot opposite-field home run in the top of the eighth on Tuesday, Sandoval became the first Giants player to record a three-hit game this year as he provided a critical insurance run in a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays.
Sandoval's blast extended the Giants' lead to 7-2, but reliever Tony Watson gave up a grand slam to rookie Rowdy Tellez in the bottom of the eighth that made the final outs rather uncomfortable for San Francisco.
Serving as the Giants' designated hitter, Sandoval singled from both sides of the plate early in the game before clubbing the team's fourth home run of the night as a left-handed hitter in the eighth. Tuesday's win marked the first time the Giants have hit four home runs in the same game since July 16, 2016 when they achieved the feat at Petco Park against the Padres.
With three hits in four at-bats, Sandoval improved his average to a team-high .344 as he continues to make a case for more playing time.
Second baseman Joe Panik, third baseman Evan Longoria and first baseman Brandon Belt all went deep for the Giants, who appeared ready to cruise to their second consecutive win behind one of the best bullpens in baseball.
After right-hander Sam Dyson loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth, Watson came on and recorded a strikeout before Tellez made stomachs turn in the visiting dugout.
Closer Will Smith recorded his sixth save of the season on a night that taught us a lot about the 2019 Giants. Here are three big things we learned Tuesday.
