Bo knows debuts: SF Giants' Davidson records first hit, steal, run in win over Twins

Justice delos Santos, The Mercury News on Sep 22, 2026

Published in Baseball

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SAN FRANCISCO — All Bo Davidson needed was one inning to get the people on their feet.

Davidson quickly fell behind 0-2 to the Twins’ Zebby Matthews in his first career at-bat, but the rookie refused to go down without a scrap. He laid off a curveball and changeup out of the zone, fouled off a slider, then resisted an outside four-seamer to run the count full. Davidson fouled off Matthews’ next two offerings, an inside cutter and an inside four-seamer, and the light Monday night crowd started to stir.

For the ninth and final pitch of the at-bat, Matthews went back to the cutter. Davidson pulled the offering into right field for a 103.8 mph single that advanced Drew Gilbert to third. As he cruised into first base, dozens of fans in the lower bowl bestowed the rookie with an ovation. Those cheers grew when Davidson, after swiping his first career base, scored his first career run on a two-run single by Brett Harris.

Before Monday’s 5-1 win, Davidson told reporters in the Giants’ third-base dugout that he wanted to show the team “what Bo is.” And what is Bo, exactly?

“You’ll see,” Davidson confidently responded.

Evidently, Bo knows debut.

Davidson, who finished his night 1-for-4, wasn’t the Giants’ only outfielder to make an impact. Gilbert went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, hitting a two-run single and his 11th home run of the season. Along with Davidson and Gilbert, rookie Johan Cox had a double and made several slick plays at second base.

Even on such a positive night, the Giants just could not avoid the injury bug.

After rookie first baseman Bryce Eldridge and outfielder Jung Hoo Lee were placed on the injured list before the game, starting pitcher Blade Tidwell left his start with an unspecified injury.

With one out in the fourth inning, Tidwell spiked a sweeper to the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and grimaced in pain and waved his glove at the dugout. Following a meeting with athletic trainer Ryo Watanabe, Tidwell left the game after 57 pitches.

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