Homer-happy Giants slug 5 more, pound White Sox 16-6

CHICAGO (AP) — J.D. Davis hit a grand slam in the ninth off mop-up reliever Hanser Alberto for his third hit, Michael Conforto cracked a three-run homer among three hits and the San Francisco Giants powered past the Chicago White Sox 16-6 on Thursday.

Mike Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores each launched a two-run shot in San Francisco's five-homer, 20-hit attack. Rookie catcher Blake Sabol tagged the first home run of his career and added two singles to give him four total hits in his first six games.

Hanser, who started at third base, served up Davis' second career grand slam after giving up two singles and a walk. Davis finished with five RBIs and Joc Pederson drove in two runs as San Francisco finished a season-opening road trip at 3-3.

Tim Anderson had two RBIs for Chicago.

The Giants launched 13 home runs in the three-game series on Chicago’s South Side, starting with seven in a 12-3 win on Monday. They have 15 homers overall, the most in franchise history through their first six games since the team started keeping records in 1901.

Conforto, Yastrzemski and Davis each hit their second homer of the season and series on Thursday. Conforto, a former New York Met, signed with San Francisco in the offseason after missing 2022 recovering from right shoulder surgery.

Jakob Junis (2-0) tossed four innings of scoreless, two-hit relief for the win.

Giants starter Alex Wood allowed three runs, two unearned, on six hits in his season debut. The side-arming left-hander was replaced by Junis after allowing consecutive singles to start the fourth and reaching 71 pitches.

The Giants roughed up Chicago starter Lance Lynn (0-1) for eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Conforto launched a three-run shot deep to right in the first. Sabol made it 4-0 in the second on a drive to right center.

Anderson’s line single off Thairo Estrada’s glove in the bottom of the second drove in two runs and cut it to 4-2.

Pederson’s bases-loaded single in the fourth upped the Giants lead to 6-2. Yastrzemski went deep to right in the fifth to chase Lynn.

Flores’ first homer of the season, off Jose Ruiz in the sixth, made it 10-3.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: SS Brandon Crawford got the day off with left forearm tightness. Estrada started in his place. Manager Gabe Kapler said “it’s a longshot”” that OF Mitch Haniger (left oblique strain) would return by the end of the Giants upcoming opening six-game homestand. The Bay Area native signed with the Giants as a free agent in December.

White Sox: Slugger Eloy Jiménez, on the 10-day injured list (strained left hamstring), ran and played catch before Thursday’s game. He was hurt running from first to third on Monday. The team originally said Jiménez would miss two to three weeks, but on Thursday Jiménez said “I feel very normal today” and that he could pinch-hit or play if he weren’t on the IL. 3B Yoán Moncada, who has hit safely in each of Chicago’s first six games (11-for-25, .440) got the day off.

UP NEXT

Giants: RHP Alex Cobb (0-0, 2.45) faces Kansas City RHP Brad Keller (0-1, 3.86) in San Francisco on Friday in the Giants home opener.

White Sox: RHP Lucas Giolito (0-0, 3.60) starts against Pittsburgh’s Rich Hill (0-1, 5.40) on Friday in the Pirates home opener.