SF Giants Gameday podcast: Why Tuesday was Gabe Kapler's best game as Giants manager

A manager can only do so much to put his players in the best possible position to win. The ability to execute ultimately comes down to the people who take the field on a daily basis. When things go south for a team, however, a manager often takes criticism for decisions that led to undesirable outcomes. There was a point in the 2020 season when Giants manager Gabe Kapler saw his club fall to 8-16 and when his defense and bullpen consistently squandered opportunities for a group that appeared destined to have a firm grip on its position in the National League West cellar. After the Giants overcame a four-run deficit to beat the Mariners 6-5 on Tuesday, that low point feels like a distant memory for Kapler and the team's fans. Kapler enjoyed what may have been his best game of the season from a decision-making standpoint against Seattle as both sluggers he used in the second slot in the order hit home runs and the defensive replacement the club added to the roster minutes before first pitch made a critical running catch in the gap. The Giants' manager waited until a few hours before first pitch to ensure Alex Dickerson was healthy enough to start in left field a night after he exited a game with a right knee contusion. Dickerson homered, but came out of the game when the Mariners put a left-handed reliever on the mound in the bottom of the seventh. Dickerson's replacement, Darin Ruf, also homered. His go-ahead blast gave the Giants control of a win that helped them move above .500 for the first time since they were 5-4 on August 1. In the top of the eighth, the outfielder who replaced Ruf, Luis Basabe, made a terrific running catch in the left center field gap that showed why defensive replacements be so important. Aside from all the production the Giants got in left field Tuesday, Kapler received praise from starter Logan Webb for helping him navigate through five tough innings and also made all the right moves in a bullpen that turned in four scoreless frames.