SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants tied MLB's pinch-hit homer record on the last road trip when Austin Slater hit for LaMonte Wade Jr. and took Padres lefty Tim Hill deep. Padres manager Jayce Tingler apparently didn't learn his lesson.
The Padres brought soft-tossing lefty Ross Detwiler into the game in the sixth inning Saturday and the Giants immediately countered with Slater, who crushed Detwiler's first pitch out to left-center.
The homer was the 18th of the season by Giants pinch-hitters, breaking a record previously held by the 2016 St. Louis Cardinals. It also gave the Giants a 2-1 lead on a day when a win would clinch the NL West.
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Slater has been the leader of the pack when it comes to pinch-hitting, tying a franchise single-season record with four homers. Alex Dickerson has three and Brandon Belt, Wilmer Flores and Donovan Solano each have a pair.
RELATED: Giants' pinch-hitting stats underline remarkable season
The Giants are the only MLB team with more than 10 pinch-hit homers and lead the way with 50 pinch-hit RBI.
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