From pennant-winning HR to World Series save: Best moments in Giants history

When Buster Posey was introduced as the Giants’ president of baseball operations in October 2024, he made it clear that he understood what his duty to fans would be.

“We’re in the memory-making business,” Posey said.

The Giants have certainly given their fans plenty to remember over the course of their rich history, which spans two coasts and dates all the way back to 1883. From World Series championships to legendary performances, here’s a look at the top 10 moments in franchise history.

1. Oct. 3, 1951: The 'Shot Heard 'Round the World'
Bobby Thomson’s signature moment came during the 1951 National League pennant race, better known as “The Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff.” After trailing the rival Dodgers by 13 games on Aug. 11, the New York Giants stormed back to tie Brooklyn and force a three-game playoff, which ended with one of the most famous home runs in baseball history.

Thomson capped the Giants’ improbable comeback by hitting a walk-off, three-run homer off Ralph Branca in the bottom of the ninth inning of the decisive third game at the Polo Grounds, inspiring an unforgettable call by play-by-play announcer Russ Hodges.

“The Giants win the pennant!” Hodges proclaimed.

2. Sept. 29, 1954: The Catch
The most legendary defensive play in baseball history came courtesy of Willie Mays, who made a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch to rob Vic Wertz in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series against Cleveland. With two runners on and the game tied, 2-2, in the top of the eighth, Mays raced back to snag Wertz’s deep drive to center field and then quickly spun around and fired to second base to preserve the tie at the Polo Grounds. The Giants went on to win the game in the 10th inning and subsequently swept Cleveland to earn their final World Series title in New York.

3. July 2, 1963: The greatest pitching duel ever?
Juan Marichal authored a performance for the ages when he faced off with fellow future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in an epic battle that finally ended when Mays homered in the bottom of the 16th inning to lift the Giants to a 1-0 win at Candlestick Park. Marichal needed 227 pitches to outlast Spahn, who walked off the mound after throwing 201 pitches in the 16-inning thriller.

4. Aug. 7, 2007: Home Run King
Barry Bonds became Major League Baseball’s all-time home run leader when he crushed a fastball from the Nationals’ Mike Bacsik out to right-center field for his 756th career homer. Bonds immediately thrust his arms in the air after breaking Hank Aaron’s 33-year-old record, a moment that was immortalized by a memorable call from longtime Giants broadcaster Duane Kuiper.

“756! Bonds stands alone,” Kuiper declared.

5. Nov. 1, 2010: Back on top
The Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958, but they endured decades of heartbreak before they finally claimed their first World Series title on the West Coast after defeating the Rangers, 3-1, in Game 5 of the 2010 World Series. Tim Lincecum fired eight dominant innings to earn his second win of the series, but World Series MVP honors ultimately went to Edgar Renteria, who snapped a scoreless tie by blasting a three-run homer off Rangers ace Cliff Lee in the seventh inning.

6. June 13, 2012: Cain’s perfect game
The only perfect game in Giants history belongs to Matt Cain, who etched his name in the record books after retiring all 27 Astros he faced on a magical night in San Francisco. Cain struck out 14 in the 125-pitch gem, though he also received an assist from right fielder Grégor Blanco, who made a spectacular diving catch on a drive by Jordan Schafer to keep the perfect game intact in the seventh inning.

7. Oct. 24, 2012: Sandoval’s three-homer game
Pablo Sandoval set the tone for the Giants’ four-game sweep of the Tigers in the 2012 World Series with his amazing three-homer performance in Game 1 in San Francisco. The Panda went deep three times in his first three at-bats, becoming only the fourth player to hit three homers in a World Series game.

8. June 25, 2014: Timmy no-hits the Padres -- again
Tim Lincecum no-hit the Padres for the second straight year in 2014, needing a mere 113 pitches to complete the masterful performance. He struck out six, issued one walk and helped his cause by singling twice in the Giants’ 4-0 victory. The Freak joined Hall of Famer Addie Joss as the only pitchers in MLB history to no-hit the same team twice.

9. Oct. 16, 2014: Ishikawa’s pennant-clinching walk-off
Travis Ishikawa sent the Giants to their third World Series in five seasons after launching a three-run shot off Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2014 NL Championship Series. He became the first Giant to clinch a pennant with a walk-off homer since Thomson in 1951.

10. Oct. 29, 2014: Bumgarner’s World Series save
Madison Bumgarner cemented his reputation as one of the greatest postseason pitchers ever by coming out of the bullpen to fire five scoreless innings and close out Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Royals. Bumgarner’s legendary save came on two days’ rest, as he also started and won Game 1 and pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 5, capping one of the most dominant runs by a pitcher in World Series history.