Adames sets tone at leadoff spot as Giants' offense breaks out

SAN DIEGO -- Last year, Willy Adames batted leadoff only once for the Giants.

Adames entered the last day of the regular season with 29 home runs, so the Giants decided to move him to the top of the lineup to try to maximize his chances of reaching 30.

The 30-year-old shortstop made the most of the opportunity, crushing his first career leadoff homer against the Rockies to become the first Giants hitter to deliver a 30-homer season since Barry Bonds in 2004.

The leadoff spot has continued to suit Adames in 2026.

Batting first for the second consecutive game, Adames went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and his first home run of the season to set the tone for the Giants’ 9-3 win over the Padres on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

“Obviously, it sent a good message to the boys,” Adames said. “I think it just set the tone the right way. Obviously, for me, there’s not a better way to start a game.”

Each member of the Giants’ starting lineup recorded at least one hit, with Jung Hoo Lee (3-for-5, three RBIs), Rafael Devers (2-for-5) and Matt Chapman (2-for-5) also enjoying multihit efforts. The nine runs and 16 hits were both season highs for San Francisco, which produced only four runs over its first four games of the year.

“We have pretty good guys, pretty good hitters in the lineup,” Adames said. “I think the first few games were tough, and obviously, we’re getting more comfortable at the plate. I think everybody’s feeling better. Having a night like this, I think it gives the whole team good vibes.”

Adames opened the scoring with his second career leadoff blast in the top of the first, driving the second pitch he saw from San Diego starter Germán Márquez off the top of the left-field fence to spark a three-run inning for the Giants.

“It's fun to see,” right-hander Logan Webb said. “Willy’s just a spark plug in general. The type of guy he is in the clubhouse every single day. I think it's a great spot for him, to be honest. When you start the day off for the home run, that's kind of Willy, right? I think it’s how he ended the season, too. I pitched that game, and it started with a home run. I know, personally, I'm not very good against him. If I was an opposing pitcher, and I saw Willy leading off -- it’s a hard start to the game.”

Chapman made it 4-0 with a second solo shot off Márquez in the third, though the Padres managed to cut the deficit to one by scoring three runs off Webb in the bottom half of the inning.

Still, the Giants broke out for another extended rally in the sixth, pushing across four more runs behind RBI singles from Adames and Heliot Ramos and a sacrifice fly from former Padre Luis Arraez.

First-year manager Tony Vitello has stuck with the same starting nine for each of the Giants’ first five games, but he hasn’t been afraid to tinker with the batting order. He tried out Arraez and Lee in the leadoff spot before slotting Adames into the position for the first time on Monday. It was the second-earliest in a season they’ve used a third different leadoff hitter in the last 125 years, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.

Now that the Giants (2-3) have responded by winning two in a row and securing a series win on the road, does Vitello intend to stick with Adames as his leadoff hitter?

“I don’t think the lineup is going to change after a night like tonight,” Adames said.

“I think the good thing about the last two days is Willy’s getting up there with a sense of comfort and relaxation,” Vitello said.

While he was nicked up in the third, Webb came back to retire the final 10 batters he faced to get through six innings and pick up his first win of the year. Webb was frustrated with the way he was pitching earlier in the game, but he remembered watching a group of Navy SEALs go through a rigorous training regimen on Monday in Coronado Beach and was inspired to keep grinding.

“It's pretty friggin’ intense what they're doing out there,” Webb said. “That thought popped in my head. I was like, ‘I’ve got a lot easier than those guys do. Figure it out.’ I know it’s kind of weird to say, but it’s how I felt.”

Webb changed his mechanics in the fifth, when he struck out the side on 11 pitches. His pitch count was up to 92 by then, but he returned to the mound in the sixth and posted another 1-2-3 inning to end his night on a high note.

“I just think it showed his guts,” Vitello said. “That’ll be one of my favorite outings of the year.”