SAN FRANCISCO -- Daniel Susac’s fiancée Drew Koltko told him heading into Thursday that he’d pick up his first Major League hit in his first at-bat of the game that night.
But three? That’s just the cherry on top of Susac’s ice cream sundae of a ballgame, his first start behind the plate in the Major Leagues.
He was far from done, however. In subsequent trips to the dish, Susac cracked another first-pitch single in the third, walked on four pitches in the fifth and singled to center in the seventh. He also won an Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge in the sixth.
Susac became the first Giant since Kevin Frandsen on April 28, 2006, to reach base safely four times in his first career start. That first hit also linked him with his brother, six-year Major Leaguer Andrew Susac, as well:
What began on Thursday as a raucous cheer from the Susac family adjacent to the Oracle Park press box only grew louder as the night progressed -- they couldn’t quite believe what they were seeing.
“So nerve-wracking,” Koltko told MLB.com. “But I told him from the first time that we got here, he’s going to get a hit in his first at-bat. … He did that [the ABS challenge] in Triple-A all the time last year, so he was pretty familiar with it, but seeing it in a big league stadium is just surreal.”
For his efforts, Susac received the lineup card (which he gave to his dad) and the game ball (which he gave to right-hander Blade Tidwell, who earned his first career save).
The emotions of the night also sparked a now-viral clip of Chuck, the young son of Susac’s brother Matt, who was caught on camera several times clearly overwhelmed by the moment (and its cacophony of noise).
“We’re all saying in our family group chat right now we have to get that kid an agent,” Koltko said of the star of the extended Susac clan.
The Susac family’s bond with Oracle Park goes back well before Thursday. A native of Roseville, roughly a two-hour drive from San Francisco, Daniel frequented the ballpark throughout his younger years -- and also to support Andrew, who spent some of his six seasons in the Majors as a backup to Buster Posey in San Francisco.
“I definitely always envisioned it as a little kid, but to actually live it out was awesome,” Daniel said. “I probably went through this exact scenario so many times in the backyard with my brothers, so it was a pretty fun one altogether.”
The full-circle feeling was palpable for Andrew up in the family section.
“He’s 11 years younger than me,” reflected Andrew. “Growing up at the stadium, running around in the tunnels like I’m doing with my kids now. My kids are now living through him, which is cool for me. My son Luke is 5 and Jack is 2, they’re down in the tunnels right now running around.”
Manager Tony Vitello cited Susac’s preparation and maturity as factors in making his first start such a success.
“I know he was a little unsure about whether the challenge was going to work in his favor, but it ended up being a huge deal in the game,” Vitello said. “Overall, he just looked relaxed, he looked like he was built for the moment. And I don't think that happens by accident. I have been around people where they're kind of blessed with an innate sense of being calm in moments like that.”
The game featured another milestone in the save for Tidwell, who was called up from Triple-A with José Buttó being placed on the 15-day injured list earlier in the day.
Tidwell navigated the game’s final three innings to secure a save -- though he wasn’t aware of it.
“I'm walking out there, I'm like, congrats, man, first save,” recalled Susac with a smile. “And he's like, ‘What do you mean?’ I was like, ‘Your first save!’ He goes, ‘We're up by five.’ I’m like, ‘You went three innings.’
“‘What does that mean?’ I was like, ‘It's your first save.’ He didn't know it until after the game, but it was cool to experience that with him.”
The pair also experienced beer showers in the clubhouse afterward, doused in all types of liquids and condiments -- some that made Tidwell queasy, as “I don’t like sauces,” he explained.
“We probably took eight showers each to get rid of it,” said Susac.