DENVER -- If Cory Gearrin's thoughts somehow could have been amplified on Coors Field's public-address system as he batted Saturday, nobody would have guessed he was about to get a hit in his first Major League plate appearance.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, that's really fast,'" Gearrin said, sharing his reaction to the 92 mph fastball he saw on the first pitch from Colorado reliever Gonzalez German in the eighth inning of the Giants' 10-5 victory.
Actually, just the bare facts of Gearrin's career suggested that singling through the right side of the infield, which the right-handed reliever accomplished, was a highly unlikely occurrence.
Having avoided swinging a bat since Spring Training began -- and having barely touched a bat throughout his previous nine professional seasons -- Gearrin wouldn't have remembered what it was like to face a fellow big league pitcher. He had two plate appearances with Triple-A Sacramento last year, but before that, he hadn't stepped in the batter's box since 2011 with Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate.
Gearrin whiffed on a sacrifice-bunt attempt on the first pitch he saw from German. Giants manager Bruce Bochy responded by rescinding his order for Gearrin to bunt.
"That first attempt wasn't too pretty," Bochy said.
Gearrin took another fastball for a strike before smashing his hit on a 93 mph fastball. It proved to be a key moment in the Giants' six-run uprising, since it loaded the bases and set up Gregor Blanco's two-run single.
"It was really fun," said Gearrin, who also earned the decision by pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. "I'll definitely always remember that."