Griffin Conine hits 1st career HR in Marlins’ win over Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — No metrics are necessary to show that the baseball Griffin Conine nearly hit into McCovey Cove was absolutely obliterated.

Look no further than the cover of the ball, which was flecked with yellow paint where it clanged off the right-field foul pole for a two-run blast, the first home run of Conine’s big league career.

It’s a unique feature to a souvenir that Conine hopes is the first of many.

“I think it’ll make my way to my dad’s memorabilia room,” Conine said after Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Giants. “And then hopefully, eventually, I’ll have a room I can put it in.”

Conine’s dad, of course, is none other than Mr. Marlin himself, Jeff Conine. The younger Conine had a text waiting from his dad after celebrating his Major League first, with a phone call imminent.

The milestone round-tripper came in the top of the second inning, when Conine stepped in for his first at-bat of the series with Jonah Bride on first base. The 27-year-old right fielder saw nothing but fastballs from Giants starter Mason Black and was able to put the barrel on a 1-2 offering at the top of the zone.

The result was a scorcher; the ball was hit at a blistering 112.5 mph off the bat and traveled a Statcast-projected 401 feet. Conine took a long look after he made contact, making sure the ball stayed fair before beginning his trip around the bases.

“Just craziness,” Conine said. “I felt like I couldn’t hear anything, and I heard everything at the same time. I felt like I was floating. It was just a dream-like scenario.”

After ricocheting off the pole, the ball was scooped up by a lucky fan, who turned it over to Conine in exchange for a photo, bat and ball.

The Marlins were well aware of Conine’s potential for power. He led Triple-A Jacksonville with 19 homers before getting his first call to the Majors on Aug. 26. His Minor League track record speaks to that ability, as he went deep 20 or more times in each of the prior four seasons.

Through five Major League games, three of Conine’s four hits have gone for extra bases.

“He’s doing the most with this opportunity,” manager Skip Schumaker said. “He’s taking advantage of it. I’m going to throw him out there against righties; he’s doing some damage against righties, some slug that we don’t have.”

The power isn’t the only thing Schumaker likes about Conine’s game. He also pointed to an at-bat that won’t stand out in the box score.

The Marlins led 3-2 heading into the seventh inning, having picked up another run on Connor Norby’s solo shot in the sixth. After Otto Lopez led off the seventh by drawing a walk and stealing second base, Conine hit a grounder to second.

It was an out, but a productive one, as Lopez moved over to third base and later scored a necessary insurance run on a David Hensley groundout.

“It’s just not all slug, just not all strength,” Schumaker said. “It just shows you that his brain works, and he knows how to do this thing. That means he’s a winning baseball player. Again, not surprised, the way he grew up, that he’s a winning baseball player, but I just like how he goes about it.”

The production at the plate helped Edward Cabrera, who allowed a pair of runs (one earned) across 5 1/3 innings, bookend his solid August with winning decisions. And after a disappointing series opener in San Francisco, in which the Marlins’ slim lead was swept away in the late innings, Miami was firing on all cylinders on Saturday as the club improved to 21-17 in one-run games.

“We’re just putting together good at-bats,” Conine said. “I think San Fran’s a good team, just a tough place to play on the road. Electric atmosphere. … I think just putting together good at-bats, [being] able to scrape a couple more runs across and edge one out — great pitching on our end as well.”