UCLA's Brandon Crawford Makes Grand MLB Debut With Giants
May 28, 2011
MILWAUKEE - Former UCLA shortstop Brandon Crawford went 1-for-3 with a grand slam in his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on Friday night at Miller Park, leading his hometown team past Milwaukee, 5-4.
After going hitless in his first two at-bats, Crawford stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the seventh inning. He deposited the first pitch of his at-bat against Milwaukee starting right-hander Shaun Marcum into the San Francisco bullpen beyond the fence in right-center field.
Crawford's blast handed the Giants' a 5-3 lead and provided the former UCLA standout with a debut he will never forget. San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum and the Giants' bullpen clamped down, preserving the lead in a 5-4 victory.
"All the Bruins are very excited for Brandon," seventh-year UCLA head coach John Savage said. "It was a special moment to have his major league career start with a grand slam. He played a major role in our program for three years, and we are thrilled to see him have this opportunity in the big leagues."
A native of Pleasanton, Calif., and product of Foothill High School, Crawford was drafted by San Francisco in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB Draft after helping lead UCLA to an NCAA Regional Final at Cal State Fullerton the previous weekend.
Crawford became just the sixth player in major league history to launch a grand slam in his major league debut. In fact, Crawford became the first Giant to accomplish that feat since Bobby Bonds in 1968.
Crawford's major-league heroics came as UCLA's baseball team pulled off a much-needed 10-3 victory at Arizona State, pushing the current Bruins' ballclub into a tie with Oregon State for first place in the Pac-10 Conference standings with two games to play in the regular season.
A three-year starting shortstop for UCLA from 2006 through 2008, Crawford broke a finger during the final week of Spring Training in March, delaying the start of his 2011 season in the minor leagues. He spent the last two weeks playing for the San Jose Giants (high-A, California League) before earning his first big league promotion on Thursday. He batted .322 with three home runs, one triple, five doubles and 15 RBI in 14 games for San Jose this month.
Crawford and the Giants continue their three-game series against Milwaukee on Saturday at 1:10 p.m. The UCLA baseball team takes on Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz., in the evening at 6:30 p.m.
READ MORE ABOUT CRAWFORD'S MLB DEBUT
Brandon Crawford's slam in debut lifts Giants - San Francisco Chronicle
Brandon Crawford's slam in debut lifts San Francisco Giants - San Jose Mercury News
Crawford slams Giants to win in MLB debut - MLB.com
Giants rookie Crawford gets grand slam in first game - KGO-TV (ABC-TV, San Francisco)