SAN FRANCISCO — At some point for just about every big league hitter, the moment comes. But few can say they did it in as cool a way as Christian Koss.
The rookie infielder picked up his first career home run on a grand slam to left that gave the Giants the lead for good on Tuesday night. He became the 17th player in franchise history to hit a slam for his first big league homer, and the first since Brandon Crawford in 2011 to have it be a go-ahead slam.
The moment was memorable, even if Koss will have to piece some of it together with replays. He blacked out as he ran the bases. It was the way you dream it up in just about every way, except one.
Koss hits a GRAND SLAM for his first big league homer ‼ pic.twitter.com/XMGawZRNmU
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 14, 2025
“I kinda messed up the handshake with Willy [Adames],” he said after a 10-6 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “He kinda got on me for it, but I haven’t been in that position before.”
To be fair to Koss, the handshake appeared to be a very complex one.
“The moment got a little too big,” he said, laughing. “I panicked a little.”
"Kind of blacked out running the bases."
Christian Koss reflects on his first MLB home run 👏 pic.twitter.com/pwmu2wpHwT
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 14, 2025
Koss’ slam wiped out an early three-run deficit and Robbie Ray did the rest, getting through six to become the first Giant since John Burkett in 1993 to go 6-0 through his first nine starts. The Giants have won all nine of them, and this one snapped a four-game skid that included three one-run performances from a lineup that saw a shakeup Monday afternoon.
Adames was moved down, and after two days of working on a smaller, calmer leg kick, he hit a homer to left and came a few feet away from putting one in the arcade. Jung Hoo Lee did clear that wall, picking up his first homer at Oracle Park this year and doing so on Korean Heritage Night.
The Lee blast got the biggest pop from the 30,960 in attendance. But it was the Koss slam that made the biggest difference.
“That home run brought in a different vibe, a different energy in the dugout,” Lee said.
Ray called it “huge,” saying the players had a sense that Koss might do something noteworthy. He has looked comfortable with runners on base all year, but this was something different. Koss got a low sinker and blasted it into the first row in left.
“He’ll never forget that moment,” Ray said. “He’ll be telling his grandchildren about it.”
For now, there’s just one young child in the Koss family. She was there on Opening Day in Cincinnati as Koss celebrated making the initial roster with a strong spring, and he has shown enough defensive versatility to stick on a roster that is desperate for more offense from the bottom of the lineup.
Christian Koss' family witnessed his first MLB at-bat 🧡 pic.twitter.com/sJNWCZ49qZ
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 2, 2025
Koss made the team in part because of how simple his swing is in bigger spots. If there’s a runner on second, he’ll try to slap the ball to the right side. If he needs to move a runner over, he’s shown he can do that, too. It’s an old-school approach, and if the Giants need a spark, well, apparently he’ll hit a slam.
“You definitely don’t draw up a grand slam as the first one,” he said. “Even in that situation, I wasn’t really trying to put a big swing on it. I was trying to stay out of a double play and elevate something. I put a good swing on it.”
