San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman made a loud statement Wednesday night, smashing a 450-foot solo home run to center field in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. The blast came as Chapman continues to play while appealing a one-game MLB suspension for his role in a benches-clearing incident the night before.
The Giants slugger launched the towering home run off Rockies starter German Marquez, giving the club an early 1-0 lead in Game 3 of the series finale. The moment was described by The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders, who shared details about the monster home run on his X (formerly known as Twitter) account.
“#SFGiants Matt Chapman hits a statement homer to lead off the 2nd. 450 feet to center off #Rockies German Marquez.”
The home run marked Chapman’s 19th of the season and the 200th of his MLB career. His performance comes at a crucial time for a team surging back into the NL Wild Card race, having won nine of their last ten games heading into Wednesday.
Chapman’s appeal stems from a benches-clearing incident on Tuesday night, when he shoved Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland after Freeland shouted at teammate Rafael Devers for admiring a two-run homer in the first inning of Game 2 of the series. While Chapman was the only player suspended, fines were issued to Freeland, Willy Adames, and Devers. The appeal has allowed the third baseman to remain in the lineup for now.
Despite batting .229 on the year, Chapman continues to contribute with elite defense and timely power. His offensive production is proving vital for a Giants team that currently sits 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
If Chapman’s appeal is denied before Friday's matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals, he could miss a key opportunity to help the Giants build on their recent momentum. Either way, his 450-foot home run in Denver sent a clear message — the Giants are fighting to stay in the playoff race, and they’re not backing down. If San Francisco holds on to its current 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning, they’ll be in strong position to secure a third straight win in the series and continue closing the gap in the NL Wild Card race.
