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Giants reliever thrust into spotlight, expecting ‘outrageous’ cheering section in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — When Sam Coonrod earned his first major league win for the Giants, it was easy to see why the organization believed in his abilities.

The rookie right-hander blew through the heart of the Chicago Cubs order, striking out Javier Báez with a 97-mile per hour fastball, punching out Kris Bryant with a 99-mile per hour fastball, and inducing a weak groundout from Anthony Rizzo.

In the 13th inning of a 4-4 game, Coonrod stared down three All-Stars and earned three consecutive outs. In the bottom of the frame, Pablo Sandoval hit a walk-off home run to make Coonrod a winner.