One swing from Rafael Devers can change a broadcast. It cannot change a run line by itself. His 32nd home run of the season gave the Giants an early jolt against the Pirates, the kind of at bat that gets replayed and posted before the game is halfway over. But San Francisco isn't just favored to win in Pittsburgh, they're favored by a run and a half, which means the Devers homer has to be the start of something instead of the whole story.
The Pirates have made a habit of hanging around in games they have no business hanging around in, and a one run deficit is nothing to a lineup with nothing left to lose in September. So the Giants are staring at a familiar problem: they got the moment, now they need the separation. Devers gave them the highlight. Whether San Francisco turns that into a cover, or Pittsburgh claws it back to a one run margin, is the entire question on the board tonight.