The ovation began to build the moment Pablo Sandoval bounded up the dugout stairs. He strode to the batter’s box, twisted both batting gloves tight against his palms and tapped the end of his bat against his toes. Left, right, left, right.



He took a deep breath in the seventh inning Sunday afternoon, just like he has done in his 2,093 previous trips to the plate in the Giants’ waterfront park. This breath might have been a bit deeper.



He allowed himself a moment of full awareness: the sound of a cheering crowd that had embraced him once again, the sun glinting off the metal bleachers, the refreshing breeze curling around the right-field stands, the giant glove and the stray seagull and the expanse of grass that he has found with so many line drives over the years.



“This ballpark is special,” Sandoval said. “I know Triples Alley, I know everybody complains about it, but I love being in this park. Hitting especially. We have the...