In Photos: Emmy-winning actor & LGBTQ icon Billy Porter performs national anthem ahead of Giants game at Oracle Park

Emmy-winning actor & LGBTQ icon Billy Porter performs national anthem ahead of Giants game at Oracle Park (Image Credit: GETTY)
Emmy-winning actor & LGBTQ icon Billy Porter performs national anthem ahead of Giants game at Oracle Park (Image Credits: GETTY)

The Emmy, Grammy, and two-time Tony Award winner Billy Porter sang the National Anthem at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, before the second Dodger-Giants on Saturday. The Giants fans were mesmerized by Porter’s voice in the video shared by Oracle Park (@oraclepark) on Instagram.

“Singing the National Anthem tonight: Billy Porter, the Grand Marshal for this year’s Pride Parade in San Francisco,” @oraclepark captioned the post.

NBA star Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors was also spotted in the stands during the Giants pre-game program.

However, the Giants didn’t get a good ending and lost 7-14 to the Dodgers, evening the series and bringing their season record to 40-44. The loss was particularly disappointing considering the Giants held a 5-2 lead in the third inning.


The Giants need to prepare for a tough division struggle

The NL West, the SF Giants' group, is a tough division in the National League, especially this season with rivals like the Dodgers spending freely to acquire some of the league's top talents. Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have made them a formidable force.

To level the playing field, the San Diego Padres, another member of the NL West, made some mid-season trades and acquired players like Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez. Those moves worked well for them as they currently hold a 46-42 season record, trailing only the division-leading Dodgers (52-32).

Adding to the challenge, the Arizona Diamondbacks also belong to the same division. They were last year’s World Series runners-up, and currently are 40-43 this season, sitting in the third position.

Meanwhile, the Giants, who also added several stars during the offseason, including Jorge Soler, Jung Hoo Lee, and Blake Snell, are in fourth place in the division. The only team behind them are Colorado Rockies with a 27-55 record.

There’s not much difference between these teams, except for the Rockies, and can switch places depending on how they perform in the upcoming series. In June, the Giants went 11-15, with one more game remaining, which is their worst performance in recent months.

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