Bochy marvels at HR surge

Giants manager Bruce Bochy pointed to more than lively baseballs to explain this year’s home run surge throughout the game.

Majorleague teams are on pace to smack more than 6,600 homers in 2019, which would shatter the singleseason record of 6,105 set two years ago.

“It hasn’t affected us,” Bochy said Friday, mindful of his team’s meager total of 74, thirdfewest in the majors. “But all kidding aside, it certainly looks like the ball is different. And the bats are different, they’re harder and lighter.

“Between the two, I think that’s the reason we’ve seen so many home runs. Is it good for the game? It’s changed the game a little bit, sure. A lot of teams are getting away from small ball.”

The Giants won three World Series titles leaning on pitching and defense more than power.

So, not surprisingly, Bochy prefers “small ball” to the game’s current iteration.

“I like what’s been our success, and that’s pitching and defense and figure out a way to win a tight game,” he said. “But if I had four or five home run hitters, I’d probably answer a little bit differently.”

Crawford reaches landmark: Shortstop Brandon Crawford lugged a .218 batting average into Friday night’s game against Arizona. Then he continued his resurgence with hits in his first three atbats, including a sixthinning double that was the 1,000th hit of his

majorleague career.

Crawford is hitting .349 (15for43) over his past 12 games, with nine doubles and eight RBIs. Crawford also stroked an oppositefield double down the leftfield line in his first atbat Friday night.

“He looks a little freer up there,” Bochy said. “He looks free and easy.”

Duggar update: Outfielder Steven Duggar, who has missed the past 10 games with a strained lower back, will begin a rehabilitation assignment Saturday at TripleA Sacramento.

Duggar went through one

final running and throwing session Friday in San Francisco, without any problems. Bochy also is encouraged that Duggar is regaining some of the 10 to 15 pounds he’s lost since the start of the season.

Back to work: Giants lefthander Drew Pomeranz returns to the mound Saturday night for the first time since he matched his career high with 11 strikeouts in Monday night’s 20 loss to Colorado. Pomeranz has dropped six of his past seven decisions.