Longoria making up for lost time
Tie-breaking home run caps his three-hit game
PHOENIX >> No player appeared in more major league games over the previous five seasons than Evan Longoria, the former Tampa Bay Rays ironman who showed up in at least 156 box scores every season from 2013-2017.
So when a challenging first half with his new team was interrupted by a fastball that left him with a fractured pinky, the Giants third baseman was desperate to repair more than just his hand.
After a six-week stint on the disabled list Longoria is attempting to make up for lost time, and he did so Sunday by smashing three hits, including the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning to lead the Giants to a
3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“We fail so much in this game that you have a tendency to get down on yourself when you continually fail in those situations,” Longoria said. “It’s nice to have some success and be able to take that into the next plate appearance and just positivity.”
Longoria crushed a 97-mile per hour fastball over the 413-foot sign in left center field off of reliever Archie Bradley to untie the score and help the Giants secure their first winning trip of 2018. Though Longoria hit just .246 during the first half of the season, he’s raised his average 16 points since returning from his injury.
To finish off their fifth win in their last seven games and a 4-2 trip, the Giants needed Sam Dyson to escape a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and closer Will Smith to record his seventh save in eight chances.
The Giants split their series in Arizona and moved five games back in the National League West after starter Derek Holland worked
deeper into a game than any Giants pitcher had over the weekend.
“He’s adjusted well from bullpen to starter and nothing fazes him,” Bochy said. “That’s because of his personality.”
Holland’s most recent start at Chase Field lasted just 3 2/3 innings and was pulled from the rotation altogether following the outing. The left-hander’s poor start coupled with the return of Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija from the disabled list left the Giants with a surplus of starters, but the team’s situation has changed.
The Giants reinserted Holland into the rotation after Samardzija was placed on the disabled list and the left-hander has responded by keeping the Giants in the playoff hunt.
“This is one of those races now, it’s tight and we’ve got to get things going,” Holland said. “This is going to be a tough race. This is a great division and there’s good teams all the way around.”
After the D’backs roughed up starters Chris Stratton and Andrew Suárez on consecutive nights, the Giants needed a quality performance from Holland who turned in 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball. Despite allowing a solo homer to Steven Souza, Jr. in the bottom of the second and an RBI single to Ketel Marte in the fourth, Holland largely limited the D’backs’ opportunities.
Though the Giants offense had more chances to chase D’backs starter Robbie Ray early in the game, the team ran into four outs on the base paths and never scored multiple runs in an inning against the left-hander. San Francisco got on the board in the third inning as Longoria singled home Andrew McCutchen, who led off by reaching base in his seventh straight plate appearance.
Back in January, the Giants dreamt of days when both Longoria and McCutchen would be pacing the offensive effort, but those dreams have rarely been realized this season. Sunday’s game featured productivity from both players, as Longoria drove in two and scored two runs while McCutchen reached base three straight times to begin his afternoon.
“Cutch had quite a series, didn’t he?” Bochy said. “Buster’s been swinging well, Longo, that’s what it’s going to take. Those guys,
the veterans are the heart of our order and it was a good series by them.”
Since returning from the disabled list July 26, Longoria has recorded multiple hits in five of his 10 games and delivered five extra base hits and inspired confidence in Bochy to leave him in the third spot in the batting order moving forward.
“If there’s any time to get it going, it’s now,” Longoria said. “We need everybody to start clicking and scoring some runs. The pitching has been doing a great job.”
While Longoria and McCutchen are running out of chances to serve as catalysts for the Giants offense together due to McCutchen’s status as a pending free agent, the club should be particularly encouraged by Longoria’s resurgence at the plate considering he’s under contract through 2022.