SAN FRANCISCO–On Wednesday afternoon, the Giants’ starting center fielder and leadoff hitter slammed two doubles, scored a pair of runs and reached base in three of his four plate appearances.
It’s exactly what Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy wants at the top of the order, and exactly what San Francisco envisioned when it signed Denard Span two years ago.
Except on Wednesday, Span wasn’t the leadoff hitter. And he didn’t play center field. (He did start a seventh inning rally with a pinch hit double).
To lock up a series victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, Bochy placed his faith in reserve outfielder Gorkys Hernandez, who bumped his average up to .272 with another impressive showing on Wednesday.
After starting the 2017 season with just two hits in his first 33 at-bats, Hernandez’s averaged dipped all the way down to .065. By the end of May, the 29-year-old outfielder was still hitting just .175.
Bochy understood there were reservations about keeping Hernandez on the Giants’ 25-man roster, especially because of the team-wide struggles the Giants endured during the first half of the year. But as the season approaches the end of August, Hernandez has carved out a role for himself, and Bochy is glad the club stuck with him.
“We should talk about this guy,” Bochy said after Wednesday’s game. “Where he was and where he’s at now. He’s really done a great job coming off the bench. Spot starts. I know in the early go there, there was some noise being made. Should he be on this club? His defense, in fact he’s so good in center field. But he can hit. He had a tough time because he wasn’t getting a lot of playing time but this guy is playing as good of baseball as anybody.”
After hitting .359 in June and .316 in July, Hernandez entered Wednesday’s game hitting .333 in the month of August. The criticism surrounding Hernandez will always focus on his inability to hit for power, but that’s not why the Giants signed him.
San Francisco brought Hernandez in to serve as an extra outfielder, and provide the team with a strong defensive option, and lately, that’s exactly what he’s done.
“He gets two leadoff doubles today with nobody on, and we only scored one of them but we had another leadoff double and we couldn’t get him in,” Bochy said. “But the point being, how this guy has really found his game and come back after a rough, not just a couple of weeks, but we’re talking a couple of months. Keeping his head up, grinding and fighting through it. It’s really just been fun to watch how well he’s played.”
After Wednesday’s game, Hernandez reflected on the way he’s battled back from his monumental struggles, and said that he couldn’t turn the corner until after the All-Star break. Even though he played well in June, the All-Star break offered him an opportunity to hit the reset button, and since then, he’s been at the top of his game.
Though there will always be a faction of fans who believe the Giants are better off pursuing other outfielders, Bochy is pleased with the fact Hernandez has taken ownership of his role, and found a niche within the club. As for Hernandez, he’s comfortable as a spot starter and as a defensive replacement, and right now, he’s showing it on the field.
“I mean, those two months are over,” Hernandez said. “Now after the All-Star break, I start a new season and try to keep it simple, try to enjoy the game and when I have the opportunity to play, do the best for the team.”
