Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The venue, the day and the opponent changed. The spring training stars for the Giants did not.
Another day, another mammoth shot by Zach Green. Another appearance for Darin Ruf, another blast, though this one stayed in the park by a fraction, and the 33-year-old wound up with a triple.
The Giants have long been searching for righty power, and while mirages are prominent in Arizona, they will give every opportunity for Green and Ruf to prove themselves otherwise.
“I think it continues to encourage us to get as many looks as possible and see as much baseball as possible,” Gabe Kapler said about Green and Ruf after the Giants’ 11-7 loss to the Indians at Goodyear Ballpark on Monday. “… They’ve been getting quite a few reps, both of them. They’ve earned those reps. Even the last ball Ruffie hit to center field was right on the barrel.”
The last ball he hit, a ninth-inning deep fly to center that was tracked down, snapped a 7-for-7 streak that included two home runs (Saturday), three doubles (Sunday) and his triple (Monday). Ruf hopped on an offering from righty Adam Cimber and nearly recorded his fourth Cactus League home run. Because of his out, the first baseman/left fielder’s slashline plummeted to .458/.481/1.083 in 27 plate appearances as he tries to win a job after three seasons in South Korea.
Green does not have as good a shot at an Opening Day gig, but if he’s destined for Triple-A Sacramento, he’s already building the resume to get called up. Coming off September hip surgery, Green was slow-played at the onset of camp and has responded by going on a tear. He walked twice Monday, and the one pitch he got to see was demolished.
With two on in the sixth, the righty Green hit a tee shot off righty Nick Wittgren, bouncing off the left-field scoreboard. His blast Saturday may have traveled 500 feet, and if this one didn’t match it, it got awfully close.
“Greenie’s hit about 1,000 feet of home run distance the last couple days,” Kapler said of the former Phillies prospect whose slashline is now .462/.533/1.231. “It’s been pretty impressive.”
Green will not oust Evan Longoria off the hot corner, but he has been getting looks at first and could be flexed to a corner outfield spot. If his bat does not cool off, the Giants will find a way to see more of it.
The Giants do not need to see as much from Alex Dickerson, but they’ll take hopeful doses all the same. Dickerson joined the party, crushing a 1-0 pitch to right-center off Aaron Civale in the second for his first home run of camp. He hustled around the bases, looking enthused and did not slow down much once he hit the dugout.
“He murdered that ball,” Kapler said. “It was blistered. I think he felt good about that pass and that’s why you saw him get around the bases like he did. Really good swing on that ball.”