The Giants socked three home runs during their four-game sweep to the Dodgers earlier this week.
Across the Bay Bridge and away from Dodger blue, San Francisco rediscovered some power.
In two Bay Bridge Series games, the Giants doubled their home run output against LA, six to three. Mike Yastrzemski’s first home run opened the scoring and his second put the game out of reach. Thairo Estrada, fresh off the injured list, split them with a two-run shot.
The homers supported Logan Webb, who threw seven strong innings despite not having his best stuff. It added up to a 6-4 Giants (53-55) win — their fifth since the mid-July All-Star break.
The first hit of the game, for either side, left Oakland Coliseum.
Yastrzemski reached over the plate for an Adrian Martinez sinker and pulled it 409 feet into the State Farm signage in right-center for a solo shot. Only once before had he homered on an 0-2 pitch in his career.
Yastrzemski, like most of his teammates, had been struggling in the past few weeks. His last home run before Sunday came on July 15, and he was hitting .114 in 13 games after the All-Star break.
But his shot gave the Giants a 1-0 lead. They chased out Martinez with another run in the fifth, but left the bases jammed.
Webb had dealt four no-hit frames, but then Crawford coughed up a grounder up the middle. The shortstop is back from the injured list to stabilize San Francisco’s defense that ranks last in MLB, but he’s already committed 12 errors in 72 games.
Crawford has the lowest fielding percentage of his 12-year career, but the talent is still there — he made a phenomenal play ranging to his right to end the sixth inning.
Oakland capitalized on Crawford’s error, as former Giant Skye Bolt drove home Vimael Machin with a single up the middle. But Webb prevented a game-breaking inning.
Then Estrada, in his first game back from the concussion injured list, ripped his 10th home run of the season off A.J. Puk. Like Yastrzemski, the infielder pulled an 0-2 fastball deep.
A week ago, Estrada was hit in the helmet by a Mark Leiter Jr. changeup. That type of injury can be traumatic and impact a player’s comfortability in the batter’s box even when healthy. His two-run dinger — in just his third at-bat — is a strong signal Estrada is unshaken.
Yastrzemski followed Estrada with an eighth-inning homer to straightaway center. His fourth career multi-home run game pushed the Giants over the top and allowed Webb to exit after seven innings.
Webb battled scattered command issues, often missing arm-side on his changeup. He walked three A’s and hit another, but limited damage by pitching to contact and keeping the ball on the ground.
Seth Brown, scorching since the All-Star break, tagged Dominic Leone for a two-run homer down the right field line. But the Giants’ homers held as John Brebbia got SF out of a jam in the eighth and Camilo Doval earned the save.
This weekend series in Oakland was a shot in the arm for San Francisco’s offense. Joey Bart, LaMonte Wade Jr. and J.D. Davis each homered on Saturday before the finale trifecta. Sunday was the 16th time the Giants hit at least three home runs in a game.
For the Giants to make a playoff run, the bats will have to replicate this weekend’s liveliness. The fielding, in all likelihood, can only improve incrementally, making a high-octane offense crucial. But with postseason odds in the single digits and 15 remaining games against the Dodgers and Padres, it won’t be easy.
