Giants Notes: Red-hot Ramos continues contributions with bat and glove

Giants Notes: Red-hot Ramos continues contributions with bat and glove originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

The center field wall at Chase Field is 25 feet high, and in right-center, where the wall gives way to a famous pool deck, you need to hit at least 413 feet to hit a home run. It’s not usually an area where right-handed hitters have success, but Heliot Ramos didn’t hesitate when he made contact with a slider in the seventh inning on Monday night.

Ramos’ right hand came off the bat and he immediately started his home run trot. He hit a Ryne Nelson shot from 420 feet, and the ball bounced off a raised deck before falling back onto the field.

Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll seemed surprised he never got a chance to make a play, but now that’s how it’s going for Ramos. His natural strength, one of the main reasons the Giants drafted him in the first round seven years ago, is on full display.

The home run was Ramos’ second in as many days and fourth in 24 games since being recovered from Triple-A. He has an .838 OPS, and even with the Giants getting regulars back, he’s not going anywhere.

“From the moment he got here, he played with a lot of confidence,” coach Bob Melvin told reporters in Phoenix. “He’s playing on the left, playing on the right, we’ve got him everywhere in the lineup, from midfield to attack. He continues to play with a lot of energy. He’s playing very well.”

Ramos moved to the right with Michael Conforto back in the lineup and made two athletic catches. He ran over a Joc Pederson liner who left the bat at 111 mph and also stole extra bases from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a liner that had a 20 percent catch probability, per Statcast.

After Giants defeat 4-2 For the Diamondbacks on Monday at Chase Field, Ramos said he was getting good jumpers and was confident he would make both catches.

“I’m just making the right decisions,” Ramos told reporters in Phoenix. “I’m being aggressive in my decisions, trusting myself, trusting my instincts.

He’s also making life easier for Melvin, who spends his mornings trying to figure out how to boost an offense that has scored 14 runs in the last six games, losing five of them. The coach moved Mike Yastrzemski to center to keep Ramos in the lineup along with Conforto, and that seems likely to happen often given Luis Matos’ recent struggles.

It will be at least a few more days before any other changes are made to the outfield. Austin Slater’s rehab mission will reach its second week when he plays for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday night.

Mixing and matching

Spencer Howard wasn’t as sharp the second time around, but left after allowing just two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Given that he has pitched two bulk inning appearances, he could certainly be in line to start soon.

The Giants were already down to just four starters before Blake Snell was injured, and Snell will miss at least a few runs — and probably more — afterward. being placed in IL Monday with a left groin strain. Snell will have an MRI on Tuesday to determine the severity of the strain, but he previously missed 25 games with the same injury.

Melvin said after Monday’s loss that he will see how the bullpen is doing before making any decisions. Keaton Winn will begin rehab on Tuesday, so he’ll be back soon as well.

It will be a while before the Giants have other options. Robbie Ray will begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday in Arizona, but he’s still at least a month away from returning. Alex Cobb and Tristan Beck are in the recovery phase, returning from injuries.

Wrong direction

The five-game losing streak is the longest of the season for the Giants, who have not lost six in a row since the first week of September last season. It was a difficult way to kick off what could later be seen as a crucial step in the NL Wild Card race.

After a week against the two best teams in baseball, the Giants won’t face a team above .500 until they host the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 28. After this series, they visit Arlington to face the Texas Rangers, the other team from last year’s World Series. Next they will host the Houston Astros, who are 26-34 but still the Astros, followed by the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.

The Diamondbacks, Cubs and Cardinals are competing for Wild Card spots this season. All three National League division leaders – the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers – opened seven-game leads.

Coach’s room

Nick Ahmed’s rehab assignment was cut short after he felt discomfort in his left wrist during a Triple-A game on Saturday. This was Ahmed’s first appearance in rehab and the Giants said he will be limited for the next two to three days. Thairo Estrada is also dealing with a thumb injury, so San Francisco went young on Monday with Brett Wisely and Casey Schmitt in the middle of the field. Wisely had two hits and Schmitt had a single.

Marco Luciano (hamstring) will resume baseball activities this week. He has been cleared to pitch, hit and start a run progression, although given the way Wisely and Schmitt have swung the bat recently, his next game action will likely be at Triple-A.

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