What we learned from Flores’ multi-homer game fuels Giants’ victory

What we learned from Flores’ multi-homer game fuels Giants’ victory originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area

ARLINGTON – When Bob Melvin first visited Globe Life Field years ago, he looked at the spacious outfield and high walls and wondered how anyone could hit a ball into the seats. The stadium has become more hitter-friendly over the years, but still, Friday’s victory was an impressive showing for the Giants lineup.

San Francisco hit three homers for the second consecutive game, defeating the defending champion Texas Rangers 5-2 in their first visit to Arlington since former coach Bruce Bochy took over. A lineup that had just two multi-homer games on this trip got a pair from Wilmer Flores and a go-ahead shot from Michael Conforto.

The Giants wasted some good opportunities early, and when the Rangers scored a pair in the fifth, it looked like Logan Webb might have another unlucky night. But Conforto took advantage of a 3-2 central cut from David Robertson and changed the game.

The win was the second in a row for the Giants and brought them back within two games of .500. The Rangers, who dealt with injuries and poor performance, fell to 30-33.

Flo seriously

Flores has hit just one home run in his first 50 games this year. He now has four in 52 games.

Two days after hitting a grand slam at Chase Field, Flores threw solo pitches in the second and fourth innings.

The multi-homer game was the ninth of his career and first since July 2023 in Cincinnati, and it was the third this year by a Giant. Flores joined Matt Chapman, who did it at Petco Park during the opening series, and Thairo Estrada, who did it when San Francisco visited the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Giants will be without LaMonte Wade Jr. for at least the next few weeks. Flores’ early-season slump was so pronounced that the team gave Trenton Brooks a few starts to try to make up for some of the production lost when Wade was injured, but it appears that Flores is ready to reclaim his role as an everyday player in the heart of the lineup. .

Going deep

Webb sailed through the first four innings, striking out five and facing just one hitter over the minimum. After hitting 94 mph just five times in his first 13 starts, he did it three times in the first two innings on Friday, including a 94.8 mph sinker to Jonah Heim that was his fastest pitch of the year.

The Rangers finally got to Webb in the fifth, though even that inning didn’t look much different than the rest of his start. Texas had three singles and a hustle double in the inning, scoring twice, but two of the balls were hit into the ground and a third was a broken flare to right that left the bat at 69 mph.

Webb came back after that inning to retire six in a row, passing seventh for the eighth time this season. He returned to the top of the MLB innings leaderboard.

I can not stop will not stop

Heliot Ramos started in the center for the first time this season, but he wasn’t really tested there. At the moment, he also doesn’t appear to be facing much resistance at the base.

Ramos had three more hits, raising his average to .320 and his OPS to .931. The multi-hit game was Ramos’ sixth in the last 10 and the three hits were a season high.

Among NL players with at least 100 plate appearances, Ramos ranks fifth in average and fourth in OPS. His ability to play center also came in handy on Friday as it allowed Bob Melvin to choose his preferred field alignment. Conforto, playing left field, hit his eighth home run of the year and first since returning from the IL.

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