Solano keeps raking, lifts Giants with homer

SAN FRANCISCO -- The conditions presented unusual challenges for the Giants on Sunday afternoon at Oracle Park. The first-pitch temperature was clocked at a balmy 88 degrees, and smoke from the regional wildfires soon drifted into the ballpark and settled into a thick haze.

But the Giants overcame both the elements and an early deficit en route to defeating the D-backs, 4-2, to secure their fifth win in their past seven games. Chadwick Tromp, Donovan Solano and Brandon Belt each homered to bring San Francisco (20-21) within a game of .500, a mark it hasn’t reached since it was 5-5 last month.

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Solano delivered a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Belt added an insurance run with his fourth career pinch-hit homer in the seventh. Belt has emerged as one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the past few weeks and is now batting .491 (27-for-55) with six homers, eight doubles and 11 walks over his past 19 games.

The Giants improved to 7-2 against the D-backs, who they will face for the 10th and final time this year in Monday's series finale. With three weeks to go in the 60-game regular season, San Francisco remains in the mix for a National League Wild Card spot and seems to be rounding into form at the right time.

“We’re kind of hitting our stride as a baseball team right now,” left fielder Alex Dickerson said.

Here’s a look at three keys to Sunday’s comeback win:

1. Cueto escapes bases-loaded jam
The D-backs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a leadoff home run by Tim Locastro and a sacrifice fly by Josh Rojas, but veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto settled in and faced the minimum over the next three innings.

Still, Arizona threatened again in the fifth after Nick Ahmed and Jake Lamb opened the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no outs. After Jon Jay popped out in foul territory, Locastro attempted to execute a safety squeeze, but first baseman Wilmer Flores charged the ball and threw to Tromp to nail Ahmed at the plate.

“I think that was the most important play of the game,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “The safety squeeze is such a difficult play to make, and it's such a difficult thing to defend. If he doesn't make that play at the plate, not only do they score the run, but we also haven't recorded an out. I think he understood that that play was coming. He was right on top of it, made an awesome read, left first base early and made a great throw to the plate.”

Kole Calhoun then drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, but Cueto avoided damage by striking out David Peralta swinging on a changeup to end the inning. Cueto, who took a no-decision after giving up two runs over 5 2/3 innings, celebrated the big strikeout with an emphatic fist pump.

2. Ruf, Dickerson shine on defense
Cueto didn’t have a chance to bail himself out of a second bases-loaded jam, as Kapler went to his bullpen after the D-backs rallied again in the sixth. Former Giant Stephen Vogt doubled and Ahmed and Lamb drew consecutive walks to load the bases with two outs, prompting Kapler to bring in rookie Caleb Baragar to face the left-handed-hitting Jon Jay.

Jay hit a sinking liner to left field, but Darin Ruf came in to make a sliding catch to end the inning and keep the D-backs from expanding their 2-1 lead.

“I was just really trying to make a good break on the ball,” Ruf said. “Luckily, I was able to bring it in.”

Dickerson replaced Ruf in left field in the seventh and soon delivered his own standout play, diving to snag a fly ball off the bat of Carson Kelly in the eighth. The D-backs challenged the call after Dickerson appeared to potentially trap the ball, but the 30-year-old was credited with a catch following a replay review.

“I was honestly just as curious as anybody else,” Dickerson said. “It was so fast and so close that I wasn't sure whether I'd gotten my thumb under the ball or not. It definitely wasn't like a super clean catch. There was some rattling around, but I was kind of hoping it was one of those where it hits the thumb and stays in the glove and bounces in. That's kind of what it felt like. But it's really hard to tell in the heat of the moment. I knew it was going to be close. I’m glad it stood.”

The Giants struggled defensively early in the season, but their fielding began to stabilize after Evan Longoria and Belt returned from the injured list and shored up the corner-infield spots. But as Flores, Ruf and Dickerson showed on Sunday, the rest of the club’s players have also gotten more comfortable on defense now that they’ve had time to settle into the season following the three-week Summer Camp.

“I think the reason we're not talking about it now is because we're 40 games into the season,” Ruf said. “A lot of it was just getting the reps, getting the positioning down. Just getting back into the baseball rhythm of playing games and things like that. I think especially with us, but all across baseball, I think you're seeing a little bit cleaner baseball. Guys are just starting to settle into playing the game again.”

3. Donnie Barrels strikes again
After Ruf helped keep the Giants within one run, the offense got back to work and erased the deficit with Solano’s third home run of the year. Austin Slater singled to lead off the sixth, and Solano followed by driving a first-pitch changeup from Alex Young to left field to put the Giants in front, 3-2.

“Donovan Solano is a guy that's not necessarily known for his power, but he can keep the ball in the gaps and once in a while, put it in the seats,” Kapler said. “It's nice to know that up and down our lineup right now, we have some guys who can do damage.”