'Unbelievable' Fitzgerald's multi-HR game leads to another Bondsian feat

SAN FRANCISCO -- For the second time this week, Tyler Fitzgerald’s homer binge has put him in the same conversation as Giants legend Barry Bonds.

Fitzgerald crushed two more home runs in an 11-4 rout of the last-place Rockies at Oracle Park on Friday night, making him the first Giant to collect seven blasts in an eight-game span since Bonds in 2004.

“That’s pretty cool,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s just one of those weird things that kind of happens. I’m not really trying to hit homers, but God’s got plans in store for me, I guess.”

The 26-year-old infielder also entered into Bondsian territory when he homered in five consecutive games earlier this week, though his impressive streak came to an end when the Dodgers managed to keep him in the yard on Wednesday and Thursday in Los Angeles.

Still, Fitzgerald got back to his slugging ways on Friday night, hammering a towering two-run shot off Colorado left-hander Kyle Freeland in the fourth before adding another two-run blast off right-hander Tyler Kinley in the sixth. It was the first career multihomer game for Fitzgerald, who is now batting .330 with a 1.060 OPS and eight homers over 42 games this year.

“That’s the guy you need to be talking about,” left-hander Kyle Harrison said. “The dude is unbelievable. That second home run, I was just sitting there and I couldn’t believe it. I’m like, ‘Is this guy real? Is he on this planet?’ Great teammate, too. I can’t say enough great things about that guy. I wish the best for him. He’s killing it.”

The hot-hitting Fitzgerald has now collected an extra-base hit in eight straight games, the second-longest streak by a Giants rookie since at least 1900, trailing only Hack Wilson’s nine-game stretch in 1924.

“I’m seeing the ball really well,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m seeing the spin. I’m seeing everything they throw at me and just going up there and trying to do damage. Earlier in the year, when I wasn’t playing much, I was just trying to get on base. Now I’m kind of going up there, not to hit a homer, but swinging a little bit harder and trying to do damage like the coaches want me to do. This is probably the most I’ve ever hit in a seven- or eight-game span in my life, but it’s just one of those things that’s weird. Baseball’s a weird sport.”

Fitzgerald earned a spot on the Giants’ Opening Day roster as a utility man, but he ended up being optioned to Triple-A Sacramento three times before finally getting a chance to play regularly following the release of veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed and the ongoing struggles of Thairo Estrada, who landed back on the 10-day injured list with a left wrist sprain on Friday.

He’s now emerging as a key catalyst in the second half, prompting manager Bob Melvin to move him into the No. 2 spot in the lineup in each of the last two games.

“He’s just relaxed now,” Melvin said. “He’s getting consistent playing time. There’s a ton of ability there. There’s power, there’s speed. He plays multiple positions. There’s a lot to like. Last year, when I saw him on the other side, you just see the athletic ability and you look up the numbers and the homers and everything he can do. It was just a matter of giving him a chance to play consistently. He’s showing what he has to offer right now.”

Fitzgerald and leadoff man Jorge Soler combined to go 6-for-8 with three home runs, seven RBIs and seven runs scored to back another stellar start from Harrison, who struck out 11 over 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. Harrison allowed only one hit -- a leadoff single to Michael Toglia in the third -- and walked two while lowering his ERA to 1.52 (four earned runs over 23 2/3 innings) over four starts against the Rockies this year.

The Giants outhit the Rockies by a 14-5 margin, with Heliot Ramos capping the club’s offensive outburst with a three-run shot off left-hander Ty Blach in the eighth.

San Francisco will have to keep stringing together these types of wins to convince president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to keep the band together ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline, but Friday marked a step in the right direction, particularly following the club’s deflating 2-5 road trip through Colorado and Los Angeles.

“Obviously, we’ve played a lot better at home,” Melvin said. “Our record is a lot better at home, so just getting back here was a little bit of an exhale after a tough trip. There’s a lot ahead of us right now. We’re just trying to narrow it down to one game at a time, and this was a good start to have a good game.”