Diamondbacks’ Randal Grichuk pops 2 home runs vs. Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk drove two home runs in Arizona’s 8-7 win at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.

Grichuk has four home runs in his last four starts, getting hot at the perfect time considering outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. landed on the injured list with a calf strain before first pitch Tuesday. Grichuk popped only four home runs in 83 games before this stretch after hitting at least 16 every season since 2015 — excluding his 12 in 2020.

Arizona jumped to a 7-1 lead after Grichuk’s second home run — against right-hander Tristan Beck — just fell over the leaping Heliot Ramos’ glove in the fifth inning.

Randal Grichuk homers for the second time tonight to extend the @Dbacks lead 🚀 pic.twitter.com/QL3ta3g6ai

— MLB (@MLB) September 4, 2024

His first homer, a two-run shot off Giants left-handed starter Kyle Harrison, was crushed 410 feet to deep center field in the first inning. He went yard on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.

“The longer it goes, the better off you are just in the aspect of timing, feeling your body, making adjustments pitch-to-pitch mechanically,” Grichuk said. “Riding out your hips longer, stride length … seeing pitches you can recognize earlier and laying off pitches out of the zone or putting better swings on balls as the at-bat gets longer.”

He gave Arizona an early 3-0 lead, and the D-backs piled on to knock Harrison out of the game in the third inning.

Grichuk has 12 career multi-homer games, but Tuesday was his first since 2022. He is also one home run shy of reaching 200 for his career.

Grichuk sends our bullpen a souvenir! pic.twitter.com/UF5ycgHbRe

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) September 4, 2024

“He’s hot, and when he’s hot, he can carry a ballclub,” manager Torey Lovullo said. “The two-run home run let us exhale a little bit in the dugout. After a grinding series against the Dodgers (1-3) and a tough homestand (2-5), we got out to an early lead. I think we collectively felt better.”

The 33-year-old veteran saw his playing time dip in August with so many right-handed opposing starters, as the D-backs have been strictly platooning him with Joc Pederson.

Lovullo has said Grichuk would like more playing time, and the veteran has been open about the difficulty of staying in a rhythm.

“I try to be ready whenever I’m called. Luckily things are clicking right now, so hopefully it continues,” Grichuk said.

With Gurriel down, Lovullo said he will have to get creative with left field.

Grichuk starts against every lefty anyway, and he will be counted on when the D-backs face Giants southpaw ace Blake Snell on Thursday. Lovullo mentioned giving Pavin Smith more looks in left field against righties, but with the hot hand, perhaps Grichuk could play his way into more opportunities until Gurriel gets back.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m gonna look at some of the information I have, some of the direct matchups I have,” Lovullo said. “Gurriel is gonna be out for hopefully seven more games … If that’s the case, I could see (Grichuk) starting a couple of those games, but we’ll see how it plays out.”

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