Parker's power planting big impression

OAKLAND -- Giants center fielder Jarrett Parker was the talk of the Coliseum on Friday night, despite San Francisco's 5-4 Interleague loss to the Oakland A's.

Parker clobbered a seventh-inning home run to center that landed a projected 454 feet away from home, according to Statcast™. It was the longest home run hit by a Giant this season, though Brandon Belt, who launched an upper-deck drive at Colorado's Coors Field on May 22, might beg to differ.

"We've been doing this for a while, and we were all impressed," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said, referring to Parker.

Parker's poke was legitimate. The 26-year-old rookie has displayed his potential for power while banging three home runs and a double among his six hits for the Giants since his Sept. 11 promotion.

"He's lanky [6-foot-4], but he has torque and good leverage," Bochy said.

Parker went 1-for-9 during a promotion to the Giants from June 13-16, prompting him to issue a challenge to himself. As he related, he told himself, "The next time I come up I'm going to lay it all on the line."

That approach helped Parker thrive at Triple-A Sacramento, where he batted .283 with 23 homers and 74 RBIs. Fellow outfielder Mac Williamson, who himself collected two hits while starting his first Major League game on Friday, recalled some storybook moments Parker produced.

Video: SF@OAK: Williamson hammers a single for first MLB hit

"He hit one in Albuquerque that probably hasn't landed yet," Williamson said. "And he hit one in Salt Lake City on top of the batters' eye."

Parker is establishing his candidacy for a reserve outfielder's job in 2016. Depending on what personnel moves the Giants make -- or don't make -- he could even push for a starting job.

"He's a guy who's going to get better," Bochy said.