WEST SACRAMENTO -- Casey Schmitt showed off his power to all fields at Sutter Health Park on Saturday night.
Schmitt opened the scoring with a solo shot to left field in the first inning and then added a two-run blast that hit off the foul pole in right field in the fifth, collecting his second career multihomer game in the Giants’ 6-4 win over the A’s.
Schmitt finished 4-for-5 with three RBIs to back a stellar start from right-hander Trevor McDonald, who gave up one run over 6 2/3 innings to help the Giants (19-27) snap their three-game losing streak and even this three-game series with their former crossbay rivals.
Schmitt, 27, leads San Francisco with eight home runs, 21 RBIs and an .878 OPS this season, emerging as the most consistent bat in the Giants’ offensively challenged lineup.
The Giants were held to only four runs over their three-game skid, but they came alive for 14 hits on Saturday, with Willy Adames (3-for-5, two RBIs), Rafael Devers (2-for-5) and Drew Gilbert (2-for-5) also contributing multihit efforts.
Adames’ productive night helped make up for some lapses on the basepaths, as he ended up running into two outs, which was far from ideal considering he also forgot how many outs there were in a loss at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday.
Matt Chapman, who entered the game mired in a miserable 6-for-61 (.098) slump over his last 17 games, came through with a much-needed hit as well, delivering an RBI double that extended the Giants’ lead to 6-1 in the top of the seventh.
The A’s pulled within two on Brent Rooker’s three-run bomb off Caleb Kilian in the bottom of the eighth, but the Giants managed to shut the door after left-hander Matt Gage worked a scoreless ninth to pick up his first career big league save.
It’s been an eventful series for Schmitt, who also made his first career appearance in left field on Friday after Heliot Ramos was forced to exit the game in the sixth inning with a right quad injury.
Schmitt is an infielder by trade, but he’s made most of his starts at designated hitter this year since the Giants already have Chapman, Adames, Devers and Luis Arraez holding down the four starting spots on the dirt. Schmitt could end up seeing more time in the corner outfield now that Ramos is expected to be out for several weeks, which could make him an even more valuable piece for manager Tony Vitello moving forward.