MILWAUKEE -- Casey Schmitt has had a lot thrown at him this year.
He’s played all four infield positions. He’s served as the designated hitter. He’s learned to play left field on the fly.
Now, the Giants’ super-utility man is adjusting to yet another new position: the leadoff spot.
Schmitt batted first for the fifth consecutive game on Thursday afternoon and he remained unfazed in the face of a new challenge. He launched his first career leadoff home run in a lively 12-9 win over the Brewers, helping the Giants split this four-game series at American Family Field.
Schmitt wasted no time getting San Francisco on the board, driving the first pitch he saw from Milwaukee right-hander Coleman Crow off the top of the left-field wall to collect his career-high 13th home run of the season in the top of the first inning.
Schmitt’s 379-foot shot, according to Statcast, sparked an early three-run rally for the Giants, who later scored three more in the third to knock Crow out of the game after only 2 1/3 innings. San Francisco broke the game open with another six-run outburst in the seventh, which was highlighted by former Brewer Eric Haase’s third career grand slam.
Every member of the Giants’ starting lineup recorded at least one hit, fueling a 20-hit barrage that powered the club’s second double-digit showing of this road trip. Jung Hoo Lee finished 4-for-5 to continue his recent tear at the plate, while Bryce Eldridge and Matt Chapman chipped in with three hits apiece.
After losing two of three to the Rockies and going 2-2 against the Brewers, the Giants (25-38) will head to Chicago to take on the Cubs in the final leg of their 10-game road trip.