PHOENIX -- Brandon Drury has steadily worked his way back into the D-backs' lineup over the past month, and his performance Monday was the culmination of the hard work that has led to his recent resurgence.
Drury went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs while batting third for the first time this season in Arizona's 9-2 loss to the Giants at Chase Field. The lone ball that he hit for an out was a scorched line drive that left his bat at 111.7 mph, but right in the direction of Giants center fielder Denard Span.
After an up-and-down July in which he hit .237 with five extra-base hits and an August in which he started just 15 games and often was reserved to serving as Arizona's first bat off the bench, Drury has worked to recapture his role as an everyday player.
"He's been on a very steady climb with his approach, with the results," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "It is a results-oriented profession, and it shows up there every day when you're walking up to home plate. However, we look a little bit deeper at it, and his approach right now is balanced. He's through the ball, and he's squaring it up. I know that he feels good about it, too."

While Drury has fared well when coming off the bench -- he is hitting .412 in the 21 games he has entered as a substitute this season -- he has been an integral part of Arizona's lineup when he is clicking. He leads the D-backs and is tied for seventh in the National League with 36 doubles and is eighth among Major League second basemen in slugging percentage.
"I mean, I was just battling," Drury said. "It's a tough game. I was just kind of grinding at that time, searching for some stuff. I don't think I had luck going my way, either. It just kind of felt like a combo of everything. But that's just how the game goes sometimes and you've just got to battle through it."
In September, he has six extra-base hits and eight RBIs in 56 at-bats and he is striking out nearly half as often as he was in August.
"I'm just coming to the field and getting my work in in the cage," Drury said. "It's been translating onto the field. I still feel like I have a lot to improve on, but I definitely do feel better at the plate right now. It's a good sign."