LOS ANGELES — Lewis Brinson took two hops down the first-base line, his body torqued toward left field, and dropped his bat.
The outfielder had just crushed his third homer in his previous six at-bats in Dodger Stadium. In a trial run as the Giants’ leadoff hitter, he’s tested off the charts.
“Just a physical specimen,” David Villar said of Brinson after Monday’s game. “Watching him — glides in the outfield, glides on the bases, everything. And he can hit the ball 450 feet. It’s good to have a guy like that on your team.”
None of Brinson’s three home runs, including his two Monday night, went 450 feet. At least not yet. This one, a no-doubter nonetheless, left his bat at 105.6 mph and traveled 400 feet.
The Giants acquired Brinson via cash less than a week ago. He’s already hit more home runs against the Dodgers this year than Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt, Mike Yastrzemski, Joc Pederson and LaMonte Wade Jr. combined.
San Francisco (65-69) took a flier on Brinson as a former top prospect with a chance to re-establish him as a MLB contributor. Even though it came in a 6-3 defeat to halt a four-game winning streak, Brinson continues to impress.
Brinson’s leadoff homer came in a losing effort, as the Giants’ all-hands bullpen allowed six runs on three big flies. Jarlin García allowed two home runs to two lefties in two innings and Dominic Leone surrendered another.
“When he falls behind, he’s just not an effective Major League reliever,” manager Gabe Kapler said of García postgame. “When he gets ahead and is very aggressive and assertive with his fastball early in counts, gets ahead, he’s one of the better left-handed relievers around the game.”
Without Alex Wood (shoulder), the Giants chose to run out their bullpen on Tuesday. They did it knowing that closer Camilo Doval had pitched three games straight, they have a day game Wednesday and a doubleheader in Milwaukee Thursday.
After using five pitchers in the loss, including three who went multiple innings, the Giants’ staff is stretched thin.
“Very challenging,” Kapler said of the upcoming schedule before Tuesday’s game. “Lot of innings to cover.”
But individual games now matter less than what the Giants could build for the future. And if Brinson keeps making loud contact, he’ll have a strong case to return to SF next year.
When Brinson introduced himself to local reporters on his first day in San Francisco, he said “I’m fun, man.” On Monday, starter Logan Webb stressed the importance of playing loose and having fun.
Brinson’s energy crossing home and greeting his teammates is a visceral vibe check.
Brinson’s leadoff homer came on the first Tyler Anderson pitch he saw. He got a fastball up and inside and put a violent hack on it.
“He’s gotten the ball in the air,” Kapler said of Brinson. “He’s got a ton of power…tonight he got a good pitch to hit and he put it in the seats.”
As pitchers across the sport throw nastier and nastier stuff, it makes more and more sense for batters to seek out pitches over the plate early in the count. Villar’s blast on Monday night — his first in 21 games — also came on the first pitch of his at-bat.
The Giants seemed particularly aggressive against Anderson early in counts. Villar hit two more singles, both on the first pitch he saw. Brandon Crawford crushed a first-pitch changeup in the sixth inning just foul down the right field line, then straightened one out for a two-run shot three pitches later.
Crawford’s eighth of the season — a 372-foot fly — cut LA’s lead to 5-3. But Max Muncy immediately answered with his second bomb of the night; he beat García in the third and Leone in the sixth.
Brinson didn’t have an encore multi-homer night like Monday. Only he and Pete Alonso have hit at least two homers in a game against the Dodgers in Dodger Stadium this year. In his next three at-bats, he fell behind in counts and ended up putting defensive swings on two-strike pitches.
Still, Brinson’s leadoff tank ended up being the Giants’ high point of the night, one that could have greater significance than just a run in this September.