Evan Longoria hits two mammoth homers as Giants hammer Padres again

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SAN FRANCISCO -- In the middle of an answer about the lineup's breakout the last three games, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said three words that pretty much sum up things.

"I don't know."

Yeah, this is hard to believe. 

Four days ago, the Giants were hitting .223 as a team and on pace to have the lowest batting average in franchise history by 10 points. They came to San Diego with the worst run differential in the NL. 

After a 10-4 win over the Padres on Wednesday, they now have three straight games of double-digit runs for the first time since 2010. Evan Longoria hit two long homers, and Kevin Pillar had four hits as the Giants crushed the Padres for a second straight night. 

"It's a more balanced lineup against lefties and righties, and that's showing," Bochy said after the win. "Sometimes you get hot and get hot right down the line, and that's what's happened."

A lot of this is new.

Pillar, Tyler Austin and Alex Dickerson were acquired after the season started. Austin Slater was called up Monday. But Evan Longoria has been in there day in and day out for two years, and this was his most powerful night since getting dealt to San Francisco. 

Longoria sat on a hanging changeup from Matt Strahm in the second inning and blasted it into the second deck in left field, but it was his next home run that had Petco Park buzzing. 

With two on in the fifth and the Giants up a pair, Longoria yanked a fastball into the third deck of the Western Metal Supply Co. building that sits just beyond the left field wall. The ball clanked off the 'N' in the company's sign before rattling around behind stunned fans who bought a ticket never expecting to be in play for a souvenir. 

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Hunter Renfroe has twice hit home runs onto the top of the building, but no other player has done it in this park's history. Longoria came only about seven or eight feet short. He has three homers in the last two games and, Tuesday was his first five-RBI game since 2016. 

"His timing is better," Bochy said. "His point of contact is better, and now he looks like he's seeing the ball well."

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