Heliot Ramos gave the Giants exactly the kind of jolt they needed Monday night, and he did it with a little bit of everything.
The left fielder finished San Francisco’s win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Oracle Park with three hits, five RBI and three runs, including two home runs and one “Little League” home run. Batting leadoff, Ramos set the tone early and kept piling on as the Giants’ offense found its rhythm.
His first big swing came in the opening inning against Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman. Ramos drove a ball to right-center field that hit the wall, and while it didn’t travel far enough to let him circle the bases cleanly, the play turned chaotic from there.
He was headed for third when the throw was relayed to Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez, whose throw to third sailed wide and into the dugout on the third base side. That allowed Ramos to score and put the Giants ahead 1-0.
The power display picked up in the sixth. Ramos launched a three-run homer to the right field seats, part of a five-run inning that pushed San Francisco firmly in front and made it 8-1 at the time.
He wasn’t finished. In the eighth inning, Ramos added another blast, this one to left-center field for his second home run of the night and his eighth of the season. It was also his fourth home run in his first eight games since returning from the injured list.
Ramos had been sidelined on May 16 with a right quad strain. After a month of rest and recovery, he went on a rehab assignment in the minors before being activated on June 28.
Before the injury, Ramos had appeared in 44 games and was hitting .267/.307/.424 with four home runs and 20 RBI. He also had 12 doubles, one triple, 47 strikeouts and 10 walks.
His return has nearly made the Giants whole again in the outfield. Harrison Bader remains the lone missing piece, with the center fielder dealing with plantar fasciitis for the past month. He is still doing rehab work, but it’s unlikely he’ll rejoin the Giants until after the All-Star break.
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