SAN DIEGO -- Xander Bogaerts couldn’t help but smile as he rounded first base during his home run trot on Tuesday night.
“Haven’t had one of those in a while,” Bogaerts would later say. “It was good to feel that.”
In the midst of a dreadful slump -- and homerless through the season’s first month -- Bogaerts picked an opportune time to break out. He had two hits, including a crucial two-run homer, as the Padres snapped their four-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory over the division-rival Giants at Petco Park.
Tuesday’s game marked the first meeting of the Padres and Giants this season -- and the first meeting between any of the four contenders atop the National League West, the sport’s strongest division. It also marked the first time all year the Padres were facing a team with a better record than theirs.
They made quite a statement. As did Bogaerts.
“That,” said left fielder Jason Heyward, “looks like Bogey, right there.”
Before the game, the Padres welcomed Luis Arraez and Heyward back from the injured list -- moves which lengthened their lineup significantly. Both played key roles in a breakout night for the offense. Nick Pivetta was sharp as well, as he continued his red-hot start to the season by outdueling Giants ace Logan Webb.
But Bogaerts was the star. His two-out, first-inning single marked his first RBI since April 8. The Padres would score three runs in the frame, and they led throughout. But the game hung in the balance when Bogaerts came to the plate in the seventh.
Giants right-hander Randy Rodríguez hung a slider. Bogaerts turned on it and sent a two-run shot into the left field seats. Petco Park erupted, and the typically stoic Bogaerts let out a smile.
“It was a tight game,” Bogaerts said. “These guys were battling back. To widen the gap a little bit against a good team like that -- that was nice.”
Had to feel good on a personal level, too. Bogaerts entered play Tuesday homerless in his first 110 plate appearances. He was hitting .154 with a .472 OPS over the past two weeks. As the Padres were swept by the Rays on Sunday, Bogaerts heard a few boos following his ninth-inning flyout.
Bogaerts’ recent struggles have been especially pronounced because of the injuries to players around him in the lineup. The Padres had been without Arraez and Heyward and are still without Jackson Merrill and Jake Cronenworth.
They needed Bogaerts playing like a four-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, owner of one of the richest contracts in franchise history. He wasn’t.
“It bothers me if they're down or they're up,” Bogaerts said of his performance in relation to the injuries. “Not being able to play the way you want to ... I know how much I expect of myself, and when you're not able to do that, it is extremely frustrating. I've always held myself to high standards.”
Bogaerts said he hasn’t heard the criticism from the Padres’ fanbase, even if it’s been plentiful. He’s merely focused on living up to those high standards he’s set -- and he’s keenly aware when he’s not.
“Just come in here, try to help the team,” Bogaerts said. “The more you can block out those noises, it's better for you. It definitely does you no good. So why pay much attention?”
At the plate, Bogaerts said he hasn’t tweaked much. But recently his at-bats have started to turn. He’s hit the ball harder lately -- including a 103 mph line drive straight into the glove of Giants first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. in the at-bat before his home run.
“I've been through some stuff like this before,” Bogaerts said. “So it's not like it's the first time. Yeah, I was a little bit surprised [about the slow start]. But all it takes is one.”
The numbers are clear: Since signing an 11-year deal to join the Padres, Bogaerts hasn’t been the same player he was in Boston. But he is beloved in the San Diego clubhouse, and a relentless worker by all accounts.
“He’s a winning player,” said Padres manager Mike Shildt. “He does things that don’t show up on this sheet and helps other guys, is a tremendous teammate. I understand maybe if you want to compare numbers, that the representation [is not] where it has been performance-wise, offensively.
“But I can tell you this, any day I manage, I’ll have Xander Bogaerts on my team.”