SAN FRANCISCO — Two months ago, the Giants would have considered their rally over, kaput and done with if faced with the same situation that presented itself Monday night. There were two runners on base, one out and Joey Bart was stepping to the plate.
On Monday, after a demotion to Triple-A, an overhaul of his swing and a “vote of confidence” from the Giants front office, the at-bat ended in two RBIs and Bart’s third hit of the night. No longer is Bart a “black hole” — the words used by former catcher Curt Casali — nor struggling to put together “competitive” at-bats, the criticism once leveled by manager Gabe Kapler.
The two-RBI single ultimately held little significance to the 6-1 final score Monday night — beyond tacking on the final of six runs against Madison Bumgarner in his third start back at Oracle Park with the D-backs — but Bart’s emergence could mean the world for a team gasping for its postseason life.
