PITTSBURGH — Jerar Encarnacion cannot catch a break.
As the Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, Encarnacion hit his second home run in as many games but left the game with an apparent lower leg injury when trying to beat out an infield single.
After being swept by both the Pirates and New York Mets during their last homestand, the Giants (58-57) responded by taking two of three from both teams during their six-game East Coast road trip.
Robbie Ray turned in his second consecutive quality start, pitching six innings of two-run ball with eight strikeouts. Dominic Smith delivered a go-ahead, pinch-hit double in the top of the ninth inning, extending his personal hitting streak to 11 games.
If Encarnacion has to miss extended time, it would be another brutal blow for the 27-year-old.
Encarnacion was poised to make the Opening Day roster following his excellent play during spring but suffered a left hand fracture right before the start of the season. He wouldn’t make his season debut until June 2 following an abbreviated rehab assignment, but the bad luck continued when he strained his left oblique and hit the injured list on June 17.
After being reinstated from the injured list prior to Friday’s 5-4 loss, Encarnacion hit his first home run of the season in Saturday’s all-around 8-1 win.
Following four scoreless innings by Andrew Heaney, Encarnacion tied the ballgame up at one apiece with an awe-inspiring no-doubter to left field, his second homer in the last 24 hours. At 442 feet, Encarnacion’s solo shot was the Giants’ second-farthest home run of the season, not too far behind Willy Adames’ 452-foot homer at Coors Field.
Two innings later, Encarnacion’s afternoon took a turn for the worse.
In the top of the sixth, Encarnacion hit a grounder up the middle that looked on its way to center field. Second baseman Nick Gonzales made a sliding stop, reversed against the grain and fired to first for the out. Encarnacion immediately began hobbling after crossing first base and grabbed at his right hamstring, prompting a visit from trainer Dave Groeschner.
Encarnacion would walk back to the dugout under his own power but had a noticeable limp. Manager Bob Melvin removed Encarnacion from the game and replaced him with Grant McCray, who went hitless in his one at-bat.
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