Mark Vientos hit second in the lineup Thursday for what he said was the first time since high school, when he told his coach to put him there.
In reality, he hit there twice last season, going just 1-for-9 with five strikeouts.
But on Thursday, the third baseman was bumped up in part due to the unavailability of Brandon Nimmo, who missed the 7-6 loss to Oakland because of a stomach virus.
The results for Vientos were better this time as he homered twice for the second time this season and third time in his career.
He called hitting second “nice,” adding he likes hitting high in the lineup because it gives him a chance to get more at-bats.
Asked about the move before the game, Carlos Mendoza said he’d been impressed with Vientos’ recent at-bats.
“His ability to make adjustments and his ability to go the other way,’’ Mendoza said of what stood out about Vientos. “He can do damage.”
Vientos did just that, first in the third inning when he hit a two-run homer out to right-center, and then an inning later with another opposite-field shot.
Mendoza didn’t rule out putting Vientos back in the two-hole in the future, “Depending on who’s available [and] who we’re facing. He looked comfortable.”
Vientos has looked good wherever he’s hit for most of the season, which has mostly been fifth, sixth or seventh after taking over for Brett Baty in mid-May.
Since becoming the full-time third baseman, Vientos has the fourth-highest OPS (.858) at the position, trailing only Boston’s Rafael Devers, Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez and the Giants’ Matt Chapman.
J.D. Martinez called Vientos “hungry.”
“I respect it,’’ Martinez said. “He shows up when dogs are on the mound.”
To Martinez’s point, Vientos’ other two-homer game this year came in the Subway Series against Gerrit Cole.
He had been just 6-for-33 in August until Thursday’s loss, but as Mendoza noted, Vientos’ power to all fields makes him dangerous at any time.
