Hunter Pence’s return, Brandon Belt’s surge and 5 other catalysts in the San Francisco Giants’ recent turnaround

May 15, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt (9) hits an RBI double in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. The Giants won 10-2. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Brandon Belt is back to belting

Try saying that five times fast.

In all seriousness, the Baby Giraffe looks nothing like he did at the beginning of the season. The every-year detractors were barking after a couple brutal stretches, and it was hard to blame them at the time given how bad his at-bats looked.

But then he slowly started to pick things up, and suddenly decided to go gangbusters on Cincy:

Did I mention he had three hits in each of those games? It’s safe to say that Belt (now batting .321) has rediscovered his swing, not to mention his power stroke.  

The Reverend has returned

And he’s better than ever.

Okay, okay—small sample size, I get it. Even so, as we all know, what Hunter Pence does for the Giants goes way beyond what shows up in the box score (4-for-8 with five runs and two RBI, in case you were curious).

Pence is the glue that binds the team together. He is San Francisco’s vocal leader, bringing a contagious energy that shines through on and off the field. Simply put, he is an X-factor.

Just like the power he brings to the order. 

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