Giants' Joe Panik: Drives offense out of eight-hole

Panik went 1-for-2 with a homer, two walks, two RBI and two runs against the Dodgers on Thursday.

Analysis:

He did this damage out of the eighth spot in the lineup, a slot in which he's delivered great productivity in a limited sample (.379/.500/.690 over 29 at-bats). Panik's attempt to build on the .300-plus batting average he posted over his first last two seasons has gone poorly this year, as he's hitting only .248, but he's been an on-base machine lately. The 25-year-old second baseman has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and walked nine times in that stretch, leading to a .451 OBP.