SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Two weeks into spring training, the San Francisco Giants are playing up to their nickname.

The team leads the major leagues with 23 home runs in their 15 exhibition games, although manager Bruce Bochy added a caveat after another three-homer game earlier in the week.

"We're in Arizona. The ball carries here," Bochy said. "At the same time, I do like the way some of the kids are swinging the bat."

First baseman Travis Ishikawa is hitting .323 with two homers and five RBIs while attempting to cement the first base position.

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval is hitting .407 with two homers and several fine plays in the field, the latest coming when he barehanded a slow roller down the line and threw out Milwaukee's Rickie Weeks at first base Monday.

Emmanuel Burriss, in a competition with Kevin Frandsen and Eugenio Velez to be the starting second baseman, is hitting .355.

"These young guys are coming out swinging," Giants left-hander Barry Zito said. (Ishikawa) is on a mission. Sandoval has proved himself. Those are two guys we're excited about, and another guy we are excited about is Velez. We love seeing Velez in the lineup. He's a catalyst. He's a flashy player."

Third baseman Ryan Rohlinger, a long shot to make the team, leads the Giants with three homers, while outfielder/first baseman John Bowker and third baseman/outfielder Jesus Guzman also have two.

Catcher Bengie Molina sounded a note of caution after hitting his first home run Sunday.

"I hope that nobody thinks that we are home run hitters here, because we will be in trouble. I think we should try to be a great hitting team, a team that is going to hit a lot of doubles and get a lot of hits in every game," Molina said.

Molina led San Francisco with 16 homers last season. Center fielder Aaron Rowand had 13, but no one else had more than 10.

As a team, the Giants hit 94 home runs in 2008, the fewest in the major leagues in a non-strike season since the expansion Florida Marlins also hit 94 in 1993.

The Giants hit 131 homers in 2007, their first season without slugger Barry Bonds, 38 fewer than the NL average.

Because of the deep alleys in left-center field and right-center field, AT&T Park is considered one of the most difficult to hit home runs.

"San Francisco is not a good power stadium. I hope we get that out of our heads," Molina said.

Notes: Fred Lewis, who has played only every other day after offseason bunion surgery, had his third stolen base in a 6-4 victory over Texas in Surprise on Tuesday. Lewis has not been thrown out this spring. Lewis is expected to begin playing regularly next week, Bochy said. ... Velez tied Lewis for the team-high in stolen bases by stealing third in the ninth inning, setting up Jake Wald's sacrifice fly for the final run. ... RHP Tim Lincecum, who has retired 20 of the 22 batters he had faced in three spring training starts, will start the Giants' exhibition game against the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday. The Japanese team includes Seattle OF Ichiro Suzuki and C Kenji Johjima, Cubs OF Kosuke Fukodme and Boston RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka. ... Frandsen started Tuesday's game at shortstop, his first appearance there this spring. Velez started at second. Frandsen moved to second base and Velez to left field in the eighth inning.