sf giants press clips sunday, may 27, 2018 -...
TRANSCRIPT
1
SF Giants Press Clips
Sunday, May 27, 2018
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants’ Madison Bumgarner strikes out eight in first rehab game
Henry Schulman
WEST SACRAMENTO — He struck out the side in his first inning in more than two months. He
struck out opposing pitcher Antonio Senzatela with a 61-mph eephus pitch. On the first pitch he
saw as a hitter since spring training, he singled.
Madison Bumgarner’s minor-league rehab stint is not going to be long, if it continues at all.
The Giants need the big fella, and he provided a heaping helping of hope Saturday night in his
return from a broken left hand.
Facing Colorado’s Triple-A Albuquerque squad, Bumgarner struck out eight of his 12 hitters, did
not allow a hit and walked one. He threw 47 pitches in 32/3 innings, just more than the
scheduled 45. Based on how good his hand and command felt, he said he was ready to pitch in
the majors if the Giants asked.
“I obviously didn’t know before today, but I think so,” Bumgarner said. “I wouldn’t say I’d be
back at midseason form, but I definitely feel I could get some outs.”
2
Bumgarner is supposed to make another rehab start for Class A San Jose on Thursday. Nobody
should be surprised if he faces the Phillies at AT&T Park on Friday night instead after the way he
dominated in front of an overflow crowd at Raley Field, even if he can’t provide more than 70
pitches in his next outing.
Bumgarner threw all of his pitches for strikes Saturday, got swings and misses on his fastball,
which hit 92 mph, and had a good cutter, slider and curveball, including the rainbow at 61 mph
he threw for strike three to Senzatela in the third inning. Bumgarner was seeking weak contact
on a bunt to get an out at second base.
Bumgarner then added insult to injury by hitting a first-pitch single off Senzatela through a hole
in the right side in the bottom of the inning.
“I felt pretty good about how everything was working,” he said. “Obviously, I’ll see how I feel
tomorrow and bounce back. We’re not rushing it — but we’re not taking it slow, either.”
Bumgarner took the mound two months and three days after he stuck his left hand in front of
his chest to protect himself from a liner by the Royals’ Whit Merrifield. The ball broke his left
pinkie. He knew it instantly.
The injury occurred on the final day of spring training in Arizona. Bumgarner had looked as
good as ever in his six starts, striking out 30 in 21 innings.
On Saturday, after the River Cats made Bumgarner feel at home by playing “Fire on the
Mountain” as he warmed up, he struck out Garrett Hampson and Raimel Tapia looking before
getting Josh Fuentes to swing through a fastball on the 17th and final pitch of the first inning.
After five more strikeouts, Bumgarner said he felt good, with “everything headed in the right
direction.”
3
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants’ Buster Posey (sore hip) questionable for Sunday
John Shea
CHICAGO — Buster Posey missed Saturday’s game with a sore hip and is questionable for
Sunday’s series finale.
Posey, who felt soreness on his right side since the trip began Tuesday in Houston, is listed as
day-to-day. He had similar hip episodes in the past, manager Bruce Bochy said, that didn’t last
long.
“Everybody’s got stuff that they deal with,” Posey said. “It’s not like it’s something that’s come
on that’s brand new.”
Posey took swings during Saturday’s game and was available to pinch hit. Instead, with the
bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Bochy used Miguel Gomez, who struck out.
“We’re at a point we need to give him a break for a day,” Bochy said. “It’s been lingering here
the last few days. It’s time to give him a day here.”
Posey is hitting .297 this season but .233 (7-for-30) with two extra-base hits in his past seven
games.
All at once: Monday will be a busy day for Giants on the disabled list. Second baseman Joe
Panik (sprained left thumb) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento, and second
baseman Alen Hanson (strained left hamstring) will report to extended spring training in
Arizona and, after two days, move to Class A San Jose.
Also Monday, pitcher Johnny Cueto (sprained elbow) will start throwing off flat ground.
Panik is on target to return to the Giants ahead of schedule and might need only a handful of
games and about 20 at-bats to show he’s ready, meaning he could return to the Giants as soon
as next weekend.
“No holding back,” said Panik, who’ll play two games in Sacramento before accompanying the
River Cats to El Paso. “When I go, I’m looking to come back quickly.”
4
Bochy sounds as if the team will be patient, saying, “You look at the at-bats, how he’s feeling.
He’s got to get into playing shape, and the conditioning part always plays a part in this. You
want to stay away from bringing him up too early, and now you’re waiting for (him) to get his
timing up here.”
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants beat Cubs, Brandon Crawford has big night at Wrigley
John Shea
CHICAGO — Brandon Crawford is a highlight-a-day shortstop who’s at his all-around best when
he’s knocking pitches all around the ballpark.
Such as Saturday.
Crawford homered over Wrigley Field’s ivy wall in the fourth inning of the Giants’ 5-4 victory,
and his daily dose of dandy defense occurred in the bottom of the inning when he robbed
Willson Contreras with an off-balance throw from deep in the hole.
Even first-base umpire Eric Cooper couldn’t believe the play. He ruled Contreras safe, but the
call was overturned after replays told the story.
“That’s what I’m here for, to play defense,” Crawford said. “I try to bring that every day.
Fortunately, I made adjustments at the plate to be a threat at the plate, too.”
Crawford’s opposite-field homer was a two-run shot, and he also doubled to continue his
scorching month of May. He’s batting a majors-best .446 in the month, a huge turnaround from
his .189 April.
Problem is, the Giants are 10-13 in May, so he can do only so much.
Chris Stratton picked up his team-high sixth win but struggled again keeping his pitches in the
park. Not only did he yield home runs to Kyle Schwarber and Javier Baez, but he issued three
walks in the second inning, one with the bases loaded, and was fortunate the Cubs netted just
5
one run.
Stratton caught a break when opposing pitcher Jose Quintana, after a four-pitch walk to Jason
Heyward, mysteriously swung at the first pitch and bounced into an inning-ending double play.
Stratton has given up eight homers in his past six starts after yielding none in his first five.
“Today’s were just mistake pitches,” Stratton said. “I made some mistakes with off-speed
pitches in the zone today but not as much as I have in the past, and both of those got hit out. I
guess I’ve got to do a better job of misses. They need to be off instead of in the middle of the
plate.”
Crawford’s homer to left tied the score 2-2 in the fourth, but Baez’s homer put the Cubs ahead
in the bottom of the inning. The Giants responded with two runs in the fifth, and Gorkys
Hernandez, whose hot bat makes him the everyday center fielder for now, ignited the rally with
his second double.
Andrew McCutchen also doubled, and Brandon Belt singled home McCutchen. Hernandez
reached on a bunt single in the seventh, his third hit, and scored on Belt’s sacrifice fly.
That gave the Giants as many runs as they scored in their first three games of the trip, all losses.
Hernandez nearly tried to score from second on Longoria’s single to left, taking a big turn at
third and wisely stopping. It was unlikely he would have beaten a strong throw by Schwarber,
who made several stunning throws in the game.
“He’s been a real shot in the arm for us,” Crawford said of Hernandez, who’s 13-for-31 (.419)
during an eight-game hit streak. “The ability to drive the ball now has been a big thing for him.
He’s putting good swings on the ball, putting good at-bats together from the leadoff spot.”
A day after Crawford barehanded a ball that ricocheted off Longoria’s glove and threw a one-
hopper to first to retire Baez, he ranged deep in the hole between short and third and fired an
off-balance strike to get Contreras.
6
“It was a 3-2 slider,” Stratton said of his pitch to Contreras, “and that’s the one that always gets
in that hole there. He’s unbelievable. He makes plays like that at least once a game.”
Crawford also started a key double play in the eighth. The Cubs had made it a one-run game on
Anthony Rizzo’s single, and Contreras followed with a grounder up the middle that seemed
destined to be a hit, but Crawford cut it off and smoothly flipped to Kelby Tomlinson, who
completed the double play.
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants’ Hunter Pence feels ready to return to majors
Henry Schulman
WEST SACRAMENTO - Hunter Pence lives by a motto that is serving him well late in his career.
"I'll tell you what I know," Pence said Saturday in the clubhouse at Raley Field, home of the
Giants' Triple-A team. "I know that I don't know everything about baseball."
If Pence felt omniscient instead, and had all the answers, he could not have decided at age 35
to change the funky swing that made him who he was, but was failing him later in his career.
He might not have sought the counsel of Mac Williamson, who is eight years younger and owns
a paltry big-league resume compared to his own, in his bid to become a consistent hitter again
and extend what has been a 12-year big-league career with the Astros, Phillies and Giants.
"We should all be able to help each other and be open to everything," Pence said in his first
interview since he spent three days in Los Angeles working with private hitting coach Doug
Latta during a six-day pause in his rehab from a sprained left thumb.
Pence followed Williamson's path to Latta's office, just as the Dodgers' Justin Turner did, to
learn to stand more upright, hands more relaxed and a tad lower, with a slight uppercut, all
designed to be quicker to the ball and create a swing path that stays in the zone longer.
7
Pence studied video with Latta. They talked about approach. They had two-a-day sessions in
the batting cage. Pence has not become a Williamson clone, however. He has not shortened his
long stride, one of many aspects of his swing that made it unique. His stance remains slightly
open.
“The thing is, it’s not the same for everybody,” he said.
The results were immediate, which was impressive given how little time Pence had to cram.
Williamson talked about the difficulty of changing one's swing even with weeks and months to
practice. Pence returned to Sacramento on May 12, adapted his lessons on the fly and had
three consecutive multihit games.
In his first 13 games back Pence was 20-for-54 with two doubles and a homer. Compare that to
the first seven games of his rehab, when he was 6-for-27. Or even his 17 big-league games
before landing on the DL. Pence hit .172 with one extra-base hit in 58 at-bats while striking out
22 times.
Pence said he had not considered a swing change or visiting Latta until he saw the difference in
Williamson, who ravaged Pacific Coast League pitching to start the year then hit three monster
homers in five games during his late-April callup before incurring a concussion.
"I needed some time to get the thumb healed anyway," Pence said. "I've always tried to study
all forms of hitting and I saw the impact it had on him and other hitters throughout the league. I
wanted to learn about it.
"You always have to keep your mind open to get better. That's my thought process."
Although Pence's numbers soared as soon as he returned to the Sacramento lineup, he said he
has felt especially good in the four games since the River Cats returned home from their last
trip.
He also feels ready to rejoin the Giants.
8
"My hope is to be up there this instant," he said. "As soon as they want me up there, I'm
ready."
But Pence has not discussed his future with anyone from the club and is not sure of their plans.
Pence's rehab assignment is capped at 20 days by rule. The clock restarted after the Giants
paused the assignment for six days, which gives them another week to decide his fate.
Problem is, the Giants restored a full five-man outfield when they recalled Williamson on
Friday. Where he fits is unclear.
If the Giants want Pence back they could place another player on the disabled list, but
otherwise the choices become tougher.
The club would have to option Williamson back to Triple-A, or cut or trade one of the
experienced outfielders who have no minor-league options. (Gregor Blanco, Gorkys Hernandez
or Austin Jackson).
Pence has all of his minor-league options remaining. In theory the Giants could option him to
Triple-A when his rehab assignment ends, but his tenure gives him the right to refuse.
Pence did not want to discuss any of that Saturday as he prepared for a game against the
Rockies' Albuquerque club.
"I’m 100 percent giving everything I can to play for the Giants right now," he said. "Those
things, we'll see when we get there. I'm doing everything I can to be the best player I can be,
have the best impact. I love every bit of it.
"Obviously my goal is to contribute. I feel really good about where I am right now and I'll keep
trying to improve on that."
9
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants eye Sergio Romo experiment, which brings memories of A’s Steve McCatty
John Shea
CHICAGO — The Sergio Romo phenomenon isn’t lost on his old team. The Giants, as any
organization should in a possible trendsetting circumstance, are monitoring what the Rays are
doing with their so-called “opener,” Romo’s new role.
Romo is a reliever who starts games and gets out of the way, who pitches the first inning to
take the load off the rest of the staff. He has done it three times, and it worked twice. On
Sunday, he’ll make his next start against the Orioles.
Another Tampa Bay reliever, Ryne Stanek, was used in the Romo role Saturday and made his
first career start in a 5-1 win over the Orioles. He went 12/3 innings, striking out three.
“I’m all about the right matchups. I think everybody is,” Giants bullpen coach Matt Herges said,
“matching up the best way you could get the outs and win a ballgame. If this is one way to do it,
I think we’ll look at it. I’m not going to say (Brian Sabean, Bobby Evans and Bruce Bochy) are
going to be in on it, but it’s something to keep an eye on, for sure.”
It’s a different world for Romo, the 35-year-old who appeared in 515 games over nine seasons
with the Giants, all as a reliever, plus the postseason. But the Rays are at the forefront of the
advanced-analytics generation and see this as a legitimate strategy.
The tactic creates a better opportunity for the ensuing pitcher — who typically would have
started — because he doesn’t face the top of the order right away and can get deeper into a
game. Also, it could prevent that pitcher from facing the top of the lineup a third time, when
stats show batters have a greater advantage.
“It’s something that’s out of the box,” Bochy said, “and you have to be open-minded enough to
look at it and see if it’s something that might help your club. Like the pitcher hitting eighth.
Clubs started doing that, giving you two leadoff hitters. You have to be open-minded.”
Romo was successful in consecutive games last weekend against the Angels, using an effective
slider to set down a heavily right-handed top of the order.
10
That weekend, he struck out his only three batters Saturday. On Sunday, becoming the first
pitcher to start on consecutive days after pitching at least one inning the first day since
Oakland’s Steve McCatty in 1980, Romo pitched 11/3 innings and struck out three more.
But on Friday against Baltimore, he gave up a run and was removed after two outs.
“I don’t know if it works or not,” McCatty said in a phone interview. “I’ll have to wait and see. I
can’t say I’m a big fan of it right now.”
On April 14, 1980, McCatty gave up five runs to Milwaukee in 12/3 innings and was pulled. The
next day, he started again and went 81/3 innings in a 12-3 win over Seattle.
Odd, yes. Making it odder was that Billy Martin managed the A’s when he was known for
sticking with starters until the bitter end.
“I struggled, and Billy took me out,” said McCatty, now the pitching coach for Triple-A
Charlotte, the White Sox’s top affiliate. “The next day, he said, ‘Are you all right? Can you start?’
I said, ‘Yeah, why not?’ I got the loss the first day, and now I have a chance to get a win. I was
fine with it.”
McCatty recalls throwing more than 60 pitches the first day, but pitch counts weren’t much of a
factor in those days. He pitched a 14-inning complete game against the Mariners later that
season, requiring more than 200 pitches, unheard of in today’s game.
In fact, Mike Norris, Rick Langford and Matt Keough all threw 14-inning outings in 1980, and
the A’s set a record with 94 complete games.
“Billy asked me if I was all right after the 10th, 11th, 12th. I told him I was fine,” McCatty said. “I
went this far, I was either going to get the win or the loss, and Dan Meyer hit an opposite-field
homer in the 14th. That was my luck, I was the only guy on the staff who threw a 14-inning
game to get a loss.”
McCatty finished second in the Cy Young voting the following year, going 14-7 in a strike-
shortened season, helping the A’s reach the playoffs. Two years removed from 108 losses, the
1981 A’s were led by a rotation of workhorses and a fast-paced offense featuring a
young Rickey Henderson, an exciting style of play known as Billy Ball.
11
Martin knew his starters (with Brian Kingman in the mix) were talented and his relievers
weren’t necessarily so. In 1980 and 1981, his starters amazingly finished 154 of 271 starts,
though the fallout from the wear and tear was unfortunate because careers were shortened.
Eventually, teams started paying more attention to pitch counts.
“You’re sitting in a room in spring training,” McCatty said, “and they talk about all the coaches,
and someone says, ‘This coach had 48 complete games in the big leagues,’ and everyone goes,
‘Oh, my God,’ and I’m just hoping Fergie Jenkins (267 complete games) isn’t in the room.
“It’s just the way we were. Going back, the generations before that threw more complete
games than us, so I can’t say Billy overused us, though 207 pitches in 14 innings probably isn’t a
good idea.”
For the record, Zack Greinke (2012) and Aaron Myette (2002) started consecutive days, but
neither lasted a full inning in his first game because he was ejected. C.J. Wilson (2012) started
two straight games, but he also didn’t finish an inning the first game because he was pulled
after a long rain delay.
So Romo did something that hadn’t been done since McCatty, and now it would be wise for
clubs to pay attention to the Rays’ unconventional strategy. Though this year’s stats show more
runs are scored in the first inning than any other inning, it can be argued there’s far less
pressure at the start of a game than in the end.
Losing the lead in the first is not as big a deal as losing the lead in the seventh, eighth or ninth.
“Now you’re telling your starter he’s coming in the game in the second,” Herges said. “It
changes his routine, so there are downsides, a lot of dynamics that come into play. You have to
have everyone buy in. Are you going to tell (Madison) Bumgarner, ‘Hey, buddy, you’re going to
pitch the second.’ He’ll say, ‘Well, whoever pitches the first, I’m better than that guy, so what
are we doing?’
“But you’ve got to be interested in all this new stuff people are doing. You’d be foolish not to.”
12
San Jose Mercury News
Hernandez thriving at top of Giants order, helps end losing skid in Chivago
Kerry Crowley
CHICAGO–Two months after a crowded spring training competition ended with Gorkys
Hernandez emerging as the Giants fifth outfielder, Hernandez is playing like their best.
With three hits including two doubles on Saturday, Hernandez helped the Giants halt a three-
game losing skid and even their series against the Cubs with a 5-4 win.
For much of the offseason, the Giants’ front office labored over personnel decisions in the
outfield, adding a new right fielder in a trade and a part-time center fielder through free
agency.
The Giants considered newly acquired Austin Jackson, prospect Steven Duggar and even Minor
League free agent Gregor Blanco for roles in center field, but Hernandez wasn’t given much of
an opportunity to stake his claim to consistent playing time.
Fifty two games into the regular season, Hernandez has now pushed his average up to .311 and
is providing a legitimate spark as the Giants leadoff hitter. After having to claw his way onto the
roster this spring, Hernandez is firming up his grip on the everyday center fielder job, earning a
start over Jackson even a left-handed starter, Jose Quintana.
With the Giants trailing 3-2 in the fifth, Hernandez led off with a double into the left field
corner. An Andrew McCutchen double over the outstretched glove of Ian Happ in center field
knotted the score, and the Giants took the lead on a looping single from first baseman Brandon
Belt.
Belt’s team-high 30th RBI of the season became the decisive run, but the Giants added on in the
seventh following a leadoff bunt single from Hernandez and a one-out sacrifice fly from Belt.
Hernandez was nearly thrown out at the plate earlier in the inning following an Evan Longoria
single to left field, but he stopped in his tracks halfway down the third base line and retreated
to the bag. While some runners disregard a stop sign from their third base coach, Hernandez
actually pulled up after Ron Wotus waved him through.
The insurance run proved valuable, as southpaw Tony Watson allowed a pair of base hits
against Cubs lefties Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo that netted the Cubs a run in the
13
eighth. Watson’s inning added to Saturday’s drama, as he needed a sliding stab from Blanco in
left field to rob a hit and also received a brilliant turn from Brandon Crawford on a 6-4-3 inning-
ending double play.
The Giants needed to play excellent defense in the late stages of Saturday’s game, as they
counted on four frames of one-run ball from their bullpen as starter Chris Stratton allowed
three earned runs in five innings of work.
Stratton hasn’t pitched into the sixth inning in any of his last four starts and has now allowed 15
earned runs in his last 19 2/3 innings. But on Saturday, he exited with the lead thanks to a two-
run rally in the top of the fifth.
The right-hander wasn’t particularly sharp against the Cubs, but he limited the damage in a
rough second inning that had the potential to put the Giants in a tough hole to dig out from.
Stratton allowed a leadoff walk and a single before falling behind in the count and issuing his
second walk of the inning to Ian Happ. With the bases loaded and no outs, the Giants starter
rolled a groundball right back to the mound, and after a sudden challenge collecting the ball,
Stratton fired home to record an out.
Though Stratton misfired on four straight offerings to Jason Heyward, a .220 hitter entering
Saturday’s contest, he induced a groundball double play from Quintana to end the inning.
Command remains an issue for Stratton, who allowed a pair of towering solo home runs against
Chicago. Left fielder Kyle Schwarber launched a 437-foot blast into the right field bleachers to
extend the Cubs lead to 2-0 in the third inning before second baseman Javier Báez unloaded on
a first pitch slider with two outs in the fourth.
Báez’s homer pushed the Cubs back out in front after Crawford, the hottest hitter in baseball in
the month of May, deposited a game-tying two-run shot into the first row of the left field
bleachers in the fourth inning.
14
San Jose Mercury News
As Bumgarner begins rehab assignment, Posey sits against the Cubs
Kerry Crowley
CHICAGO–After scoring five runs in their first three games of an eight-game road trip, the
Giants’ offense is looking for a spark.
If they were hoping catcher Buster Posey may provide it, they’ll need to be patient.
Posey is out of Saturday’s starting lineup with right hip soreness, an injury that manager Bruce
Bochy said Posey has dealt with in the past. Bochy believes Posey is healthy enough to pinch hit
if he’s needed, but the Giants are listing Posey’s status as “day-to-day.”
“It’s been lingering a little bit here the last few days so it’s time to give him a day here,” Bochy
said.
Reserve Nick Hundley will start in Posey’s place and catch right-hander Chris Stratton, who is
still searching for his breaking ball command after a rough start to the season.
Hundley has twice as many home runs as Posey this year, but the Giants don’t appear
concerned about Posey’s declining power numbers.
As the Giants take on the Cubs, a large contingent of the organization will pay close attention to
a different game taking place on the west coast.
Ace Madison Bumgarner is beginning his rehab assignment Saturday and will start for Triple-A
Sacramento. Bochy said he anticipates Bumgarner will throw about 45 pitches and hopes he’s
able to finish three innings of work.
Bumgarner hasn’t pitched in a live game since fracturing his hand on a line drive by Royals
leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield at the end of spring training in March.
Another Major League pitcher rehabbing with the Sacramento River Cats will throw in relief of
Bumgarner Saturday, as closer Mark Melancon is scheduled to throw an inning.
Giants set rehab schedules for Panik, Hanson
The top two second basemen on the Giants’ depth chart are set to begin rehab assignments
15
next week, as Joe Panik will start Monday in Sacramento while Alen Hanson will play a game in
extended spring training in Arizona.
Panik is progressing ahead of schedule after he underwent surgery to repair a fractured thumb
while Hanson is dealing with a hamstring injury.
The Giants want both players to start and play the field regularly on their rehab assignments, so
Panik will play for Triple-A Sacramento while Hanson will suit up for Single-A San Jose beginning
Wednesday.
Panik said he hopes he’ll need just four or five rehab games before returning to the Giants, and
because he wants to face Triple-A pitching throughout his rehab assignment, he’ll travel with
the River Cats to El Paso this week.
“The rehab has been going well,” Panik said. “A lot of work goes into it and it just really makes
you want to get back.”
Johnny Cueto ready to throw
Right-hander Johnny Cueto isn’t eligible to return from the 60-day disabled list until June 30,
but the right-hander will begin throwing again on Monday.
Cueto suffered an elbow sprain early in the season and hasn’t pitched since the end of April,
but the Giants were initially concerned he may not play again this year.
After a visit to Dr. James Andrews confirmed Cueto’s injury was a sprain instead of a torn ulnar
collateral ligament, the starter stopped playing catch altogether.
Cueto is expected to throw off of flat ground on Monday and there’s no timetable set for when
he’ll begin a rehab assignment.
16
MLB.com
Crawford homers, flashes leather in victory
Chris Haft
CHICAGO -- Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford never has won a National League Player of the
Month Award. That might change in about a week.
The Giants' 5-4 victory over the Cubs on Saturday night at Wrigley Field featured several
contributors, but Crawford was the primary author.
View Full Game Coverage
Crawford's two-run homer in the fourth inning opened San Francisco's scoring and seemed to
enliven the Giants, who had been limited to two hits in 3 1/3 innings by Cubs starter Jose
Quintana.
On the night, Crawford improved his May batting average to .446 (37-for-83) with nine doubles,
four homers and 20 RBIs. Once again, Crawford attributed his productivity to holding his hands
higher as he awaits each pitch, which enables him to drive the ball in different directions with
more authority. Saturday's homer, for instance, was an opposite-field clout to left.
"A month ago, I would have not have been able to hit that pitch that way," Crawford said. "I
probably would have popped it up."
Crawford also assisted on four putouts, displaying the form that enabled him to win three NL
Gold Glove Awards. His most masterly moment occurred in the fourth inning, when he
snared Willson Contreras' grounder deep in the hole and unleashed a powerful throw to first.
Contreras initially was ruled safe, but a replay review overturned the call. It proved important
because Javier Baez went deep two batters later.
Crawford also started an inning-ending double play on Contreras' grounder up the middle in the
eighth. Crawford's pickup looked relatively routine, but it was still challenging.
"I'm just trying to make plays," Crawford said.
His teammates know better.
"He does that at least once every game," starter Chris Stratton said. "He makes it look easy,
and it's not easy at all."
Gorkys Hernandez and Brandon Belt also helped San Francisco collect its third win in its last 13
17
games at Wrigley Field and end its three-game skid overall.
Batting leadoff, Hernandez went 3-for-5 and scored twice. He and Andrew McCutchen doubled
-- the latter hit snapped an 0-for-12 skid -- to fuel a two-run fifth inning that put the Giants
ahead, 4-3. Then, Hernandez's deft bunt single christened the seventh inning and created the
eventual stand-up run.
Belt stroked a fifth-inning RBI single and a seventh-inning sacrifice fly to hike his team-high RBI
total to 31. He has driven in 13 of those runs while hitting .435 (20-for-46) in a 12-game stretch.
San Francisco's pitching collaboration guaranteed that this offense would suffice.
Stratton, who sported an 8.59 ERA in his previous five outings, picked up his team-leading sixth
win while limiting the Cubs to three runs and four hits in five innings with six strikeouts.
Reyes Moronta, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson and Hunter Strickland, who converted his 10th save
in 12 chances, combined to fend off the Cubs. It was only Strickland's third appearance in nine
days, but fortunately for him and the Giants, he worked an inning on Friday to help knock the
rust off.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Stratton encountered trouble in the second inning when he loaded the bases with no outs on a
pair of walks and a single. Stratton got Baez to hit a comebacker that he recovered for an out at
home. Though Stratton would walk the next batter to score a run, Quintana grounded into an
inning-ending double play to limit the damage. "What was key was that he didn't let the game
get away," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. SOUND SMART
Hernandez, who matched his career high with an eight-game hitting streak, has collected
multiple knocks in three consecutive contests for the first time in his career. Saturday marked
his 274th Major League game. During this eight-game stretch, he's batting .419 (13-for-31).
HE SAID IT
"That's why he's got those Gold Gloves. He's outstanding, fun to watch and so athletic. Defense
wins games for you, too." -- Bochy, on Crawford
UP NEXT
The Giants have won six of Ty Blach's 11 starts this season and hope to keep that record above
.500 when the lefty confronts the Cubs in Sunday's 5:08 p.m. PT series finale. Blach has not
worked past the fifth inning in any of his previous three starts. Opponents have hit .377 off him
during that span, accounting for his 7.11 ERA in those outings.
18
MLB.com
Bumgarner confident after dominant rehab start
Michael Wagaman
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner declared himself fit to return to
the big leagues sooner than expected if needed following his first rehab start since pinkie
surgery.
Bumgarner took an encouraging step in his recovery, throwing 47 pitches (31 strikes) for Triple-
A Sacramento on Saturday. He mixed his fastball with a nasty curve over 3 2/3 hitless and
scoreless innings, striking out eight of the 12 batters he faced from Albuquerque. Bumgarner
walked one.
View Full Game Coverage
"The breaking stuff was moving right, the command of it was good," Bumgarner said. "The
fastball command was good. Pretty much everything I was looking for. It's not perfect, but it
was definitely something to feel good about for the first time out there."
The four-time All-Star struck out the side in the first inning, getting the first two hitters to go
down looking. After recording a pair of first-pitch outs in the second, Bumgarner struck
out Stephen Cardullo to end the inning. He fanned the first two batters swinging in the fourth.
"All the baseball stuff, throwing, hitting, all that stuff, I don't notice it at all," said Bumgarner,
who also singled in his only plate appearance. "It feels completely normal at this point. My
command was good. My breaking balls were doing pretty good also, so that's what I was
looking for. Everything headed in the right direction."
Bumgarner was hit by a line drive from the Royals' Whit Merrifield on March 23 in the Giants'
last game of Spring Training. He underwent surgery the following day to have three pins
inserted in his left hand and was later transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
After the pins were removed on April 19, Bumgarner was cleared to begin rehab. He threw
three times off a mound, then faced hitters for the first time last Tuesday before making the
first of what is expected to be at least three rehab starts.
Bumgarner's next outing will likely come on Thursday with Class A Advanced San Jose because
Sacramento will be out of town.
But Bumgarner didn't rule out a quick return to the Majors and said he feels capable of starting
right away for the Giants if necessary.
19
"I obviously didn't know before today, but judging off the way I felt out there, I think so for
sure," Bumgarner said. "I wouldn't say I'd be back and be in midseason form, but I feel
definitely good enough to get some outs."
MLB.com
Panik could return next week after rehab games
Chris Haft
CHICAGO -- The Giants welcomed a positive development amid their daily delivery of injury-
related news on Saturday, when the ballclub and second baseman Joe Panik announced that he
will start a Minor League injury rehabilitation assignment on Monday with Triple-A Sacramento.
Panik, 27, sprained his left thumb in a low-impact collision with the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig on
April 27. At that time, the Giants said that Panik could miss 6-8 weeks. Assuming that Panik
avoids further setbacks, the 2015 National League All-Star could rejoin the club by the end of
next week, shaving approximately two weeks from his recovery timetable.
View Full Game Coverage
Panik, who said that he's capable of performing all baseball-related activities, plans to leave the
Giants after Sunday's pregame batting practice to report to Sacramento.
Panik, who recorded a .267/.323/.389 slash line with three home runs and five RBIs when he
was sidelined, said that the statistics he accumulates at Triple-A won't necessarily reflect
whether he has regained his timing.
"It's not always about what you're hitting," Panik said. "It's about how you're feeling."
Other injury updates
• Right hip soreness kept Giants catcher Buster Posey out of Saturday's lineup. Posey was
available to appear as a pinch-hitter or defensive replacement. Giants manager Bruce Bochy
said that the injury isn't serious and rated Posey's playing status as day to day.
• Right-hander Johnny Cueto (elbow inflammation) will begin playing catch on flat ground on
Monday, Bochy said.
• Infielder Alen Hanson (left hamstring strain) is expected to play in an extended spring game
on Monday before joining Class A Advanced San Jose for a rehab assignment on Wednesday.
20
The Athletic
It’s the Crawford and Gorkys show as Giants achieve a rare victory at Wrigley
Andrew Baggarly
CHICAGO — It is happening under the lights at Wrigley Field and under the less atmospheric
catwalks at Tropicana Field. It is happening in the South Bronx and the South Side, within view
of the Gateway Arch and the Bay Bridge.
Baseball is worshiping a new Holy Trinity. They are the three true outcomes — the walk, the
strikeout and the home run.
Hitters are striving for the fences and no longer bothering to choke up with two strikes. Pitchers
are throwing heat and burning out with all the endurance of a funny car in the quest to miss
bats and eliminate the random element of a batted ball.
The home run still brings a crowd to its feet, of course, and it wins a fair share of games. The
long ball might be down ever so slightly from last year’s record-setting pace, but it remains far
more prominent than it did even at the most lawless and reckless height of the steroid era.
Strikeouts? Those continue unabated. Bats are oscillating at a rate of 8.62 strikeouts per game,
up from 8.25 last season. The league-wide batting average has fallen from .255 last year to .244
this season. Creative, hit-sucking infield shifts are contributing to that trend. Mostly, though, on
a given night around the major leagues, batters are putting dozens upon dozens fewer balls into
play.
Watch a game like the Giants’ 5-4 victory at Wrigley on Saturday night and you understand all
the good stuff the game is missing, all the wasted opportunities for the best players in the
world to put their abilities on display.
The story was much the same from the previous night, with one major difference.
On Friday, Gorkys Hernández played out of his mind and Brandon Crawford put his defensive
genius on display and the Giants lost. On Saturday, Gorkys Hernández played out of his mind
and Brandon Crawford put his defensive genius on display and the Giants won.
If Crawford’s pair of sensational plays cannot be adequately described, at least we can have the
courtesy to be brief. One involved ranging deep into the hole, throwing across his body and
putting enough arm behind it to retire Willson Contreras following a replay-overturned safe
call.
The other was a hard-hit grounder up the middle in the eighth, also from Contreras, that
Crawford smoothly gathered and flipped to start a double play — the quieter sort of highlight
that handcuffs a lesser shortstop, the kind who mistakes hurry for hustle. The other was a hard-
hit grounder up the middle in the eighth, also from Contreras, that Crawford smoothly gathered
and flipped to start a double play — the quieter sort of highlight that handcuffs a lesser
shortstop, the kind who mistakes hurry for hustle. “I’m using my hands a lot better and it allows
me to spray the ball where it’s pitched,” said Crawford, who is hitting .446 with four homers
21
and 20 RBI in 23 games in May. “A month ago, I had no chance on that up and away fastball. At
best I foul it off or pop it up.”
The Giants needed to rally again, though, because home runs continue to be an issue for
Stratton. After giving up zero homers in his first five starts, he has allowed eight in his last six.
Kyle Schwarber took him deep in the third inning and Javier Baez hit a tiebreaking shot in the
fourth. If not for Crawford’s play in the hole on Contreras, it would’ve been a two-run shot.
(Stratton also struck out Kris Bryant three times, something no pitcher has done since July of
last season, and at times he showed some of his best stuff of the season while eking out the
minimum five innings to qualify for his team-leading sixth victory. So there is some hope for
better times ahead.)
Hernández fueled the Giants’ second rally of the night. He hit a one-out double in the fifth and
scored when Andrew McCutchen’s double to center eluded a diving effort from Ian Happ. Belt’s
two-out single through a shift scored McCutchen with the tiebreaking run.
When the Giants are operating with a lead in the later innings, it allows their more athletic
players room to explore the creative space. Hernández saw an opportunity to bunt in the
seventh, he advanced on a groundout and rounded past third base on Evan Longoria’s single as
coach Ron Wotus windmilled his arm. But left fielder Kyle Schwarber gathered the ball quickly
and already showed off his arm strength earlier in the game. So Wotus shouted for Hernández
to stop even though the runner had already turned for home. Hernández was not so inflexible
to decommit, and he was not so creaky to be able to reverse course and retreat safely to third.
Then he combined speed, creativity and a bit of daring to score headfirst on Belt’s sacrifice fly,
reading Contreras’ positioning to determine his path to the plate.
“I know my only chance is to slide that way,” Hernández said.
Gregor Blanco slid headfirst, too, while making a catch shortly after replacing Mac Williamson in
left field as part of a double switch.
Now the Giants have an opportunity to take two of three in a ballpark that has proven so
unfriendly and confining over the past two seasons. They will face not Yu Darvish, who hit the
disabled list Saturday, but Tyler Chatwood, and that is no sprinkling of good fortune.
Chatwood has shoved against the Giants over the past two seasons: 4-2, 2.33 ERA in nine starts,
including five at Coors Field.
Buster Posey is questionable with stiffness in his hip that turned him into a high-leveraged
pinch-hitter Saturday night. Essentially, Posey had to sit back and watch the game, which came
with at least some benefits.
Fans enjoy watching baseball players make baseball plays. The players themselves appreciate
them even more.
22
The Athletic
Bumgarner dominates in his first — and perhaps only — rehab start: ‘I definitely feel good
enough to get some outs’
Scott Howard Cooper
WEST SACRAMENTO — Forty-seven pitches, 3 2/3 innings of no-hit ball and eight strikeouts
later, Madison Bumgarner delivered the statement even the glittery statistics could not, words
that superseded numbers and turned a Saturday night against Triple-A sparring partners into a
meaningful moment for the Giants.
It was in a room in the home clubhouse just beyond the left-field fence at Raley Field, after he
struck out the side in the first inning of his first game action since breaking his left pinkie late in
spring training in Arizona. There were no issues with the injury on the throwing hand, he
reported, the overall arm strength felt good and he had good command of the pitches.
And then, asked if he was able to pitch in the majors now, ready to return to the Giants and
ditch the original projections of at least one more start in the minors and possibly two,
Bumgarner did not hesitate.
“I think so,” Bumgarner said. “I obviously didn’t know before today, but judging off the way I
felt out there, I think so. For sure. I wouldn’t say I would be back and be in midseason form, but
I feel definitely good enough to get some outs.”
Bumgarner may have needed one brief outing as a Sacramento River Cat to upend weeks on a
timeline that was supposed to include a start for High-A San Jose on Thursday while tracking to
a return to the San Francisco rotation on June 5 and maybe even a third rehab appearance to
build his pitch count. That would have put him on schedule to throw for the Giants on June 10
at Washington. Instead, he was more than willing to roll over the plans with the same ease he
dominated the Albuquerque Isotopes, the top Rockies affiliate.
It wasn’t just that Bumgarner struck out eight of 12 Isotopes as part of Sacramento’s 2-0 win or
that he needed six pitches to retire the side in the second inning on a fly ball to center, a fly to
left and a strikeout. It wasn’t even the clean single to right field leading off the third inning in
his first plate appearance.
The big picture of the finger recovering and the arm getting stronger and the stamina building is
going that well. He was also quick to note that this was no time to make major
pronouncements and that the day-after assessment Sunday morning will be an important layer
of the conversation of when he is ready to face major-league hitting. His read in the moment,
though, was very encouraging.
“As far as how it went, I feel pretty good about how everything was working,” Bumgarner said.
“Obviously we’ll see how I feel tomorrow and bounce back from it. We’re not rushing it
extremely, but we’re definitely not taking our time with it either. We’re ramping it up pretty
quick. It’ll just be important to see how the arm bounces back tomorrow.”
It’ll be important to see how meaningful a minor-league Saturday night will be for the Giants
after a pitcher took an important step in a recovery, an emotional boost may be closer than
23
originally expected in San Francisco and a timeline may have just changed. All at once, all at
Raley Field as things began to ramp up pretty quick.
NBCbayareasports.com
Madison Bumgarner’s rehab start couldn’t have gone any better
Alex Pavlovic
SACRAMENTO -- The River Cats planned to hold batting practice in their indoors cage on
Saturday afternoon. A few minutes after 4 p.m., Madison Bumgarner walked onto the field with
a bat, and, well, soon enough the entire starting lineup was hitting on the field.
This night was about one man, and for Madison Bumgarner, it couldn't have gone any better.
Bumgarner threw 3 2/3 hitless innings in his first rehab start, striking out eight and showing
good fastball velocity and command of his whole repertoire.
The performance was so overwhelming that it's easy to imagine the Giants shredding the rehab
calendar and asking Bumgarner to throw 60-70 pitches in the big leagues on Friday. Would he
be ready?
"I think so," he said. "I obviously didn't know before today, but judging off the way it felt today,
I think so, for sure."
In his first game action since suffering a pinky fracture at the end of spring training, Bumgarner
walked off to a standing ovation after 47 pitches. The lone baserunner came on a one-out walk
in the third.
"It wasn't perfect, but definitely something to feel good about the first time out," he said. "
The Giants originally planned to have Bumgarner make at least three rehab starts, with the next
one set for Thursday in San Jose. But there was wiggle room in the plan, and when Bumgarner
looked sharp in a live BP session on Tuesday, some team officials joked that they had seen
enough to slide him right into a rotation that struggles to get even five innings from members
of the starting staff.
Bumgarner was realistic, and he had particular curiosity about the validity of his off-speed
pitches after such a long layoff. So far, so good.
He struck out the side in his first inning, getting one on a cutter and one on a curveball. Five
other strikeouts came on a fastball that sat 90-91 mph and topped out at 92 in his final inning
of work.
Then there was the strangest moment of the night, a 61 mph offering to opposing pitcher
Antonio Senzatela that froze him for a strikeout. The slow curve is a pitch Bumgarner has mixed
in in the past. It was surprising to see him test it in a rehab start.
24
"I thought of it three seconds before I threw it," he said, smiling. "I was just kind of feeling it
out."
Bumgarner's quick work meant he lasted long enough to get a wanted at-bat. Wearing a
padded glove to protect his pitching hand, he smoked the first pitch of the third into right field
for a single. The fact that it was not pulled appeared to be the only flaw Bumgarner could find
on a very encouraging night.
"I was a little tardy there," he said.
NBCbayareasports.com
With future up in the air, Hunter Pence making the most of rehab assignment
Alex Pavlovic
SACRAMENTO -- The scene at Raley Field on Saturday afternoon was a bit of a surreal one. After
every round of batting practice at the minor league park, Hunter Pence would step a few feet
from the cage and chat with Madison Bumgarner.
Both have helped the Giants to multiple championships. Both are beloved in the city of San
Francisco. Both are on rehab assignments. But right now, their situations could not be more
different.
Bumgarner was in Sacramento for the start of what will be a short rehab assignment. Pence is
finishing up the second week of a second stint with the River Cats, and it's unclear what the
Giants will do. They have six days to make a decision, whether that's calling Pence up, releasing
him, or perhaps talking to him about staying in the minors a bit longer.
The third conversation has not been had yet. It probably doesn't matter, anyway. It's clear
where Pence would like to be.
"I'm ready to play right now," Pence said. "This is where they want me right now, apparently,
and so I'm going to go play as hard as I can where they want me."
There was never any doubt that Pence would do that, and teammates here say he has handled
this potentially awkward assignment better than anyone else could. He has been a mentor for
younger players, many of whom have come through minor league camp the past two seasons.
Pence smiled his way through a pre-game workout Saturday and he has been a regular on the
autograph line. He also has not taken this rehab stint for granted.
When Pence and the Giants decided to pause a previous assignment on May 6, he didn't just sit
around and wait for his thumb to heal. He flew to Los Angeles for a few days and spent time
with Doug Latta, a private instructor who overhauled Justin Turner's swing and has now found
success with Mac Williamson.
25
"I'm very happy with it. I feel a lot better at the plate," Pence said. "I always think you've always
got to adjust and improve."
The early results are promising. Pence is 20-for-54 since returning, with three doubles and a
grand slam. He is standing more upright, with his hands a bit more relaxed, but the big stride
and powerful swing remain. As Pence described it, "it's still me."
"I still haven't mastered it," he said. "I'm still improving every day, but I feel a lot better at the
plate each day. Since the adjustment, I have a really good idea of what I want to do and I've felt
way better."
Now, it's up to the front office to decide how they feel. There have been no indications that a
decision is close, but players at two levels are watching. Mac Williamson is the everyday left
fielder in the big leagues, but down here, you'll find plenty who believe Pence at the very least
deserves another shot on the roster. Pence won't ruffle any feathers. But he would like another
run. That's why he flew down to Los Angeles.
"I want to learn everything I can to be the best player I can to help us win," he said. "The
ultimate goal is to win the World Series, and you've got to be the best player you can to do
that."
ESPN.com
Madison Bumgarner strikes out 8 of 12 batters in first rehab start
AP
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner was sharp in his
first rehabilitation start since breaking the pinkie on his pitching hand in March, striking out
eight while throwing 47 pitches over 3 2/3 hitless innings for Triple-A Sacramento.
It was such an encouraging start that Bumgarner didn't rule out an immediate return to the
Giants.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I obviously didn't know before today, but judging off the way I felt out there, I think so, for
sure," Bumgarner said. "I wouldn't say I'd be back and be in midseason form, but I feel
definitely good enough to get some outs."
Bumgarner threw 31 strikes and walked one Saturday night while facing 12 hitters against the
Albuquerque Isotopes.
The appearance came almost two months to the day of having surgery to insert three pins into
his pinkie after injuring the hand in the final game of spring training.
26
"I feel pretty good about how everything was working," Bumgarner said. "My command was
good. My breaking balls were doing pretty good also, so that's what I was looking for,
everything headed in the right direction."
Bumgarner's fastball was clocked between 91 and 93 mph, and he effectively mixed pitches in
his most extensive work since getting hurt.
The 2014 World Series MVP also drew a rousing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Raley Field
when he singled to right field leading off the bottom of the third inning on the first pitch from
Albuquerque's Antonio Senzatela.
"First pitch I've seen in a while," Bumgarner said. "A little tardy there. I'll take it for sure."
Because Sacramento leaves for a road trip next week, Bumgarner is likely to next pitch for
Single-A San Jose on Thursday or Friday if he isn't called up to the big league ballclub.
"Obviously we'll see how I feel tomorrow and bounce back from it," Bumgarner said. "We're
not rushing it extremely, but we're definitely not taking our time with it, either. We're ramping
it up pretty quick."
Bumgarner struck out the side in the first inning, needed only six pitches to get through the
second, then got Senzatela to strike out looking in the third on a 61 mph off-speed pitch.
"The breaking stuff was moving right, the command of it was good," Bumgarner said. "The
fastball command was good. Pretty much everything I was looking for. It's not perfect, but it
was definitely something to feel good about for the first time out there."
The outing was an encouraging sign for the 28-year-old Bumgarner, who hasn't pitched a full
season in the majors since 2016. He was limited to 17 starts in 2017 following a dirt bike
accident during an off day in Colorado in April 2017 that left him with shoulder and rib injuries.
Bumgarner finished 4-9 last year with a 3.32 ERA that was the second-highest of his career but
bounced back with a strong spring training that included 30 strikeouts over 21 innings before
getting hurt.
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said his ace was in peak form in the spring and tabbed the
big lefty to be the team's Opening Day starter until he was hit by a line drive off the bat of
Kansas City's Whit Merrifield on March 23.
Following Bumgarner's surgery the following day, Bochy pointed to a June return that the left-
hander remains on pace to achieve. The Giants skipper previously indicated last week that he
27
would like to see his ace stretched out to 75 pitches before the team activates him off the
disabled list.
Bumgarner threw off a mound three times early in his rehab and faced hitters for the first time
this past Tuesday in Houston.
The Giants are trying to be as patient and cautious as possible with Bumgarner's rehab despite
being in obvious need of pitching help.
Johnny Cueto, the team's No. 2 starter, has been on the disabled list with right elbow
inflammation since late April and recently met with specialist Dr. James Andrews. Andrews
recommended six to eight weeks of rest rather than surgery.
Additionally, No. 3 starter Jeff Samardzija began the season on the DL because of a pectoral
injury. Samardzija won his first start April 20, but is 0-3 since.
ESPN.com
Olney: Hot commodities in the relief pitching market
Buster Olney
CHICAGO -- Manny Machado will be the most discussed trade target of the summer in the
media, because of his superstar pedigree and because of his impending free agency. But the
Kansas City Royals’ Kelvin Herreracould turn out to be the most-talked about among teams,
with the highest volume of suitors.
While Machado’s market will be more specialized, with just a handful of teams looking for help
on the left side of the infield and even fewer willing to seriously consider the Baltimore Orioles’
high asking price. Machado is the Lamborghini of the summer swap talk; Herrera is the more
reliable and more useful pickup truck.
Why? Because Herrera checks every box for interested contenders.
1. He’s a reliever, and even clubs with great bullpens will be looking to augment theirs.
The New York Yankees, for example, are loaded with high-end relievers, but if general manager
Brian Cashman doesn't find the type of starting pitcher he wants before July 31, he could opt to
saturate his bullpen and target Herrera.
2. He has lots of experience as a closer, as well as a setup man. He’s got 53 saves, including 10
this year.
3. He’s throwing well. Herrera’s velocity is down a tick this year, but his average of 96.5 mph is
28
still among the best in the big leagues. His swing-and-miss rate of 14.6 percent is the second-
highest in his career, and Herrera ranks first in the AL in generating swings on pitches outside of
the strike zone, at 43.7 percent.
4. He’s apparently healthy, with a relatively light early workload. Whether it’s because the
Royals aren’t winning a lot of games or because they’re working to preserve a valued trade
asset, there have been only four instances so far this season in which Herrera has worked on
back-to-back days, and only one time when he pitched in three straight games.
5. He’s got loads of postseason experience, from the Royals’ championship runs of 2014-15, and
in those high-pressure games, Herrera has 38 strikeouts in 28 ⅔ innings, with an ERA of 1.26.
6. He throws strikes. Lots and lots of strikes. Herrera had 20 appearances through Friday’s
games, and he had issued a total of exactly zero walks.
ADVERTISEMENT
7. He’s going to be pricey, given the number of teams that might ask about him, but he won’t
be outrageously expensive, because he’s a free agent in the fall. Whoever buys him will pay for
three-plus months of control (including October).
The Royals are rebuilding, and so they should trade him this summer, to recoup maximum
value. Kansas City would also have the leverage to inform suitors, with all earnestness, that the
Royals could keep Herrera and tender him a qualifying offer this fall, to set themselves up for
draft-pick compensation.
But it’s much more likely that sometime in the next 65 days, some rival general manager will
decide that Herrera can be a difference-making piece and will be willing to pay the Royals what
they want -- just as the Royals paid the extra cost to land Johnny Cueto and Ben Zobrist during
the 2015 season on their way to a World Series title.
Some other relievers who could be highly sought in the trade market:
• Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics: The 29-year-old right-hander has nasty stuff and is having
the best season of his career, and Oakland has a long history of selling pitchers at the height of
their value.
• Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles: He’s making progress in his rehabilitation from Achilles
surgery in the winter, and if all goes well, he’ll be back to audition for interested teams well
before the trade deadline.
• Richard Bleier, Orioles: The 31-year-old lefty has performed well, limiting the damage of both
29
lefties and righties.
• Brad Hand, San Diego Padres: San Diego never really relented in its asking price for the lefty
last year, and while Hand is not throwing quite as well in 2018 as he did in 2017, he could
interest suitors. Hand has allowed 13 walks in 26 innings, but with 39 strikeouts. And remember
how much he has dominated lefties this year: Left-handed hitters are 1-for-30 against Hand,
with 16 strikeouts.
• Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds: He’s got a 2.08 ERA and eight saves this year, with 42 saves in
his career.
• Seung Hwan Oh, Toronto Blue Jays: The right-hander has bounced back from some problems
of last year, allowing only six walks and striking out 24 in 23 innings, with a 2.08 ERA.
News from around the major leagues
The baseball gods have not been kind to the Giants early this season. Madison Bumgarner
suffered a broken pinky in the last week of spring training, and Johnny Cueto went down with
an elbow issue. Newcomers Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria have not performed up to
expectations yet. The schedule has been unusually rough -- by June 14, the Giants will have
already had three three-city road trips to the Eastern and Central time zones.
And yet the Giants are right in the middle of the closely packed NL West. Now Bumgarner is on
the verge of rejoining the San Francisco rotation, Cueto is set to start a throwing program
Monday, and second baseman Joe Panikcould be back in a week. From June 15 to Aug. 16, the
Giants will play all of their games in either the Pacific or Mountain time zones, something
players noted here at Wrigley Field on Saturday.
• The Manny Machado trade sweepstakes will likely kick off after the June amateur draft, with
the Orioles beginning new talks with some teams and picking up the threads of past
conversation. Last December, the Orioles believed they were making serious progress on a deal
with the Cardinals -- for pitching prospects, plus third baseman Jedd Gyorko -- and then St.
Louis backed off. The Cardinals have the deepest well of young pitchers of any team, which
would probably give them an advantage over other clubs if they decide they want Machado this
summer.
• Yu Darvish was supposed to start for the Cubs on Sunday Night Baseball, before he was placed
on the disabled list Saturday evening, but he is a man of many talents. When he met face-to-
face with teams as a free agent, he insisted on going through that process without an
interpreter -- to demonstrate his fluency in English. Darvish is right-handed, but he is also
ambidextrous and can throw left-handed so well that one evaluator said he could compete in
Double-A right now with his lefty stuff. A couple of years ago, he posted video on his Instagram
account of a bullpen session in Boston in which he threw breaking balls lefty.
• The most anticipated showdown Sunday might be in Cleveland between the Cleveland
30
Indians’ Trevor Bauer and the Houston Astros’ Gerrit Cole. They were teammates at UCLA, and
it was well-known at the time both were drafted that they held each other in contempt. After
Cole got off to a great start this year, Bauer took to Twitter to seemingly insinuate that Cole’s
performance was aided by the use of a foreign substance -- pine tar. Bauer released a
statement saying he wasn’t referring to anyone on the Astros ... but Cole’s teammates on the
Astros do not believe him.
• Brandon Belt of the San Francisco Giants really struggled against a tidal wave of inside
fastballs in recent years, often fouling off pitches to the left side or popping out. This year, he
has eliminated a small loop in his swing path, worked on taking the ball to left field in batting
practice and is now crushing those inside pitches -- and has improved his slugging percentage
by more than 100 points. Belt’s career high in homers is 18, but one evaluator said Belt might
hit 35 to 40 this year.
• Kyle Schwarber paused behind the batting cage for a minute when he saw a reporter and
said, “You know what would be a good story?”
What do you got, Kyle?
“How about we do a story on baseball’s best pinch-hitter?” he said. “It’s unbelievable what he
does.”
He was referring to Tommy La Stella, and yes, La Stella is thriving in that role this year: nine hits
in 21 at-bats, plus five walks and two strikeouts, for a .538 on-base percentage. As Schwarber
noted, La Stella will watch the first four innings or so when he is not in the starting lineup, and
then he’ll retreat to the indoor cage to prepare for his moment.
And that’s all it is -- a moment. One pitch, maybe two or three. This is what La Stella really loves
about pinch-hitting -- the challenge of getting himself ready and into fully effective
concentration when that moment and opportunity arrives. La Stella said he will manage in his
head along with Joe Maddon and anticipate when he might be used and which pitcher he might
face. There are a lot of video numbers available to him, and he said he wants to be aware of
some of it but not too much. “I try to simplify it,” he said, explaining that he wants to focus on
what he does well rather than fret about what the pitcher typically tries to do.
• The topic was about pitchers making adjustments, and Cubs coach Mike Borzello recalled a
switch by Yankees right-hander Mike Mussina. In the midst of a start in Baltimore, catcher John
Flaherty went to the mound, and Mussina said, “Horns are split.”
Translated: If Flaherty put down the horns sign when he called for a pitch -- with his pinky and
index finger -- then Mussina would throw a splitter.
Which Flaherty had never seen him throw.
31
“Do you have a split?” Flaherty asked.
“I do now,” Mussina replied.
A similar thing happened when Mussina pitched in the 2001 World Series. In Game 1, the
Diamondbacks jumped on Mussina for six hits and five runs, including a couple of homers by
left-handed hitters. At that stage in his career, Mussina would throw a fastball in the 90-92 mph
range and a curveball typically in the 80-81 mph range. When Mussina opened in Game 5, he
was throwing the fastball and a curve -- and then another pitch at about 84-85 mph. The
Diamondbacks’ hitters flailed, and Mussina threw well, although his performance was lost in yet
another late-inning comeback in that World Series and an extra-innings decision.
I had covered Mussina for a couple of years in Baltimore and then in that first season with the
Yankees, and after thinking about the sequence of pitches, I approach Mussina on the field
before Game 6 and asked, “Did you break out a splitter in the middle of the World Series?”
He smiled slightly, drew a finger in front of his mouth and said, “Sssshhhhh.”
• The Rays’ decision to start reliever Sergio Romo to gain a platoon advantage early in games is
smart and steeped in logic and makes complete sense for them under the current rules. But it’s
also more erosion of the starting pitcher-as-headliner, something that has worked well for
baseball for decades because a lot of fans will check projected pitching matchups before buying
tickets.
To put it another way: If you worked in a team’s marketing department, which would be a
better sell -- a matchup of Chris Archer vs. Chris Sale, or two relay teams of relievers?
Baseball Tonight Podcast
Friday: Jessica Mendoza players Contender or Pretender with the National League field; Karl
Ravech on the Rays’ decision to start relief pitchers; and Dr. Alan Nathan, chairman of the
committee that studied the question of whether the baseballs were juiced.
Thursday: Keith Law and the latest draft machinations; Stephania Bell on the injury situations
for Dustin Pedroia, Adam Eaton and Clayton Kershaw and the question of player privacy with
injuries; and Sarah Langs plays The Numbers Game. (Here also is the podcast Stephania
referred to in our conversation, with the doctor who discusses cartilage restoration.)
Wednesday: Boog Sciambi on a couple of very interesting ejections; Jesse Rogers with some
insight on the Cubs and their rotation and the question of whether they would pursue Manny
Machado; and Paul Hembekides with some Cal Ripken joy.
32
Tuesday: A great conversation with Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who explains his out-of-the-
box method for affecting change with one of Boston’s young players; Jerry Crasnick on the NL
East’s youth and the future of Manny Machado; and Sarah Langs plays The Numbers Game.
Monday: Conversations with the Astros’ Alex Bregman and Indians manager Terry Francona;
Tim Kurkjian on J.D. Martinez and Shohei Ohtani; and Todd Radom’s uniform-and-logo quiz.
And today will be better than yesterday.