SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, July 18, 2017

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1 SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, July 18, 2017 Washington Post How many ballparks have you visited? Washington Post Staff More than in any other American pro sport, baseball s where matters nearly as much as the who and how. Ballparks aren t just settings for the game. They are unique temples that evoke a feeling from fans, local or otherwise. Many a fan has made it a goal to see all 30 major league parks, and with that in mind, we ve created this checklist, travel guide and ranking. We ll also solicit your insight and let you share your list. So kick back and enjoy a virtual box seat to a game in any park. The first thing you notice, even before you ve emerged from the concourse, is the welcoming smell. Follow your nose to the garlic fries stand, and take the long way. Strolling behind the right field fence, you can look left and see Hunter Pence or look right and see San Francisco Bay, stretching out beyond the kayaks and assorted water vessels in McCovey Cove. It s cozy, but not cramped, the result of a happy accident: Just before construction began, the builders were told they had to fit the same design on a smaller piece of property. It feels both modern and ancient, the way any great ballpark should. Adam Kilgore A bite to eat nearby: Marlowe is much more than a burger place, but locals call their on-the-bun offering the best in the city. Across the street from the ballpark, the best spot to pregame is MoMo s. While you re at the park: Crush a crab sandwich while walking along the arcade that separates the right field wall and McCovey Cove. While you re in town: Plan your visit to Alcatraz well ahead of time, as tickets go fast to check out The Rock. Take a trip out into San Francisco Bay for a full tour of one of the most famous prisons in the world, and catch a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge on your way. Player insight: You know, it s different. I think they did a good job with the stadium, but it s always, always, always very, very windy there. It s almost not baseball weather because you re right on the water on the bay. That was the only difference there. Nationals infielder Stephen Drew THE EXPERTS' RANKINGS: 1st

2 Thomas Boswell: 2nd Chelsea Janes: 1st Adam Kilgore: 1st Lacy Lusk: 1st Dave Sheinin: 3rd San Francisco Chronicle That sinking feeling Mike Massa A year ago at the All-Star break, the Giants had the best record in Major League Baseball at 57-33, and fans were dreaming of another even-year parade through downtown San Francisco. But the past 12 months haven t been kind. The team slumped in the second half of 2016, held on to make the playoffs as a wild-card team, and have been firmly planted in last place in the National League West for much of In 162 games played from last year s All-Star break to this year s break the equivalent of a full regular season the Giants have gone They set a franchise record with 56 losses before the break, and currently own the second-worst record in baseball. This chart shows how far they ve fallen from their perch atop the league last year. Game-by-game results since the 2016 All-Star break Hover over each line to see the team name and its current record. Or, pick a team:

3 San Francisco Chronicle Giants blow lead and lose again as sellout streak ends Henry Schulman The Giants had an inkling they might lose what they touted as the longest sellout streak in National League history this summer. The demand for tickets began to soften a bit as the team headed south on the field. The inevitable finally occurred Monday night when the Giants announced a paid crowd of 39,538 for their 5-3 loss to the Indians in the opener of a 10-game homestand. That ended the streak at 555 sellouts at AT&T Park: 530 in the regular season, 25 in the postseason. The product on the field fit the occasion. The Giants blew a two-run lead and lost largely by screwing up a fundamental play that winning teams convert times out of 1,000. The Giants lost for the 14th time in their past 18 home games, not the stuff you print on ticket brochures. Nobody knows more than the Giants and their manager that they did not give the fans a great reason to keep the sellout streak going. We can t thank them enough, manager Bruce Bochy said. It s a shame we couldn t hang in there and keep this thing going. The fans, they did their part. This has been tough on them, too.

4 Two weeks ago, Giants Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer vented at the notion that the organization was obsessed with the streak and noted that when it ended, the Giants probably would have the biggest crowd in the majors that day. He was close. Only the Atlanta Braves reported a bigger crowd, 41,256, for a game at their new ballpark against the defending World Series-champion Cubs. We re very proud and appreciative of fans who did what no other National League fans have done, 530 games and six-plus years of sellouts, Baer said by text Monday night. It s also amazing to be over 3 million in attendance for 16 of the 18 years of our ballpark. Many folks have questioned the streak because seats were often available at the last minute. No matter the team s criteria, the consistency of their crowds has been impressive since the streak began Oct. 1, 2010, the opener of a three-game series against the Padres that settled the National League West in the Giants favor. Matt Cain pitched that night and is one of two Giants to be with the team throughout the streak. Buster Posey is the other. That was definitely special, Cain said Monday. To be able to have a streak like that is meaningful for everyone in here. It s just amazing, the support we ve had. Cleveland fans comprised a vocal portion of Monday night s crowd. Their team won the American League pennant last year. For the first four innings, the Giants seemed headed for good things. Matt Moore, who entered with the worst ERA in the National League at 6.04, demonstrated renewed poise and command, holding the Indians to a Yan Gomes solo homer. Moore was leading 3-1 and on the verge of a scoreless fifth when Bradley Zimmer hit a two-out comebacker off Moore s glove. The ball deflected perfectly for Moore, toward first base. He ran it down and tossed underhanded to Jae-Gyun Hwang, who was playing first base for the first time in the majors. Zimmer s speed caught Moore a bit off guard. Moore attempted his flip sooner than he had hoped and sailed it over Hwang s head. Giovanny Urshela scored from second as the ball rolled way. The error also extended the inning and allowed Francisco Lindor to tie it 3-3 with a broken-bat single. A throwing error by Hwang contributed to the Indians fourth run, enough to doom Moore to his fifth straight defeat at home and 10th overall. In the end, that ended up costing us the game, Moore said of his error. It s kind of hard to shake off right now. San Francisco Chronicle Brandon Belt could be in Giants lineup Tuesday Henry Schulman

5 First baseman Brandon Belt could rejoin the lineup as soon as Tuesday night after reporting significant improvement in his left wrist, which he hurt Saturday night in San Diego. Belt missed his second consecutive game Monday in the series opener against Cleveland. With Buster Posey returning behind the plate to catch Matt Moore, Jae-Gyun Hwang played first base in the majors for the first time after starting there 28 times for Triple-A Sacramento. If it improves as much tomorrow as it did today, I can probably play tomorrow, Belt said before batting practice, during which he took grounders and threw, but did not swing a bat. Belt is having a three true outcomes season. He is on pace for career highs in homers (28) and strikeouts (157). He also is on pace for 93 walks, which would be 11 fewer than his career high last season. His batting average (.244) is down 31 points from last year. Who s in left? When Austin Slater went on the disabled list, manager Bruce Bochy said he would use Gorkys Hernandez and Kelby Tomlinson in left field. But Hernandez has become the everyday left fielder and Tomlinson has not played in the outfield since May 10. Although Hernandez s slash line of.238/.317/.298 entering Monday was not pretty, his hitting has improved markedly since the end of May. He entered Monday having hit.338 in his past 74 at-bats and had his first career four-hit game Friday night in San Diego. He had a great game, Bochy said. His at-bats have been pretty good. It s good to have his defense out there, too. Tomlinson, a natural infielder, took flyballs in left before batting practice. Bochy expects to start him soon with Hernandez moving to center or right to get Denard Span or Hunter Pence a day off. Rookie Ryder Jones, who also can play left, will begin a rehab assignment for Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. Jones hand was bruised by a pitch in Pittsburgh on July 1. New kid: The Giants have reached a contract agreement with Texas high school right-hander Jack Conlon, who was the Orioles fourth-round pick in the June draft but did not sign, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. San Francisco Chronicle Giants try their luck against depleted Indians Henry Schulman After a one-game detour in Oakland, where I watched the A's beat the American League Champion Cleveland Indians on Saturday night, I'm back at AT&T Park to watch some good old-fashioned National League ball, in a National League Park, with National League lineups as the Giants face The American League Champion Cleveland Indians.

6 The Giants are catching the Indians at a good time (if that matters, since the Giants have struggled against titans and mites this season). Lest you think hamstring strains are the sole provenance of the Giants, two Cleveland regulars - second baseman Jason Kipnis and right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, are on the disabled list with right hammy strains. ALSO San Diego Padres' Cory Spangenberg, center, greets teammates Hector Sanchez, right, and Wil Myers, second from right, after hitting a three-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 16, 2017, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) Jeff Samardzija gives up 7 runs as Giants fall to Padres again San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Moore reacts after striking out Chicago Cubs' Dexter Fowler during the eighth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League Division Series in San Francisco, Tuesday, Oct. 11, (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Giants need Matt Moore to start producing Furthermore, the Giants will not see Opening Day starter and recent All-Star Corey Kluber in the series. The Indians purposely crafted their rotation out the break so Kluber would not have to hit in a National League park because he had a back injury this season. The Indians whom I saw Saturday night can be pitched to. They scored six runs in the three games at the Coliseum. The question is, can the Giants pitch to anyone? Left-hander Matt Moore carries his league-worst 6.04 ERA to the mound in the series opener Monday night. Ty Blach goes Tuesday with Matt Cain pitching in place of Johnny Cueto in the Wednesday matinee. More doom and gloom followed the Giants home from San Diego, with Cueto on the DL, Brandon Belt nursing a wrist sprain and a series loss against the Padres. Funny thing about baseball: Had Buster Posey hit his bases-loaded drive to left about 3 feet farther in Saturday night's game, he would have had a grand slam, the Giants probably would have won and even with Jeff Samardzija losing big Sunday the series victory would have been viewed as "a step forward." There have been few steps forward for the Giants this year. Homer talk: It's not just that the Giants have been outhomered in the new Juiced Ball/Bat Era and rank last in the majors in homer, they're also being outscored on the homers big-time. The Giants overall run differential this year is a minus-106. Well more than half that deficit - 62 runs - comes from the total runs they allow and score on homers ( ). The Padres hit two three-run homers off Samardzija on Sunday. The Giants have two all year. All this led a numbers wonk on another website to write a column based simply on math to say the Giants are doomed unless the blow up their entire roster and fill it eight players with uppercut swings who can hit 25 a year. Here s my mathematical rebuttal:

7 As awful as the Giants pitching has been, they still rank top third in the majors in fewest homers allowed, thanks in good part to their park. If the pitching staff can curtail mistakes that lead to frustrating homers, and the front office can add a little more pop via trade, free agency and their system, they can shrink that run differential significantly by squeezing it from both sides. The key from the offensive side is just hitting better overall. That should lead to more runners on base when they do go deep, which is a big part of the issue. And by the way. Giancarlo Stanton to the Giants? I'm hearing no. Brandon Belt is out again with a wrist injury. Jae-Gyun Hwang makes his first major-league start at first base: San Jose Mercury News The night the Giants record sellout streak began Jon Becker They first packed AT&T Park on Oct. 1, 2010, hoping to celebrate the Giants clinching their first National League West title in years. Giants fans didn t party that night, but they stuck around for nearly seven years, filling AT&T to watch youngsters like Buster Posey and Tim Lincecum blossom into megastars and bring three World Series championship teams to San Francisco. Along the way, those fans helped the Giants set a National League record for most consecutive sellouts, which reached 530 before it ended on Monday night during an otherwise meaningless 5-3 loss to the Indians. It s just been amazing, Giants president and CEO Larry Baer said on the NBC Sports Bay Area broadcast I wanted to thank the fans. While the Giants currently sit in the NL West cellar, looking as if they may join their 85 counterparts as the franchise s only 100-loss team, let s take a quick look back at more joyous times. Like that Orange Friday in 2010 when the sellout streak began. Needing just one more win to hold off the Padres and clinch the division, the Giants sent Matt Cain to the mound. The raucous crowd s mood was seemingly set early as popular center fielder Andres Torres received the Willie Mac Award before the game. Unfortunately for the Giants, the electric crowd energized the Padres, who hit three home runs off Cain. Not even Aaron Rowand s jolting, pinch-hit 3-run home run could prevent the Giants from falling 6-4 that night. They packed AT&T again on Saturday only to watch the Padres win again, setting up the last game of the season with San Diego hoping to sweep and set up a one-game playoff for the crown.

8 Fortunately, pitcher Jonathan Sanchez s six shutout innings and a home run from a rookie catcher named Posey led the Giants to a division-clinching 4-0 win on Oct. 3, A few weeks later, the Giants even-year magic began with a World Series title. Two more titles followed. Some not-so-great years were sprinkled in, but the one constant was the support of Giants fans who kept packing the place. In some respects, the ride ended with Monday s announced crowd of 39,538, a couple thousand short of a sellout. But, man, what a ride it was! San Jose Mercury News Giants sellout streak ends as team falls to Indians Paul Gackle SAN FRANCISCO The longest sellout streak in the 141-year history of the National League came to an end Monday night as the Giants woes on the field continued with a comedy of errors reflective of a lastplace team. Throwing errors by pitcher Matt Moore and first baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang proved to be the difference in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians as the Giants sellout streak at AT&T Park was snapped at 530 consecutive games. It has been a tough go, but the one constant has been our support, manager Bruce Bochy said. We can t thank (the fans) enough. It s a shame we couldn t hang in there to keep this thing going, but they certainly did their part. They hung in there with us and we appreciate it. There s not a place in baseball like what we have here there isn t. It s unmatched. The Giants announced a paid attendance of 39,538 Monday night, falling short of the 41,915 required to reach capacity at AT&T Park. The streak, which started on Oct. 1, 2010, is the longest in the history of the National League and the second-longest in major league history. The longest sellout streak is 820 games, set by the Boston Red Sox. We re very fortunate, said catcher Buster Posey, who was in his rookie year with the Giants when the streak started. There s a lot of people that play their entire career and don t get to play in front of a sold out stadium very often. I m sure there s frustration on (the fans ) end just like there is on our end, but there s an appreciation, too. With us winning those championships, hopefully the city realizes they ve been a big part of it. Moore tossed the ball about as well as he had all season Monday. That is, when he was throwing overhand. A 10-day break appeared to be all that the Giants left-hander needed to wipe the slate clean on a dismal first half, but Moore s best start in nearly a month was spoiled in the fifth when he threw an underhand rainbow into foul territory.

9 With the Giants leading 3-1 in the fifth, Moore knocked down a ground ball to the mound with a runner on second. Then, he sailed an underhand lob several feet over Hwang s head from halfway in between the mound and first, sending the ball toward the Indians bullpen as Giovanny Ursula scored from second. Moore said he rushed the play because speedy Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer was zipping down the base path. I don t think I ve ever thrown a baseball on the field underhand unless it was to the catcher on a squeeze play, Moore said. I know (Zimmer s) fast. I could kind of just feel him getting down the line. When I dropped it and I went to pick it up, I guess that s just what felt natural. I guess that s just what I did. It s not like I can tell you about a decision-making process I went through. As soon as I let it go I knew it was too high. The next batter, Francisco Lindor, tied the game at 3-3 by driving in Zimmer from second with a soft line drive to center. In the end that wound up being what cost us the game. It s hard to shake off right now, Moore said. That is the big dark spot. Poor defense reared its head again in the sixth, allowing the Indians to take a 4-3 lead. This time, Jose Ramirez scored from second after Hwang, who was making his debut at first filling in for the injured Brandon Belt, threw a sacrifice bunt attempt by Brandon Guyer into right field, past an outstretched Joe Panik. You hate to shoot yourself in the foot, Bochy said. Now, with Hwang at first, he just hasn t played a lot of first base. He s just not accustomed to making that throw and that ended up being the winning run. It s a shame we end up losing the game because a lot of good things happened. As a result, Moore (3-10), who entered the game with the second-highest ERA (6.04) in the majors, became the first Giants pitcher since Ryan Vogelsong in 2011 to lose five straight home starts, even though he reached the seventh inning for just the third time in his past 14 starts, surrendering two earned runs on four hits. The only Indians hitter to reach base in the first three innings was catcher Yan Gomes, who homered to left after Moore grooved a 93 mph fastball right down the middle of the plate. Moore, who the Giants acquired at the trade deadline last season, was pitching for the first time since July 7 and trying to regain the form that allowed him to win 17 games in 2013 and throw eight innings of two-run ball against the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the National League Division Series last fall. Despite his colossal error in the fifth, Moore is convinced he can build off Monday s start and turn his season around.

10 I ve had trouble getting deep into games, so being in the seventh inning, over 100 pitches, the next four days it s fresh in your mind so it s just replaying it and envisioning it happening again, Moore said. It s something to build on because I felt like I was throwing the ball where I wanted to, I felt like I was in control of the game for all of it. The Giants used instant replay to their advantage in the third, overturning a call at the plate after Panik was thrown out on a Gorkeys Hernandez double to the left field corner. The replay showed that Panik s foot had slipped under Gomes glove as he was reaching forward to apply the tag. After that, Moore helped his own cause by singling in Hernandez. The Giants added a third run in the fourth after Brandon Crawford smacked a double off the top of the bricks in the deepest part of the yard in right-center, bringing in Posey from first. After the Indians jumped ahead in the sixth, the Giants bats went silent as 12 consecutive hitters went down in order. Posey is hoping the Giants can shake off Monday s loss and start another long consecutive-sellout streak Tuesday. Hopefully, we can start playing better and keep them coming out here, he said. Hopefully, we start another one soon. Belt expects to rejoin the Giants lineup Tuesday after missing two straight games with a right wrist injury. The first baseman was planning to take ground balls in the infield Monday and he said he can throw the baseball without experiencing significant pain. It made a lot of improvement today, Belt said. If it makes as much of an improvement tomorrow as it did today, I ll play, I m guessing. Speaking of streaks, Eduardo Nunez s streak of reaching base in 33 consecutive games ended as he went 0 for 4. The streak was longest in the majors this season. The Giants activated Ryder Jones from the disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A Sacramento. The Giants have reached an agreement with pitching prospect Jack Conlon, a 2017 fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles passed on the opportunity to sign the right-hander out of Clements High School in Sugarland, Texas, after he failed the team s physical, making him a free agent. Conlon s deal with the Giants is contingent on him passing a physical. San Jose Mercury News Giants sellout streak ends at 530-consecutive games Paul Gackle SAN FRANCISCO The longest sellout streak in the history of the National League ended Monday night.

11 The Giants sellout streak of 530-consecutive games ended at China Basin as just 39,538 fans purchased tickets for the team s interleague clash with the Cleveland Indians at AT&T Park, falling short of the 41,915 required to reach capacity. The streak, which started on Oct. 1, 2010, is the longest in the history of the National League and the second-longest in Major League history. The longest sellout streak is 820 games set by the Boston Red Sox. San Jose Mercury News Giants Brandon Belt avoids stint on disabled list Paul Gackle SAN FRANCISCO Brandon Belt won t be joining Johnny Cueto, Michael Morse, Jarrett Parker, Austin Slater and Will Smith on disabled list. In fact, he could be available to pinch hit against the Cleveland Indians at AT&T Park Monday night. The Giants received encouraging news Monday when Belt reported significant improvement in the health of his left wrist, which he injured while checking a swing against the San Diego Padres on Saturday. Instead of becoming the team s 20th use of the disabled list this season, the first baseman is expecting to rejoin the lineup at some point during the Giants three-game series with the Indians. It made a lot of improvement today, Belt said. If it makes as much of an improvement tomorrow as it did today, I ll play, I m guessing. Belt was planning to take ground balls in the infield Monday. The first baseman said he can throw the ball without pain. Manager Bruce Bochy reinforced the likelihood that Belt will return to the lineup sooner than later. He just needs another day. I think he ll be okay to go tomorrow. He s still a little stiff, Bochy said. My hope is that toward the backend of the game, if we need him, he s available to pinch hit. As Belt s wrist heals on the bench, Jae-Gyun Hwang will be making his Major League debut at first, where he suited up for 31 games earlier this season with Triple-A Sacramento. He played a little bit there in spring training. In Sacramento, he also played there, so he s ready to go, Bochy said. Hwang, who made his Major League debut on June 28, has played all 10 of his big league games at third base. Although he s only hitting.182, Bochy has been impressed by the South Korea-native s at bats and his commitment to doing his homework. He s very well prepared when he goes up there. He studies all these guys. He probably knows as much about their pitchers as any of us, the Giants manager said. He makes adjustments up there. He might look bad on a pitch, but you usually don t see it happen twice in one at bat. Ryder Jones will start a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday.

12 Jones was placed on the 10-day disabled list on July 4 (retroactively) with a right wrist contusion. The rookie third baseman has one hit in 21 at bats since he made his Major League debut on June 24. Gorkeys Hernandez isn t the longterm solution to the Giants left field problems, but he is providing some short-term stability. When Austin Slater went down with a right groin strain on July 8, the Giants manager was talking about dividing the team s left field duties between Hernandez and Kelby Tomlinson. Instead, he s penciled Hernandez into left in four-consecutive games since the All-Star break. The 29- year-old outfielder is batting.339 since June 1, including a 4 for 4 performance Friday. His at bats have been pretty good. It s good to have that defense out there, too, Bochy said. Instead of chasing down the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants will be devoting their longest homestand of the season (10 games) to something a little more abstract: building character. Earlier in the season, the team viewed this stretch of the schedule, in which they will play 18 of their next 23 games at China Basin, as an opportunity to gain ground in the National League West standings after a putrid start. Now, they re just hoping to show the rest of the Majors, what they re made of, after producing the second-worst home record through 93 games (17-24). We just want to get back to winning baseball, Bochy said. Get back to who we are. There s so much pride involved at this point. We say tough times reveal character, that s where we re at right now. We need to show what we re made of and hopefully have a good homestand. MLB Blach seeks bump in Interleague Play Jonathan Hawthorne Neither Giants lefty Ty Blach nor Indians righty Mike Clevinger have impressive marks in Interleague Play. Clevinger owns an 8.68 ERA in two career starts. Meanwhile, Blach has a 7.71 ERA in two starts as well. On Tuesday, the two have a chance to improve their marks. Both are making starts opposite clubs -- and players -- they haven't faced before. Blach has struggled to find his touch as of late. He has a 5.48 ERA since the start of June. Clevinger, meanwhile, has a 2.90 ERA over the same stretch. Things to know about this game Thanks to the All-Star break, both Clevinger and Blach will start on extended rest. It'll be nine days for Clevinger and 12 days for Blach, who incidentally had his last start against another American League Central team in Detroit.

13 The Indians' starting rotation leads the Majors with a collective.182 batting average allowed on offspeed pitches. Among starters with at least 100 opponent at-bats ending in offspeed offerings, Clevinger has posted the sixth-lowest average (.149) -- behind teammates Corey Kluber (.089) and Carlos Carrasco (.143). Indians manager Terry Francona -- who has to be creative without a designated hitter -- hopes to start Carlos Santana on either Tuesday or Wednesday. Francona said he doesn't want to give Santana three days off, even with a sore ankle, especially with an off-day Thursday. MLB Heart and Hustle winners named by MLBPAA Manny Randhawa The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association revealed the 30 preliminary winners of the 2017 Heart and Hustle Award on Tuesday. The honor is the only one voted on by former players, and is bestowed each year upon the active player who most represents a passion for the game of baseball, and best embodies the values, spirit and tradition of the game. Past winners of the Heart and Hustle Award include David Eckstein (2005), Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (2006, 2007), Grady Sizemore (2008), Albert Pujols (2009), Roy Halladay (2010), Torii Hunter (2011), Mike Trout (2012), Dustin Pedroia (2013), Josh Harrison (2014), Anthony Rizzo (2015) and Todd Frazier (2016). The 30 preliminary winners for 2017 are: AMERICAN LEAGUE Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones Boston Red Sox: Rick Porcello Chicago White Sox: Avisail Garcia Cleveland Indians: Jose Ramirez Detroit Tigers: Ian Kinsler Houston Astros: Josh Reddick Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer Los Angeles Angels: Andrelton Simmons Minnesota Twins: Byron Buxton New York Yankees: Brett Gardner Oakland Athletics: Yonder Alonso Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz Tampa Bay Rays: Logan Morrison Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus Toronto Blue Jays: Kevin Pillar NATIONAL LEAGUE Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt Atlanta Braves: Nick Markakis Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant Cincinnati Reds: Adam Duvall

14 Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon Los Angeles Dodgers: Justin Turner Miami Marlins: J.T. Realmuto Milwaukee Brewers: Hernan Perez New York Mets: Jay Bruce Philadelphia Phillies: Freddy Galvis Pittsburgh Pirates: Adam Frazier San Diego Padres: Clayton Richard San Francisco Giants: Brandon Crawford St. Louis Cardinals: Jedd Gyorko Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon "This year's Heart and Hustle Award winners are a true representation of the legacy of the game and the players who have come before them," said Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, president of the MLBPAA. "It is clear that these 30 men chosen all play the game with relentless pursuit." Voting for the 30 preliminary players took place before the All-Star break. Thirty voting committees were formed, comprised of alumni players with established relations to each team, to select the winners. Each of the winners will be recognized prior to an upcoming home game for their team, beginning with the Braves on Wednesday. Toward the end of the season, all alumni and active players will vote for a final winner from among the 30 teams. The final winner will be announced on Nov. 14, during the 18th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City. The Legends for Youth Dinner is the primary fundraiser for the series of free Legends for Youth clinics that are held around the country, which have enabled more than 16,000 kids to learn from and interact with players who have left a lasting impact on the game. MLB Pair of Giants errors costly vs. Indians Jordan Bastian and Jonathan Hawthorne SAN FRANCISCO -- The Indians' trying trip to the West Coast finally took a fortunate turn. On Monday night, Cleveland capitalized on a pair of ill-timed errors by the Giants, pulling off a 5-3 victory in the opener of a three-game set at AT&T Park. Francisco Lindor led the Tribe with three hits and two RBIs, helping the Indians swiftly turn the page on being swept over the weekend across the Bay in Oakland. "It's good to get back to playing our style of baseball and take advantage of those mistakes," Indians starter Josh Tomlin said. "That's kind of what we've done in the past. Everybody was kind of grinding through it, working the counts, trying to get on base and play great defense, taking extra bases and taking advantage of the mistakes. That's huge for us." Throwing errors by Giants pitcher Matt Moore and first baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang paved the way for three Cleveland runs between the fifth and sixth innings, helping the Indians grab the lead for good.

15 Tomlin used the support to his advantage in an efficient outing, in which he allowed three runs in 7 1/3 innings. Moore took the loss after being charged with four runs in seven innings, but only two were earned due to the miscues. The lefty struck out five and walked one in one of his better outings this year. Moore gave up a solo home run to Tribe catcher Yan Gomes (No. 6 on the season) in the third inning. "It's something to build on because I felt like I was throwing the ball where I wanted to," Moore said. "I felt like I was in control. It still sucks, but in the end, it's something that's headed in the right direction." Gorkys Hernandez and Moore each contributed run-scoring hits for the Giants. Brandon Crawford recorded an RBI double in the fourth to extend his extra-base hit streak to five games. In contrast, Eduardo Nunez went 0-for-4 without a walk, snapping his Majors-leading on-base streak of 33 games. "I haven't talked to him but I need to say congrats on a nice streak," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's a shame it got broken tonight because he did hit the ball well." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Moore's miscue: With two outs in the fifth, Moore fielded a chopper back to the mound from Bradley Zimmer, and the pitcher attempted an underhand flip to Hwang at first base. The ball sailed wildy away, allowing Indians third baseman Giovanny Urshela to score and Zimmer to sprint to second. Lindor followed with an RBI single, pulling the game into a 3-3 tie. "I knew he was fast," Moore said. "I could kind of just feel him getting up the line. When I dropped it and went to pick it up, I guess it just felt natural. I can't tell you about a decision-making process. I knew as soon as I let it go it was too high." Gio's defensive gem: After a leadoff single by Hernandez in the fifth, Moore squared around for a sacrifice bunt. Urshela charged in hard on the play, running in front of Tomlin to pluck the roller from the grass. Urshela then fired across his body to initiate a spectacular double play, halting a wouldbe Giants rally. "I tell you what, man., that guy can play some 'D,'" Gomes said. "Gio comes up with some plays that you're going to get surprised every time. That was a heck of a play. That was an OK bunt and he took over. It was kind of right to Tomlin and he took over and threw to second. It was definitely a big part of a game." QUOTABLE "It's been a tough go. We get home and we want to get off to a good start. To lose like that, sure, it's always tough to lose. You hate to shoot yourself in the foot, which we did." -- Bochy, on his team's miscues "That was an incredible play. I mean, to get a double play out of that is kind of a game-changer." -- Indians manager Terry Francona, on Urshela's play in the fifth SELLOUT STREAK ENDS

16 San Francisco's regular-season sellout streak came to an end Monday. The Giants drew 39,538, ending the streak at 530 games. It was the longest active streak in the Majors, the longest in National League history and second-longest in Major League history. The streak dated back to Oct. 1, 2010, just before the Giants won three World Series titles in five years' time. "It's a shame we couldn't hang in there to keep this thing going, but the fans certainly did their part," Bochy said. "They hung in there with us. We appreciate it." UPON FURTHER REVIEW During the third inning, an overturned out call at the plate led to the Giants' first run of the night. On a double into the left-field corner from Hernandez, Joe Panik hustled from first to home, but was initially called out on a relay. San Francisco challenged the ruling and replays showed Gomes' tag just missed Panik's foot as he slid into the plate. "That was a mental mistake on my part," Gomes said. "I usually just grab the ball and put my tag straight down, and I ended up putting it a little bit to the left. I kind of like tagged him, but I kind of tagged him a little bit too deep." WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Mike Clevinger (5-3, 3.00 ERA) is scheduled to take the ball for the Tribe in a 10:15 p.m. ET clash with the Giants on Tuesday at AT&T Park. Clevinger has never faced San Francisco, but the righty is 4-1 with a 2.56 ERA on the road this year. Giants: Looking to improve on his 7.71 Interleague ERA, Ty Blach (6-5, 4.60 ERA) takes the mound in San Francisco's 7:15 p.m. PT contest Tuesday. The Giants have won six of Blach's last 10 starts. MLB Giants' record sellout streak comes to an end Jonathan Hawthorne SAN FRANCISCO -- For roughly 6 1/2 years, the Giants drew sellouts game after game , to be exact -- to AT&T Park. But Monday, that streak ended. The Giants drew 39,538 for their 5-3 loss to Cleveland, giving the organization its first under-capacity crowd since Sept. 30, The streak was the Majors' active longest, the longest in National League history and the second-longest in Major League history. The Red Sox drew 794 consecutive regular-season sellouts from 2003 to "It's definitely special to have a streak like that," said Matt Cain, who has been on the Giants' roster since the streak began. "It's meaningful for everybody in here. It's not something that you get to be a part of all the time." Beyond the 530 regular-season games, the team sold out AT&T Park for 25 postseason games. The streak's inauguration coincided with the Giants' ascent to the top of the Majors -- a World Series title -- three times. Giants president Larry Baer appeared on the team's radio and television broadcasts to reflect on the streak's longevity in an uncharacteristically tumultuous season.

17 "It's just been a great journey -- the sellout streak," Baer said. "We're going to have a bunch of sellouts this year; probably most of the games will be sold out. Wednesday, I think we'll start a new sellout streak. We're pretty close to having it sold out." Nevertheless, Monday presented a natural moment of reflection. That was certainly the case for Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who has been at the helm since the streak's inception. "It's been a tough go, but the one constant has been our support," Bochy said of the club's fans. "We can't thank them enough. It's a shame we couldn't hang in there to keep this thing going, but they certainly did their part.... We're disappointed we're not in a better position for our fans because there's not a place in baseball like what we have here. There isn't." Cain said the team's backing has played a key role in helping the Giants climb the proverbial baseball ladder. "It means a lot," Cain said. "It just shows how much the city has come together, and it's pretty cool they've come together for a sporting event and hopefully a good entertainment show." MLB Belt's sprained wrist greatly improved Jonathan Hawthorne SAN FRANCISCO -- Much to the Giants' relief, first baseman Brandon Belt said Monday he's feeling better after spraining his left wrist Saturday in San Diego. "Trying to do everything I can to get in there tomorrow, for sure," Belt said before Monday's series opener vs. the Indians. The Giants scratched Belt from Sunday's lineup after he injured himself on a checked swing the previous day. Belt said he imagines he will be cleared to swing Tuesday if he improves as much as he did from Sunday to Monday. "He just needs another day," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Monday. "I think he'll be OK to go tomorrow. He's still a little stiff." Belt leads the team in home runs (16) and walks (54) and ranks second in RBIs (44). Rookie Jae-Gyun Hwang assumed Belt's spot at first base Monday. Jones comes off DL Giants rookie Ryder Jones, on the disabled list with a right wrist contusion, was activated after Monday's 5-3 loss to the Indians and optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Jones joined the infield corps in taking pregame grounders Monday. After plenty of ice treatment and massages, Jones participated in batting practice at the Giants' Rookie-level Arizona League affiliate while the team opened its second half in San Diego. He didn't have an official at-bat, though.

18 "See how it feels today and hopefully get in the swing of things.... Honestly, it's really boring to not play," Jones said before Monday's game. "Just trying to stay locked in and pay attention to the games. And still learn, even though you're not playing." Another Draft pickup The Giants have reportedly come to terms with the Orioles' fourth-round Draft pick, Jack Conlon. MLB Network's Ken Rosenthal was first to report the move. The Giants have not confirmed the agreement. Conlon, a power pitcher from Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, was committed to Texas A&M University. Conlon became an unrestricted free agent after the Orioles did not pass him on their physical. Draft rules dictate that an organization must offer 40 percent of a player's slot value should he fail a physical. Rosenthal reported Conlon's deal with the Giants is also pending a physical. NBC Sports Bay Area Moore's Error On Underhanded Throw Proves Costly In Loss To Indians Alex Pavlovic SAN FRANCISCO There s an odd thing about pitchers. Many of these guys, who make millions by hitting a tiny target 60 feet away, just don t feel comfortable making the much shorter throws to bases. Matt Moore has never been in that camp. Oh, he can lose his command to the plate quite often, but he has never felt the need to cut back on throws to first. Moore couldn t remember ever making an underhanded throw over there. He sets his feet and fires it as he always does, but in the fifth inning Monday, Moore felt rushed and he changed it up. It likely cost the Giants the game. Moore s underhanded throwing error turned what would have been a 3-1 game into a tied one and cost him nearly an inning's worth of pitches. Jae-gyun Hwang s error in the sixth compounded that damage, and the Giants couldn t touch a dominant Indians bullpen. They lost 5-3 on the first night of a lengthy homestand, one that also started with the official death of the seven-year sellout streak. Moore pitched well and said he was happy with his conviction and command. Bruce Bochy complimented his confidence on the mound. Overall, this was a big step in the right direction, but that underhanded throw left Moore with what he called a dark spot. I knew (Bradley) Zimmer is fast and I did what felt natural. I grabbed it and picked it up and threw it underhanded, he said. As soon as I let it go, I knew it was too high. Brandon Belt likely would have come down with it, but he has a sprained left wrist and that left the shorter Hwang out there for the first time. He had no chance. Moore said he would have thrown it overhanded if he had not dropped the initial grounder. He was left shaking his head after a night where he went seven. It s a shame what happened, Bochy said. He s 15 feet from first base and he just held onto it too long and that s the difference in the game. It s been a tough go. We get home and we want to get off to a good start and win the ballgame. To lose like that, sure, it s always tough to lose. You hate shooting yourself in the foot, which we did.

19 --- The Giants announced during the game that their sellout streak officially ended at 530 regular season games. That s a National League record. Look, I ve made fun of the streak quite a few times. I think it ended a night or two in 2013, if only just barely. But the Giants have a lot of people who worked very hard to find creative ways to sell some losing teams, and this was a tough night for them. It s a hell of an accomplishment, and it tells you something about the experience here that the Giants still drew nearly 40,000 tonight given what their record is. It s incredible the support we ve had, Bochy said. This season couldn t have gone worse. I don t think any of us could have seen it unraveling the way it has. It s been a tough go and the one constant has been the support. We can t thank (the fans) enough. We appreciate it. We re disappointed we re not in a better place for our fans. The Giants expect to sell out again as soon as Wednesday. --- Another streak ended tonight: Eduardo Nuñez was 0 for 4, ending his MLB-best streak of 33 consecutive games reaching base. That was the longest streak in the majors this season. --- Ryder Jones was reinstated from the DL and optioned to Triple-A Sacramento after the game. He s expected to be in their lineup Tuesday night. NBC Sports Bay Area Instant Analysis: Five Takeaways From Giants' 5-3 Loss To Indians Alex Pavlovic SAN FRANCISCO The Giants lost their sellout streak Monday night. That part was new. The part about losing on the field was not. Matt Moore made a costly error in the fifth and Jae-gyun Hwang added his own in the sixth as the Giants 5-3 to Josh Tomlin and the Cleveland Indians, the reigning champs of the American League. Here are five things to know from non-sellout night at the yard - Moore cost himself 12 pitches and the lead with a huge mistake in the fifth. With two outs and a runner on second, Bradley Zimmer bounced one to the mound. Moore s underhand throw to first sailed over Hwang s head and a run scored as Zimmer took second. A single a batter later tied the score at three. - Hwang made his first big league start at first and he had a crucial error in the sixth. With a runner on second, Brandon Guyer put a sacrifice bunt down the right side. Hwang s throw to the bag skipped into right and a run scored. - Moore did a nice job regrouping, and technically he was only charged with two earned in seven innings. The 21-out night was just his second since the end of May, and just the third for the Giants over the last 18 games. - Brandon Crawford will need to take at least a couple days off from making fun of Buster Posey s speed. The catcher scored from first on Crawford s double in the fourth.

20 - Andrew Miller came on with one out in the eighth and needed just three pitches to get out of the inning. He has a 1.58 ERA and 0.68 WHIP. Video game numbers. NBC Sports Bay Area Giants Fail To Sell Out At&T Park For First Time In Seven Years Alex Pavlovic SAN FRANCISCO The disappointing 2017 season took another loss Monday night. The Giants announced a crowd of 39,538 for their first home game of the second half, ending their sellout streak at 530 regular season games. The streak, which started with the final three games of the 2010 season, was a National League record. The Giants also sold out all 25 postseason games during the run, giving them the second-longest streak in MLB history to Boston s 820. "It s just been amazing," team president and CEO Larry Baer said on the broadcast. "I wanted to thank the fans." The organization has tried hard to keep the streak going in a season that looks headed for 100 losses. The Giants believed they would, but Monday was a perfect storm. There s little buzz around a team that entered with a record and it certainly didn t help that the Giants opened the weekend with a series loss in San Diego. On top of that, the Indians do not have the kind of fan base that fills visiting ballparks, as so many have over the past two years, when the streak has regularly been in trouble. Monday s crowd looked similar to many of this season s, with empty sections in the corners of the upper deck and plenty of empty rows behind the plate and dugouts. Despite dwindling crowds, the Giants have not seen a sharp drop off in total attendance. They entered the night third in the Majors in average attendance (41,575), trailing just the Dodgers and Cardinals, who have parks with significantly more seats. Per Giants officials, ticket sales have generally been fine this summer; the empty seats seen at games have mostly been no-shows by season ticket holders. The Giants shattered the previous National League record of 257 regular season sellouts, held by the Phillies from NBC Sports Bay Area Report: In Odd Scenario, Giants Add Another Prospect To 2017 Draft Class Alex Pavlovic SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants were already thrilled with their 2017 draft class. It has now reportedly gotten a bit deeper. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Giants are in agreement with right-hander Jack Conlon, a fourth-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles who became a free agent after the Orioles failed him on a physical. Per draft rules, a team must offer a player 40 percent of his slot value if he fails a physical in order to get a compensation pick. The Orioles did not, so Conlon became a free agent. Per Baseball America, the Orioles -- who have a long and checkered history with physicals -- did not offer Conlon a contract.

21 Conlon is a high school pitcher out of Sugarland, Texas. Baseball America's scouting report notes he has a fastball that touches 95 mph and "a sharp slider that competes in the strike zone." Conlon was a Texas A&M commit. Per Rosenthal, the new deal is also pending a physical, but the Giants generally have never had a problem in that department. The organization's top two picks, Heliot Ramos and Jacob Gonzalez, have torn up the Arizona Rookie League since turning pro. Sacramento Bee Giants National League-record sellout streak ends after seven years Thomas Oide It looks like losing has finally started to chase Giants fans from AT&T Park. The Giants sellout streak ended at 530 games on Monday night after the announced attendance for the game against the Cleveland Indians was 39,538, according to the Associated Press Janie McCauley. AT&T Park s capacity is 41,503, according to the Giants website. The Giants streak dated to Oct. 1, 2010, the season of its first World Series title in San Francisco, according to MLB.com. It was the longest active streak in the majors, and was the second-longest in MLB history. The American League s Boston Red Sox own the longest streak, selling out 794 games from at Fenway Park, according to MLB.com. Sacramento Bee Josh Tomlin's solid outing lifts Indians past Giants 5-3 Janie McCauley SAN FRANCISCO In a rare scheduling perk, the Cleveland Indians didn't have to travel far for a much-needed change of scenery after a disappointing weekend dud at Oakland. Just a quick jaunt across San Francisco Bay. Josh Tomlin struck out five and pitched into the eighth inning to win back-to-back starts for the first time this year, and Cleveland capitalized on two costly errors to rally and beat the Giants 5-3 on Monday night. Tomlin (6-9) allowed six hits and three runs without walking a batter in 7 1/3 innings. Cleveland snapped a season-high four-game skid with its first victory against the Giants in the last seven tries. "It's good to get back to playing our style of baseball, and taking advantage of the mistakes is kind of what we've done in the past," Tomlin said. "... That's huge for us." Yan Gomes homered leading off the third for the Indians.