SF Giants Press Clips Sunday, April 23, 2017

Transcription

1 SF Giants Press Clips Sunday, April 23, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Giants (worst in NL) lose another player, ballgame Henry Schulman DENVER - Describing the first 18 games of the Giants' season as a tire fire would be unfair to tire fires. They are the worst team in the National League by record (6-12) and eye test. They have endured an almost unbelievable array of injuries, with Denard Span joining the list in Saturday night's 12-3 loss to the Rockies. The Giants started an outfield that collectively was batting.150 and ended with third baseman Eduardo Nuñez in right field. They have been buried so deeply under bad luck, terrible execution and a bench that inspires little confidence, one needs bionic vision to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A lot of Giants are seeing medical imaging equipment, however. One week after Matt Moore threw a pitch to DJ LeMahieu that resulted in Jarrett Parker crashing into the left field wall at AT&T Park and breaking his collarbone, Moore threw one to Charlie Blackmon that resulted in Denard Span crashing into the center-field wall at Coors Field and spraining his right shoulder. 1

2 Span will be out Sunday at least and had X-rays after the game to determine if he needs a trip to the disabled list, though head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner told Bochy this could be a two- or three-day injury. "It sucks, especially since I've been out there two times when guys have crashed into the wall," Moore said. "I've got to feel a little responsible for what's going on out there." The Giants need to get away from Blackmon. The Rockies leadoff hitter lined the inside-the-park homer Friday night that led to a mild Hunter Pence knee bruise as he dodged the baseball. Pence did not start Saturday but ran first-tohome on a Brandon Belt double and is expected to play right field Sunday. Blackmon also hit one of three homers against Moore that settled the game. Mark Reynolds and Trevor Story hit the others. Moore has not found a way to pitch at Coors, where he has allowed 16 runs in 11 2/3 innings over three starts. Bochy was peeved at the pitching in the two games here overall. "This can be a tough park, but (the Rockies) made their pitches," Bochy said. "Their kid (Antonio Senzatela) pitched a good game. You've got to concentrate and not give in. We're not doing a very good job of that. "Obviously we're a better staff than what's happened. We've got to wake up." The Giants have reached a point where they almost have to make some personnel changes, though none will happen Sunday. Bochy has discussed left field with Belt and Nuñez long term to replace an ineffective Chris Marrero. Nuñez will play third base Sunday. Might Belt be in left? He will not be at first. Buster Posey will. Nick Hundley will catch. 2

3 You have to believe one or two outfielders among a group that includes Drew Stubbs, Austin Slater and rehabbing Michael Morse and Mac Williamson will get a call soon for a team that has lost 12 of 18 games to start a season for the first time since No NL team has done that in the wild-card era and reached the playoffs, although the 2001 A's and 2002 Angels did in the AL. The Giants had little chance Saturday once they fell behind 6-0. Joe Panik, their most consistent hitter, hit his first homer and drove in another run with a double. Rookie Chris Stratton saved the bullpen in his 2017 debut with three shutout innings after Moore pitched four. Neil Ramirez took one for the team in a six-run eighth, although he could not get the third out. George Kontos did. The trip concludes Sunday with Jeff Samardzija, who allows a lot of home runs, having to keep the ball in the park to help the Giants prevent a sweep. San Francisco Chronicle Giants see Bumgarner situation different from Kent s John Shea By most accounts, the Giants have a strong relationship with Madison Bumgarner. The lefthander averaged 32 starts and 213 innings the previous six years, and that s not counting his historic postseason work. Bumgarner grew up in the Giants system and developed into a team leader, ace and face of the franchise. He didn t publicly moan about his team-friendly contract and was the epitome of durability, taking care of himself to the extent he didn t go on the disabled list. Then came Thursday. The Giants season and Bumgarner s reputation and career took drastic turns when he suffered a shoulder sprain and bruised ribs in a non-baseball accident that 3

4 landed him on the DL. The Giants said Bumgarner was hurt on the team s off day in Denver in a dirt-bike accident. Fans, once they digested the news, didn t know whether to feel saddened that their team will be without its best pitcher or ticked off that he put the season in jeopardy. Or both. Did Bumgarner violate his contract? Can the Giants void it? Can they dock his pay? General manager Bobby Evans wasn t prepared, nor seemed in the mood, to discuss his pitcher s contract in the aftermath of the accident. Our focus is trying to take care of Madison and get him healthy and support him any way we can, said Evans, adding that Bumgarner s contract is the least of our concerns. Stepping back from the Giants stance that they re grateful Bumgarner wasn t hurt worse which all can appreciate it s an embarrassing development for both sides. The question is whether the relationship, short and long term, will be impaired. The Giants have been willing to work with Bumgarner to reshape his contract, and the pitcher has been on board. Whether Bumgarner s painful blow to himself and the team sidetracks negotiations is a story that will unfold. It didn t work out so well between the Giants and another of their big names who was on the verge of a new contract, and Jeff Kent s name predictably and repeatedly was mentioned on social media and talk shows once the Bumgarner news surfaced. Let s go back. Kent was the National League MVP in 2000, the year the Giants unveiled their ballpark at Third and King streets, and had topped 100 RBIs five straight years as he approached the 2002 season, the last on his contract. On March 1, 2002, the second baseman broke his left wrist and told the Giants it happened when he tumbled off a pickup truck he was washing. It was later discovered Kent fell off a motorcycle and was seen doing wheelies not far from Scottsdale Stadium, and The Chronicle 4

5 obtained 911 tapes to reaffirm the account. The ordeal created friction between Kent and the Giants that didn t go away. Kent and teammate Barry Bonds had a dugout fight in June that was captured on camera, and Kent eventually chose to sign a two-year contract with Houston, receiving more per year than the Giants were offering over a longer deal. Making it easier for Kent to leave: manager Dusty Baker s simultaneous departure and Kent s assertion that the Giants negotiated over a can of Coke, not making the time or effort to negotiate with someone who mightily contributed in San Francisco. Kent was gone, and perhaps his exit could have been projected in spring training. He rehabbed the wrist throughout March and deemed himself ready to join his teammates on Opening Day and was upset when the Giants chose to leave him on the DL when the season started. Kent missed the first four games and took it as somewhat of a punishment. He went on to have a big year.313 average, 37 homers, 108 RBIs and hit three homers in the World Series, which the Giants lost in seven games after a Game 6 meltdown. Fast forward to Bumgarner, who s also in the final year of his contract. But unlike the Kent deal, the Giants have club options for 2018 and 2019 at far below market value. The Giants see the situation as different than Kent s, largely because they believe Bumgarner was truthful with his explanation to the training staff, manager Bruce Bochy and front office that his injuries resulted from a dirt-bike accident. That Bumgarner showed remorse also is a factor. However, this incident won t be forgotten in the front office especially because it was in season, unlike Kent s when or if talks get serious about a contract worth north of $200 million. Technically, the Giants could try to take money from Bumgarner, though such action could be a PR nightmare, considering what he did for the franchise, including his role in three World Series championships. Nonetheless, Section 5(b) of the last Uniform Player Contract, as an addendum to the

6 Collective Bargaining Agreement, reads: The Player and the Club recognize and agree that the Player s participation in certain other sports may impair or destroy his ability and skill as a baseball player. Accordingly, the Player agrees that he will not engage in professional boxing or wrestling; and that, except with the written consent of the Club, he will not engage in skiing, auto racing, motorcycle racing, sky diving, or in any game or exhibition of football, soccer, professional league basketball, ice hockey or other sport involving a substantial risk of personal injury. It could be contested by Bumgarner s legal people whether he was motorcycle racing or whether his involvement was in a game or exhibition. The Giants could take a stand in other ways. If the injuries alter Bumgarner s ability to pitch in the future, they could decide against exercising the 2018 option for $12 million or later choose not to pick up the 2019 option, also for $12 million. At the very least, they could table talks for a new deal or extension until they re certain the injuries won t affect Bumgarner s long-term value. Whatever the Giants do, if it means changing their mind about keeping Bumgarner beyond the current contract, that could harm the relationship and turn a franchise cornerstone against them. For the record, the Giants and Kent are on good terms. He suits up every spring training as a guest instructor, and should he get into the Hall of Fame, he ll undoubtedly go in as a Giant. 6

7 San Francisco Chronicle Giants, with Pence already out, lose Span to injury Henry Schulman DENVER The Giants almost unbelievable run of injuries claimed center fielder Denard Span in Saturday night s game against the Rockies at Coors Field. Span left the game after slamming his right shoulder into the center-field wall as he caught a Charlie Blackmon drive to end the second inning. Span walked gingerly off the field and was met at the warning track by a trainer. Right fielder Gorkys Hernandez jogged to the wall to retrieve Span s hat. Conor Gillaspie pinch-hit for Span in the third inning and stayed in the game at third base. Eduardo Nuñez moved to right field, which he had not played since He had 28 1/3 career innings there. Hunter Pence already was sitting out Saturday s game with a bruised left knee. He got hurt as he fell to the turf in right field Friday night to avoid getting hit by a ball he lost in the lights. Pence said his injury was minor and he was available to play if needed Saturday. He expects to start Sunday. The Giants starting outfield Saturday of Span, Hernandez and Chris Marrero entered the game with a combined.150 batting average. Span s.204 was the highest. The Giants are trailing 3-0 in the third inning. 7

8 San Francisco Chronicle Giants do not foresee surgery for Bumgarner Henry Schulman DENVER - Manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday he has not heard any indication from the medical staff that Madison Bumgarner will need surgery to repair the sprained AC join in his left shoulder. But Bochy cautioned the team will not know for sure until team doctors evaluate Bumgarner in San Francisco on Monday. Bochy also revealed that Bumgarner felt well enough to come to Coors Field on Friday to see head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner. His left arm was in a sling. "He's a strong man. He's feeling it. But he's getting around," Bochy said. "I don't think he'll be going out dancing tonight. He's lying low and he'll go back with us tomorrow." Bumgarner hurt his shoulder and bruised some ribs in a dirt-bike crash during Thursday's off day. General manager Bobby Evans understands Bumgarner was with his wife and a friend who is not a teammate. "I think he got lucky," Bochy said. "Anytime you're in an accident on a motor bike, a dirt bike, and you're not more seriously injured, you have to feel lucky. He made reference to that." Bochy has his own reference point. He was involved in a serious accident on a full-sized Indian motorcycle in the mountains northeast of San Diego in 2001, when he managed the Padres. It happened before Opening Day after he filmed a commercial with one of his players, Ryan Klesko. Crawford leave: Shortstop Brandon Crawford will miss the final two games of the home series against the Dodgers on Wednesday and Thursday, plus an additional game, as he attends services for his sister-in-law. Jennifer Pippin died of an asthma attack on April 12. The family could not conduct services until an autopsy on Mrs. Pippin was completed. 8

9 The services as Wednesday and Thursday, but Crawford must miss three days under baseball's bereavement-leave policy. Crawford said he and general manager Bobby Evans need to work out whether that will be Tuesday or Friday. The Giants will be allowed to replace Crawford with a player from the minors. San Francisco Chronicle Giants unlikely to punish Bumgarner by voiding contract Henry Schulman DENVER - I am amazed by how quickly fans and some in the press jumped to the contract issue upon learning that Madison Bumgarner got hurt in a dirt-bike crash. I mean within seconds. Can they dock his pay? Can they void his contract? I hope he's OK. In that order. That's life in big-time sports, I guess. I really believe the contract issue is moot. Are the Giants allowed to take money from Bumgarner? Does his contract prohibit what he did? It's fuzzy, and I'll get to that after I make this point: The real issue is how the Giants will view Bumgarner long term, beyond 2017, and that really depends on how badly hurt he is, when he returns and what he still can give the Giants. Then, mix in all he has done for the organization - at relative bargain-basement prices -- and then we'll see what the stew looks like. 9

10 But the guy is still lying in his hotel room probably unable to turn over in bed without pain because of his rib and shoulder injuries. He will not even see a team doctor until the Giants get home Monday to get a better sense of how badly hurt he is and whether he will need surgery, which is no small variable. But since you want to know. I am not a lawyer, but my reading on the language is not cut and dried. Section 5 (b) of the last Uniform Player Contract to be published, as an addendum to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, is entitled "Other Sports" and reads: "The Player and the Club recognize and agree that the Player's participation in certain other sports may impair or destroy his ability and skill as a baseball player. Accordingly, the Player agrees that he will not engage in professional boxing or wrestling; and that, except with the written consent of the Club, he will not engage in skiing, auto racing, motorcycle racing, sky diving, or in any game or exhibition of football, soccer, professional league basketball, ice hockey or other sport involving a substantial risk of personal injury." I italicized "game or exhibition." If the Giants were to try to void Bumgarner's contract - again, I doubt they will - his representative could argue that the pitcher was not in a game or exhibition, but just messing around. There's also the pesky definition of "motorcycle racing." Was he technically on a motorcycle? Was he actually racing? The Giants conceivably could have added a clause to his contract expressly forbidding Bumgarner from riding a dirt bike, even in his own driveway, but I have not heard that. The Giants did not try take money from Jeff Kent after he broke his wrist in a motorcycle accident that he still will not admit happened (although he missed only five days of the regular season). And notwithstanding the Angry Fan who wants to see even more flesh taken from Bumgarner, I think most of the faithful would not look kindly on punishing Bumgarner after all the did to get those three shiny trophies with all the flags on them. 10

11 In the end, Bumgarner might have cost himself future millions, depending on the severity of his injury. But here are the pertinent facts right now: Bumgarner's contract technically ends after this season. The Giants hold $12 million options for 2018 and 2019 that actually might be a tad higher based on performance escalators he already has earned. Bumgarner can guarantee next year's contract if he pitches 200 innings this year (not happening) or a combined 400 innings from last year and this year (he needs 146 2/3 more, again not happening). Before Bumgarner got hurt the only two reasonable outcomes after this season were the Giants exercising the option or options, or negotiating a very rich long-term extension. Now, there's a third option. This becomes a contract year and everyone assesses where they are after 2017 is done. I just find it hard to believe the Giants would give Bumgarner his $1.5 million buyout after the season and deliver him into free agency, even if they are angry now that he did so much damage to the team. Could you see that happening? I thought so. San Jose Mercury News Giants lose another player, sink further in standings with 12-3 loss to Rockies Andrew Baggarly DENVER The dust cloud still hasn t settled from Madison Bumgarner s dirt bike accident. The Giants haven t even weathered their first rotation turn without him. And already, the wheels are falling off this team. Right fielder Hunter Pence didn t start because of a twisted left knee, center fielder Denard Span didn t make it past the second inning because of a sprained right shoulder, and Manager Bruce Bochy lit into his pitching staff after a 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field Saturday night. 11

12 The Giants could point to their share of hard outs. The Rockies avoided that issue by crushing three home runs in four innings off left-hander Matt Moore. As a result, the Giants (6-12) have the worst record in the National League and must win Sunday to avoid getting swept and falling seven games back of the first-place Rockies in the NL West. They will try to win despite a heavily depleted outfield that could force Bochy to turn Eduardo Nuñez or Brandon Belt into an everyday left fielder. And Jeff Samardzija will try to turn it around for a rotation that now possesses the worst ERA in the major leagues. And that s before Bumgarner has officially missed his first turn because of a sprained shoulder. We ve got to wake up, Bochy said. We re not a team that s going to pound it with the other clubs. We ve got to go out and pitch. We ve got to tighten it up here. Moore was not equipped for a pitcher s duel in a hitter s paradise. Charlie Blackmon led off a three-run first inning with a triple which counted as progress for the Giants, since he hit an inside-the-parker on Friday and then Mark Reynolds paused briefly to admire the low-grade orbit of his two-run home run. Trevor Story hit a solo shot and Blackmon added a two-run homer off Moore in a three-run fourth inning. Eventually, Moore will have to learn to adapt at Coors Field. He entered with an ERA in two starts here, and managed to raise it to He just made mistakes, Bochy said of Moore, who gave up six runs in four innings. You saw them. He caught too much of the plate. I know this can be a tough park, but they made their pitches. Their kid (Antonio Senzatela) pitched a good game. You concentrate and don t give in. That s the way it works, and we re not doing a very good job of it. Obviously, we re a much better staff than what s happened. This is the first time since July, 2007, that the Giants own the NL s worst record beyond the first dozen games of the season. And remember, this is a team that struggled to a after the All-Star break last season, too. Of course, it s way too early to say the last-place Giants are dead in the NL West. But there s no disputing that their outfield is a skeleton crew. The Giants already lost left fielder Jarrett Parker for at least two months because of a broken collarbone he sustained while crashing into the padded fence at AT&T Park. Pence didn t start 12

13 Saturday because he twisted his left knee while trying to react to an inside-the-park home run that he lost in the lights Friday night. As a result, the Giants started three outfielders (Span, Chris Marrero, Gorkys Hernandez) who had combined to hit.150 with one home run in 113 at-bats this season. And then it got worse. Span sprinted back to make a catch on Blackmon s deep drive, which saved a run in a game the Rockies already led 3-0. But Span s right shoulder crashed into the wall and he staggered back toward the infield after making the catch. He did not go back to retrieve his hat Hernandez picked it up for him and took a long time as he walked back to the dugout. Trainer Eric Ortega met Span on the track and escorted him the final few feet down the stairs. The Giants announced later in the game that Span had sustained a mild right shoulder sprain and would go for precautionary X-rays. Bochy said the initial read from trainers was that Span would be out a couple days. Bochy said he has spoken to Nuñez about transitioning to left field, which could open third base for Conor Gillaspie, Kelby Tomlinson or even Jae-gyun Hwang or Christian Arroyo. Gillaspie pinch hit for Span in the third and remained in the game at third base, with Nuñez moving to right field and Hernandez shifting to center. Nuñez s inexperience probably cost the Giants in the eighth when he didn t call off Joe Panik on a fly ball that ticked off the second baseman s glove for an error. The play they dropped a fly because they are dropping like flies opened the door for five unearned runs in what became an ugly rally against right-hander Neil Ramirez. At least Pence, who said prior to the game that he intended to start Sunday, drew a pinch walk in the eighth and looked spry while scoring from first base on Brandon Belt s double. If Span has to go on the disabled list, the Giants would require another center fielder on their roster. They could purchase the contract of veteran Drew Stubbs, who was batting.258 in eight games for Triple-A Sacramento and led off Saturday s game with his second home run. No matter how Bochy covers his outfield, at some point the Giants lineup must generate more at the plate especially in the early innings. They have two home runs over their last six games, and needed Joe Panik s solo shot to get on the board in the sixth inning. Of course, with their current run of luck, someone could hit for the cycle and hurt himself falling off. 13

14 Moore recognized that he was the pitcher who gave up the deep drives that preceded the injuries to Parker and Span. You ve got to feel a little responsible, Moore said. Hats off to them for playing hard. Bright notes are hard to find for the Giants, but right-hander Chris Stratton provided one. He made an impressive season debut, throwing a 95 mph fastball and striking out three in three hitless innings. During the Rockies endless rally in the eighth, a pair of yahoos ran into the outfield and were tackled by security. Perhaps the Giants should ve hit them some fungoes, first. They need all the help out there they can get. Moore said he had faith that the team would hang tough through this dispiriting run. There s a lot of season to play, he said, on the 22nd of April. San Jose Mercury News Giants decimated outfield loses Denard Span to apparent shoulder injury Andrew Baggarly DENVER It s never good when outfielders drop flies. It s even worse when they drop like flies. Center fielder Denard Span exited Saturday s game at Coors Field after he jammed his right shoulder into the fence while making a catch in the second inning. Conor Gillaspie pinch-hit for Span in the third. The Giants already lost left fielder Jarrett Parker for at least two months because of a broken collarbone. And right fielder Hunter Pence didn t start Saturday because he twisted his left knee while trying to react to an inside-the-park home run that he lost in the lights Friday night. The Giants started three outfielders (Span, Chris Marrero, Gorkys Hernandez) who had combined to hit.150 with one home run in 113 at-bats this season. And then it got worse. Span sprinted back to make a catch on Charlie Blackmon s deep drive, which saved a run in a game the Rockies already led 3-0. But Span staggered back toward the infield after making the catch. He did not go back to retrieve his hat Hernandez picked it up for him and took a long time as he walked back to the dugout. Trainer Eric Ortega met Span on the track and escorted 14

15 him the final few feet down the stairs. Pence had planned to be available off the bench, but Gillaspie remained in the game at third base and Eduardo Nuñez moved to right field. Hernandez went from right field to center field. If Span has to go on the disabled list, the Giants would require another center fielder on their roster. They could purchase the contract of veteran Drew Stubbs, who was batting.258 with a home run in eight games for Triple-A Sacramento. San Jose Mercury News Bochy: No surgery expected for Giants ace Madison Bumgarner Andrew Baggarly DENVER Two days after wiping out on a dirt bike, Madison Bumgarner s arm is in a sling and he is able to walk under his own power. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Bumgarner briefly left the team hotel here Friday night and went to Coors Field to meet with head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner. Bochy did not believe that Bumgarner would be at the ballpark Saturday. The left-hander is due to travel home with the club after Sunday s game, and not expected to make any comments over the weekend. Bumgarner has bruised ribs and a Grade 1 or 2 sprain of the AC joint in his left shoulder, and while the Giants are withholding any kind of timetable for Bumgarner s return from the disabled list until he can be evaluated in San Francisco, Bochy said he has not heard surgery mentioned as a necessity. As far as I know, there s no surgery, Bochy said. I ve never heard it discussed that it s needed or required. But Bochy reiterated that not all the facts are in. This much the manager knew for certain: Bumgarner was lucky that he didn t sustain more significant or even life-threatening injuries. Bochy knows from experience, because he crashed an Indian Chief motorcycle in the mountains east of San Diego shortly before opening day in He was riding with Ryan Klesko and they had finished shooting a commercial when Bochy took a turn too fast and didn t see a roadblock ahead. If I bailed out right, I would ve fallen 200 feet, Bochy said. I bailed left. 15

16 He said an oncoming truck had to swerve to avoid hitting him as he lay in the middle of the road, too. Bochy said he hasn t gotten on a motorcycle since then. Maybe Bumgarner will be similarly motivated after his accident. He made reference to that, too, Bochy said. He s probably a little lucky. San Jose Mercury News Giants Notes Andrew Baggarly DENVER For some teams, losing an inside-the-park home run in the lights would count as a bad break. Ah, but the Giants are doing things with an extra flourish this season. Hunter Pence also twisted his left knee on the play Friday night, and he is out of the lineup Saturday against the Colorado Rockies. The good news for a team conditioned to hearing the worst: Pence said he is available off the bench and expected to start Sunday s series finale. For now, though, the Giants will start a major league outfield (Chris Marrero, Denard Span, Gorkys Hernandez) that has combined to hit.150 with one home run in 113 at-bats this season. Pence said his knee was fine, and that they just want to give it a day of rest. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Pence has a bruise at the back of his knee. He wanted to make sure Pence would be available to play Wednesday afternoon against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. The Giants will be without shortstop Brandon Crawford next week for at least a portion of their four-game home series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Crawford will go on the three-day bereavement list to attend services for his sister-in-law, Jennifer Pippin, who died unexpectedly April 12 after suffering an asthma attack. Crawford is certain to miss games against the Dodgers on Wednesday and Thursday. It hasn t been determined whether he would miss the third game on the front or back end. The Giants likely will recall infielder Kelby Tomlinson in Crawford s absence. 16

17 Left-hander Ty Blach s relief appearance Friday will not change the plan to start in Madison Bumgarner s place against the Dodgers Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday, Bochy said. Blach was going to build his pitch count in a side session Saturday, but those plans changed. Bochy said he was more important that Blach was able to work a clean inning after he struggled with his command in Kansas City earlier on the road trip. We expect Ty to be fine, Bochy said. He ll handle himself. He showed it last year in an important stretch of baseball. We ll keep an eye on him because he hasn t been stretched out. Hunter Strickland got a haircut. He did not get it tightened up in the back. Yes, he is officially in mullet territory now. A little more growth and some extra product, and that pelt of his will be venturing into Kenny Powers territory. Just thought you could use some non-awful Giants news. Here are lineups for Saturday night s game: San Jose Mercury News Madison Bumgarner s accident could mark the end of this Giants era Tim Kawakami It s not yet wholly definable, but it s there. I think anybody who has followed the Giants for the last several years can sense it, too: This feels a little bit like the end of something for the Giants, Madison Bumgarner and this era of often repeated advanced achievement. And indestructibility. This golden period started in October 2010, it wasn t going to last forever, and maybe it has ended now, in April 2017, though we shall see what the Giants can do to change the course of this in the next few months. This feels like the cut-off point for one important idea that the Giants main guys are pure, 17

18 proven winners, that they might not win every year, but they won t screw it up, not ever, that s not who they are. This feels like the deletion of the presumption that if Bumgarner, Buster Posey and Bruce Bochy were given a chance to match up evenly with any opponent in any major situation, the Giants top-line guys would win, because they had won. Nope, not any more when your ace crashes a dirt-bike mid-season and sprains his pitching shoulder, sending him to the disabled list indefinitely and probably at least for a couple months, right as the Giants are falling to the bottom of the standings that s the finish line of something. Maybe of a lot of things. By the way, I m not saying Bumgarner s accident on Thursday necessarily signals the end of the Giants 2017 hopes, because we have seen teams come back from the absence of an ace before (but it s not easy) I m not saying that the Posey/Bumgarner Giants will never win another championship, because after 2010, 2012 and 2014, all of us know it s silly to make large presumptions about what s possible for this team (but the tide is not rising here) And I m certainly not saying that Bumgarner s career or his relationship with the Giants will inevitably sour from this point, because he has meant so much for so long, because he s still only 27, and because if anybody can make it back from a dangerous mid-season crash, it s Bumgarner. Heck, he might be better than ever after he returns from this By all accounts, Bumgarner is feeling remorseful for this, and he should. And maybe he will speak honestly and openly about it when he meets reporters, probably early next week when the Giants return home for a series against the Dodgers it was supposed to be Bumgarner vs. Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday, and now it ll be Ty Blach getting that assignment. Maybe Bumgarner will be a great pitcher for the Giants very soon again and maybe it will seem like he hardly missed a beat. But I do believe this will be the demarcation line in Bumgarner s career: He will have his pre-accident career, when he seemed like somebody walking or galloping out of a tall tale, riding horses in banner-raising ceremonies and hitting home runs whenever he 18

19 wanted to, just because he could Then his post-accident career, which will be much more human and maybe fragile And those two sections will be viewed very differently. Bumgarner always seemed above it all, larger than his teammates and opponents, not concerned with mortal baseball things, laughing at the idea that he was limited in any way. And now he is just another player who exercised bad judgment at a terrible time and is costing his team dearly because of it and maybe will be less of a pitcher for a while even when he comes back. That s why this is the line, the Bumgarner career in two parts. -The Invincible Mad Bum: 218 starts, 100 regular-season victories, career 2.99 ERA, and three World Series titles before April 20, Bumgarner After the Accident: Whatever comes next, maybe some great things, but it won t be the same thing. Bumgarner is younger and has accomplished more than Jeff Kent was when Kent s motorcycle accident in the spring of 2002 caused so much anxiety But Kent was just a year removed from winning the MVP, had a good 2002, and that accident probably was the start of his departure. Bumgarner is a much more valuable and iconic figure than Monta Ellis ever was for the Warriors But Ellis s scooter crash in 2008 (when Ellis was only 22) was the fault line for his oncepromising Warriors career and maybe even his NBA career. So we don t know how this will turn out for Bumgarner and the Giants in this season, and in the coming seasons, and how it might affect future contract talks and his career as a whole. This incident has similar overtones to Posey s devastating home-plate injury in 2011, which ruined the Giants chances of defending their 2010 title and the Giants still rallied back and won the title in 2012 and But Posey was 24 in 2011, Bumgarner was 21, and there was so much possible left for them both, even after Posey s leg and ankle were torn up. 19

20 Back then, Bochy also hadn t experienced the heart issues he has had recently, including earlier this week. This is different. I m not saying the Giants championship window has closed, because they still have many good players, lots of revenue, and the will to compete every year. And you can t quite comfortably predict the closing of a window that nobody ever predicted would open the way it did in October But The Giants will never have another pitcher like Madison Bumgarner, another player they could count on like they counted on Bumgarner. That was special. That was an amazing era, and he was an amazing player, Paul Bunyan pitching for the Giants every fifth day. And it feels like that is over now, wiped out by a slippery patch, a dirt bike, and everything scrambled and bruised that will happen from there. MLB.com Moore s Colorado struggles continue in loss Chris Haft and Thomas Harding DENVER -- For Rockies rookie right-hander Antonio Senzatela, facing the Giants spurs growth. On Saturday night -- for the second time in a week -- Senzatela threw seven stellar innings while shutting down the Giants, this time in a 12-3 victory at Coors Field. Supported by home runs from Mark Reynolds, for two runs in the first, and Trevor Storyand Charlie Blackmon, who had solo shots in the fourth, Senzatela (3-0) held the Giants to four hits and struck out three. It was more Coors Field misery for Giants starter Matt Moore (1-3), who coughed up all the homers while yielding nine hits and six runs in four innings. In three starts at Coors, Moore is 0-2 with a ERA and seven home runs in 112/3 innings. The Giants threatened with Brandon Belt's RBI double and Joe Panik's RBI single in the eighth. But the Rockies answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The first of many zeros: First innings had been toughest for Senzatela. In his initial start, at 20

21 Milwaukee, he escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam with no runs scoring, but in his next he yielded a leadoff homer and against the Giants last Sunday he allowed three first-inning runs before throwing six scoreless frames in the Rockies' 4-3 victory. But after Belt doubled with one out in the first Saturday, Senzatela coolly worked a fly ball from Panik (after throwing fastballs on most previous pitches), then extracted a sharp, inning-ending grounder from Buster Posey. The Giants didn't score until Panik's homer with two out in the sixth. This dude faces a good lefty every day: To say Blackmon was ready for Moore was an understatement. Blackmon jumped on Moore's first strike for a triple down the right-field line to open the bottom of the first. He hit a scorching fly ball in the second that Giants center fielder Denard Span caught -- while crashing into the wall and suffering what the team called a mild right shoulder sprain. Blackmon's third at-bat, with two down in the fourth, resulted in a 422-foot homer to straightaway center. Turns out part of Blackmon's ritual, no matter whether the opposing starter is a lefty, is taking batting practice off a pretty good left-hander in his own right -- manager Bud Black. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: San Francisco's two-city trip ends Sunday with a 12:10 p.m. PT encounter against Colorado. Right-hander Jeff Samardzija will start for the Giants, who might load the lineup with right-handed batters against opposing left-handed starter Kyle Freeland. Rockies: Freeland limited runs but ran up his pitch count and lasted just four innings in a 4-3 victory over the Dodgers in his last outing. Freeland will make his third start at Coors Field -- in his hometown -- in the finale of the three-game set with the Giants on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. MT. MLB.com Span exits early after hitting outfield wall hard Chris haft DENVER -- Giants center fielder Denard Span left Saturday night's 12-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies with a mild right shoulder sprain, resulting from colliding with the outfield wall after making a running catch to end the second inning. Span outran Charlie Blackmon's drive and snared the ball a step or two in front of the wall but couldn't avoid slamming into it. Span received immediate attention from the Giants' athletic training staff in the dugout and his departure became official when Conor Gillaspie pinch-hit for him in the third inning. The Giants announced during the game that Span was getting X-rays taken of the shoulder. 21

22 Gorkys Hernandez, who started in right field for San Francisco, moved to center field while Eduardo Nunez, the Giants' everyday third baseman, shifted to right, his first appearance in the outfield since 2015 with the Twins. Regular right fielder Hunter Pence, who bruised his left knee while losing Blackmon's line drive in the lights for an inside-the-park homer Friday, remained on the bench. Manager Bruce Bochy said before the game that Pence would be available to play if necessary. MLB.com Samardzija looks to right Giants rotation Chris Haft San Francisco's series against the Colorado Rockies has been a rough one for Giants starting pitchers, but Jeff Samardzija has proven that he's capable of reversing the rotation's fortunes. Johnny Cueto and Matt Moore each yielded six runs in the series' first two games. Next up in Sunday's series finale is Samardzija, who owns a 2.15 ERA in six career appearances (including three starts) at Coors Field. The Rockies will counter with rookie left-hander Kyle Freeland, who has yet to adjust to his home ballpark. Freeland has compiled a 5.91 ERA in two Coors Field appearances. Things to know about this game Colorado's Greg Holland has recorded saves in each of his first nine appearances with the Rockies. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only closer to exceed that figure is Lee Smith, who picked up the save in his first 12 outings with the Orioles in Giants first baseman Brandon Belt lengthened his hitting streak to seven games with his firstinning double Saturday. The only other occasion when the Rockies won each of their first two series of the season against San Francisco was

23 CSNbayarea.com After another loss, Bochy challenges staff to tighten it up here Alex Pavlovic DENVER For the second straight start, Matt Moore watched an outfielder chase down a rocket, slam into the wall, and immediately leave the game with a hurt shoulder. You ve got to feel a little responsible, he said Saturday night, shaking his head. That s not entirely fair. The Jarrett Parker and Denard Span injuries have been flukes, but there is a different kind of responsibility for the starting staff. Bobby Evans built this team on the starting five, and through three weeks, the group has been a letdown. Madison Bumgarner was hurt during an off-field incident. Johnny Cueto has an uncharacteristic 5.25 ERA and 1.38 WHIP through four starts. Moore gave up six runs in four innings Saturday, raising his own ERA to On the other side, a rookie Antonio Senzatela held the Giants to four hits, leading the Rockies to a 12-3 win. He just made mistakes. You saw them, manager Bruce Bochy said of Moore. They caught too much of the plate and they were up and they took advantage of them. This can be a tough park but they pitched well tonight with a young kid. You ve got to make your pitches. Keep concentrating and don t give in. That s the way it works and we re not doing a very good job of that. Obviously our staff, we re a much better staff than what s happened. We ve got to tighten it up here and wake up. We re not a team that goes out and pounds it with you. We ve got to pitch. The starting staff, even without Bumgarner, is more important than it first seemed. That's because the rest of the Giants are dropping, too. Span went out in the third when he slammed into the wall while making a catch, and while the initial read is positive, he was going for X-rays Saturday night. At the very least, a right shoulder sprain will keep him out a couple of days. That means Bochy, 18 games in, is dealing with one of his Bomb Squad situations. Buster Posey will play first on Sunday after a couple of long days in the squat, and it s possible Brandon Belt will get a day in left. Gorkys Hernandez, hitting just.088, is the man in center while Span is out. Hunter Pence (knee bruise) is expected to return to right field Sunday, but the outfield is hanging by a string. The Giants have even talked about putting Eduardo Nuñez in left, and on Saturday he played several innings in right because of the Span injury. Bochy challenged his starters, but the regulars behind them will need to be better, too. The bats didn t get going until the eighth inning at Coors Field, and even then, a rally was cut short and the Giants promptly gave up six more runs. Nuñez was late getting over on a pop-up that clanked off Joe Panik s glove and extended the inning. 23

24 You re going to deal with that, Bochy said. He s going to feel discombobulated. Bochy had just one positive to point to, and he lit up when asked about Chris Stratton, who threw three hitless innings to keep the Giants within shouting distance. Boy, that kid did a nice job," he said. Stratton isn t far down the depth chart if there are further injuries in the rotation, and with a fastball that touched 95, he looked better than he has in years. The Giants hope they don t need to test him. They re banged-up, but at the moment, they still have four of their projected starting pitcher, along with Ty Blach. Without Bumgarner, the group will have to be better, and Bochy let them know it Saturday. CSNbayarea.com Intant Replay Alex Pavlovic DENVER Near the end of last season s collapse, the Giants spent a couple of days sitting eight games out of first place. Less than three weeks into this season, they re already six out, and there are no signs that this is going to get better anytime soon. The Giants managed just four hits against rookie Antonio Senzatela and went on to lose 12-3 at Coors Field. They also lost another starter to injury. A week to the day after Jarrett Parker broke his clavicle, Denard Span was removed after a similar collision with an outfield wall. Span has a mild right shoulder sprain and will go for X- rays. Throw in Hunter Pence s left knee bruise and the Giants played most of this game without all three of their projected starting outfielders. To hang in a game like this one, the Giants needed a one-man show on the mound. Matt Moore wasn t up to it. The lefty gave up six runs in four innings, including three homers. Mark Reynolds hit a deep blast in a three-run first and Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon went deep in a three-run fourth. The Giants threatened in the eighth, getting two runs back and sending the tying run to the plate. That rally seemed a lifetime away by the top of the ninth. The Rockies scored six runs off Neil Ramirez in their half of the eighth. Starting pitching report: No pitcher likes this place, but Moore has a real beef. In three career starts at Coors Field he has thrown just 11 2/3 innings and allowed 16 earned runs. Bullpen report: Chris Stratton, called up for the Madison Bumgarner roster spot, made his season debut in the fifth. He was outstanding. Stratton allowed just a walk in three innings and 24

25 he topped out at 95 mph, a significant tick up from where he was last year. Stratton struck out three and broke Nolan Arenado s bat on a grounder. At the plate: Joe Panik went deep in the sixth for his first homer of the year. In the field: Eduardo Nuñez made a great stop in the second and threw Stephen Cardullo out as he rolled over. An inning later, he was in right field. The Span injury forced Nuñez to right for just the seventh time in his career. He wasn't tested until the eighth, when he was late getting over to a deep pop-up that Panik dropped. Attendance: The Rockies announced a crowd of 39,239 human beings. They re excited about this team, and for good reason. CSNbayarea.com Span removed from game vs Rockies with apparent right shoulder injury Alex Pavlovic DENVER -- The injuries keep coming for the Giants. Denard Span was removed in the third inning Saturday night after apparently hurting his right shoulder while making a running catch at the wall. Span robbed Charlie Blackmon of at least an RBI double, but he slammed right into the wall in center and he came up slow. Span walked all the way back to the dugout. Gorkys Hernandez ran over from right field and picked up Span's hat from the warning track. As he passed third base coach Phil Nevin, Span grimaced and pointed to his right shoulder. Conor Gillaspie pinch-hit for Span in the top of the third. The Giants lost Jarrett Parker on a similar play last weekend at home and Madison Bumgarner was lost this week after a dirt bike accident. Hunter Pence was out of Saturday's starting lineup because of a left knee bruise, but he is expected to play Sunday. Pence initially grabbed a bat when Span went back to the clubhouse, but Gillaspie was ultimately sent up to hit. Span is hitting.200 through 14 games. 25

26 ESPN.com Dustin Pedroia says he won t play baseball police on Manny Machado Scott Lauber BALTIMORE -- Dustin Pedroia will leave it to others to judge whether Manny Machado's controversial slide into second base Friday night was clean or dirty, legal or against the rules. But Pedroia isn't afraid to say that it wasn't very smart. Pedroia wasn't in the Boston Red Sox's lineup Saturday, his left ankle and surgically repaired left knee still sore after being spiked by Machado in the eighth inning of the Baltimore Orioles' 2-0 series-opening victory. Pedroia's injuries aren't considered serious (he wasn't sent for additional testing), and Red Sox manager John Farrell labeled them a "day-to-day situation." But debate over Machado's slide has a chance to persist throughout the weekend, the Red Sox maintaining that it was out of bounds, the Orioles downplaying it as much as possible. Pedroia, who hobbled off the field and left the game, finally had a chance to watch the replay but declined to express any anger. I'm not the baseball police, man," he said. "I've got three kids. I don't have time for that." Pedroia did, however, elaborate on the play itself, which began with Mark Trumbo's slow roller to shortstop. Xander Bogaerts made a throw to the outfield side of the second-base bag, forcing Pedroia to stretch for it and enabling Machado to slide to the front of the base. "We're trying to get one out," Pedroia said. "I just put my foot on the back part of the base to try to get that out. If [Machado] just slid into the part of the base that I gave him, he would've been safe. Luckily he didn't. We got that out." Indeed, Machado slid beyond the bag. The lateness of the slide -- Farrell called it "extremely late" -- is debatable. But Machado slid high with his spikes making contact with the back of Pedroia's left calf. Machado maintained that the slide "wasn't intentional." He also contacted Pedroia via text message after the game. Pedroia declined to share details of that conversation. "Do you want me to add you to the text?" Pedroia said. "This isn't a group chat, man. I just said thanks for reaching out. That's it. "I don't have an issue with anything. My job is to play baseball and win. This isn't seventh grade, man. I just play baseball. That's it. I care about our guys. I don't care about anybody else. We just play the game." 26

27 Farrell said he spoke Saturday to MLB vice president Joe Torre about the legality of the slide. Based on the rule that went into effect last season, Torre explained that Trumbo wasn't called out at first base because Pedroia never attempted to turn a double play. But Farrell countered that Machado's slide prevented Pedroia from attempting to turn two. "Clearly there's a difference of opinion in how that rule was interpreted and certainly the slide," Farrell said. "Bottom line is this: If that slide last night is not deemed an illegal slide, we should just get rid of the rule." Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he can understand why the Red Sox would have been angry with the way things turned out and said it's "good for baseball" if Pedroia doesn't miss much time. Likewise, he suggested any outrage over the slide might be heightened because it was Machado, who has been suspended for previous dust-ups involving the Oakland A's in 2013 and the Kansas City Royals last year. As for whether the Red Sox will seek retaliation for Machado's slide, Showalter said Friday night that he wouldn't be surprised. Knuckleballer Steven Wright is scheduled to start Saturday night for the Red Sox. "I know how those things seem to play out now the next day," Showalter said. But Showalter also lashed out Saturday at media reports that he perceived called for the Red Sox to hit Machado. It marked the second time in as many weeks that Showalter has taken aim at the media. He suggested last week that the Red Sox's team-wide flu outbreak received more notoriety than most teams receive when faced with a similar predicament. "Not real impressed with some people in the media calling for somebody to be thrown at. I don't think that really fits their job description," said Showalter, who didn't cite a specific example. "That's their choice, how they choose to do their job. That's the world we live in. I know that's a lot of respect from both teams for each other." 27