SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, March 11, 2017

Transcription

1 SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, March 11, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Giants Bumgarner, Cueto on target to open season John Shea SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Not that there was any doubt, but Madison Bumgarner will be the Opening Day starter for the fourth straight year. The Giants play the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on April 2. Johnny Cueto is in line to pitch the next game, two days later. Manager Bruce Bochy arranged his spring training rotation so that Cueto, who ll make his first Cactus League start Saturday at Scottsdale Stadium, follows Bumgarner. Bumgarner made his fourth start Friday and gave up two unearned runs in four innings in the Giants 7-6 loss to Cleveland. Cueto will pitch no more than two innings Saturday. He s got time to get ready, Bochy said of Cueto, who was late to training camp because he was with his ill father but threw batting practice in the Dominican Republican. He also threw 65 pitches on a back field Wednesday. Meantime, Bumgarner likes his progression. He has added an inning to every start and got a lot of work out of the stretch because the leadoff man reached base in his first two innings. It s good I got to get a lot of work from the stretch today, Bumgarner said. I got to be a little familiar with that position. 1

2 Two outs into Bumgarner s final inning, third baseman Gordon Beckham made a fielding error, and Bradley Zimmer hit a blooper to left-center that fell in front of a diving Mac Williamson. Zimmer got a run-scoring double and scored on Nellie Rodriguez s single. Bumgarner will bat for the first time this spring in his next start. WBC update: Mark Melancon and Jeff Samardzija will be added to the second-round player pool if Team USA advances past the opening round. The roster is chosen from the player pool, and there were no guarantees either Giants pitcher would be selected. I would really be interested in going, Melancon said. I m just very thankful the Giants support me and understand the opportunity to represent my country in a Classic that s already exciting. Bumgarner was asked to play in the WBC and declined. He s not ruling out future WBCs. I d love to do it. It s tough, he said. Obviously, our main concern is here. It s a long year. and I think (participating in the WBC) is a little tougher for their pitchers. I mean, it s tough on anybody, but I feel it s an easier transition on position players. Coach improving: One after another, players and coaches walked by Jose Alguacil in the Giants clubhouse to greet the first-base coach and wish him well. I feel great. I mean it. I feel really, really good, Alguacil said six days after he underwent surgery at St. Joseph s Hospital in Phoenix to fix a broken nose and close a laceration on the left side of his face. Alguacil, 44, also suffered fractures of the eye socket when hit by a ball at Surprise Stadium, the result of a check swing by Kansas City s Hunter Dozier. Alguacil was sitting on a folding chair alongside Bochy and other coaches, including 83-year-old Joey Amalfitano. He said he never lost consciousness but is being treated for a possible concussion. Swelling is down around the redness in his left eye. He could be back on the job in a week and perhaps wear a mask. When I went down, Alguacil said, that was the first thing I said: Thank God it was me and 2

3 not Joey or Bruce. Alguacil is sensitive to sunlight and bright indoor lights and was to see a doctor Friday. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle s national baseball writer. jshea@sfchronicle.com Indians 7, Giants 6 Notable: Brandon Belt hit a monster home run that cleared the grassy hill in right-center.... Jimmy Rollins hit his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot.... The Giants had runners at the corners with no outs in the ninth inning. But Michael Morse, Kyle Blanks and Chris Marrero struck out to end the game against Indians prospect Adam Plutko. Marrero has four homers, two walk-offs.... Mark Melancon pitched his fifth scoreless inning, but this one was rough. The Indians loaded the bases with a single, hit batsman and walk before Melancon struck out Erik Kratz looking on a 3-2 curve why not? Melancon said and Daniel Robertson was retired on a fielder s choice.... Conor Gillaspie was out with a sinus infection. Quotable: A guy like that s been around a while and works hard and knows what to do out there. It s a whole lot easier to adjust to guys like that. It seems to be going pretty good. Madison Bumgarner on throwing to new backup catcher Nick Hundley Saturday s games: Giants vs. Reds at Scottsdale Stadium, 12:05 p.m. Giants vs. Diamondbacks at Scottsdale (Talking Stick), 12:10 p.m. 3

4 San Francisco Chronicle Giants coach Jose Alguacil returns to clubhouse, feel great John Shea SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - One after another, players and coaches walked by Jose Alguacil in the Giants clubhouse to greet the first-base coach and wish him well. I feel great. I mean it. I feel really, really good, Alguacil said six days after he underwent surgery at St. Joseph s Hospital in Phoenix to fix a broken nose and close a laceration on the left side of his face. Alguacil, 44, also sustained fractures of the eye socket when hit by a ball at Surprise Stadium, the result of a check swing by Kansas City s Hunter Dozier. Alguacil was sitting on a folding chair alongside manager Bruce Bochy and other coaches, including 83-year-old Joey Amalfitano. He said he never lost consciousness but is being treated for a possible concussion. Swelling is down around the redness in his left eye. He could be back on the job in a week and perhaps wear a mask. When I went down, Alguacil said, that was the first thing I said: Thank God it was me and not Joey or Bruce. Alguacil was hit between the eyes, and his prescription glasses caused the laceration. The glasses, he said, are intact. He s sensitive to sunlight and bright indoor lights and was to see a doctor Friday. I ve been great, he said. I haven t had any headaches or taken any medication for pain. Even on Day 1. It surprises everyone I m doing so well to this point. I m lucky. 4

5 San Jose Mercury News Brandon Crawford sparks Team USA comeback on Colombia in WBC Daniel Mano Brandon Crawford broke up a no-hitter Friday before the United Sates rallied to beat Columbia 3-2 in a World Baseball Classic pool play game. Crawford s two-out single in the sixth stopped Jose Quintana s no-no. The Giants shortstop came around to score on a double by Adam Jones, who later hit a walk-off RBI single to give the Americans an opening win. Crawford s wife, Jalynne, posted pictures of the Giants shortstop celebrating the win with her and their kids. Beside Jones and Crawford, a key player Friday for USA was Nolan Arenado. He beat the throw to first on a wild-pitch strikeout in the sixth, allowing a run to score, and caught a liner before firing to first to end Columbia s rally in the eighth. San Jose Mercury News Melancon, Samardzija added to USA player pool for WBC s later rounds Carl Steward SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. New Giants closer Mark Melancon has taken on a heavy workload this spring. He pitched in his sixth game on Friday and notched his sixth scoreless inning, even though he had to throw a lot of pitches to do it. I think I m leading the league in innings, he said jokingly, quickly adding that he s wanted the work. Melancon could be getting more work soon. He received a call Thursday from Joe Torre, who is serving as the general manager for U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic, asking the reliever if he d be willing to be added to the player pool for at least the second round. Giants starter Jeff Samardzija received the same offer for the semifinals and could be a late addition as well if the U.S. team advances that far. After conferring with manager Bruce Bochy and Giants front office executives about the opportunity, Melancon gave Torre the thumbs-up, as did Samardzija. I d really be interested in going, Melancon said. What an opportunity. Obviously, I m very thankful the Giants are on board and understand the opportunity there to be able to represent 5

6 my country. Even though there is no guarantee Melancon would pitch in the second round during the San Diego regional, the likelihood is pretty strong that he would. The pitcher revealed that he d been asked to be on the USA squad as far back as December, but declined because he d just signed with the Giants and didn t think the timing was right. I want my allegiances here, he said. I wanted to make sure I knew the guys and they knew me. The whole program was set up to be successful for the season. Melancon was unsure if he was going to be an alternate to the U.S. team for the second round or whether he was certain to be part of the active roster. Bochy explained that USA manager Jim Leyland can pick whichever players he wants from the available pool for each round. I hope I m in, I don t know, Melancon said. I told them I don t want to bump anybody off the roster to get on the roster. I don t know how it works, but I d love to help out, I d love to represent our country and I feel honored. Melancon has an extensive resume in international competition, having competed in Australia as a teen, then as part of Bochy s squad on a Japan tour. He also was part of American teams in Taiwan, and has even taught clinics in China and New Zealand. Melancon had his toughest inning yet of the spring against Cleveland, loading the bases with one out and then going to a 3-2 against Indians cleanup man Erik Kratz. Melancon threw a nasty curveball that froze Kratz for a strikeout, however, and he subsequently got a sharp grounder to short for the final out to keep his ERA at a pristine Madison Bumgarner made his fourth spring start and is well on track for the Opening Day starting nod, pitching four innings and allowing two unearned runs on three hits while striking out three. I m progressing each time out there, Bumgarner said. The main thing is getting the arm in shape and the pitch count up. I ve felt pretty good about that each time and I ve been bouncing back from it good, so that s all you can really look for at this point. The real question is when Bumgarner will get a chance to hit. The Giants used a DH against Cleveland so Bumgarner is still without a spring at-bat. We still have a lot of guys here they want to get good looks at and make decisions, he said. But I m sure it s getting close. 6

7 Bochy cleared that up by saying Bumgarner would hit during his next start. Despite a 7-6 loss to the Indians, the Giants hit a pair of home runs, a long two-run shot by Brandon Belt, his second of the spring, and another two-run shot by Jimmy Rollins that just got over the right field wall. It was his first homer and a welcome hit in that he entered the game hitting just.143 (2 for 14). I clipped it but I know I put some good backspin on it and I didn t feel any breakdown in my swing, said Rollins, noting that he s been feeling more comfortable at the plate of late. So it was either going to be gone or I don t have anymore pop. The right field wall was just short enough. Johnny Cueto will make his first spring start Saturday, but it won t last long an inning or two at the most, said Bochy. Matt Cain will follow up Cueto. Bochy isn t worried whatsoever about Cueto being ready for the start of the season despite his late start as he tended to his ailing father in the Dominican Republic. We had him on a (throwing) schedule while he was in the Dominican and he threw to hitters on the back field the other day (65 pitches), the manager said. He s got time to get ready. He s probably where he was last year, to be honest very similar situation. Conor Gillaspie was originally scheduled to start at third base Friday but was scratched due to a sinus infection. 7

8 San Jose Mercury News Giants coach Jose Alguacil makes clubhouse visit, looking much improved from scary facial injury Carl Steward SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Giants first base coach Jose Alguacil made his first visit to the team s clubhouse Friday, six days after being struck in the face by a foul ball and subsequently undergoing surgery the same day to repair a fractured nose and a deep facial laceration. Alguacil, who also incurred facial fractures in the mishap, said he is making a quick and steady recovery. The swelling is gone from his face, he doesn t require any pain medication and the only lingering issue is some occasional blurred vision in his left eye. The first-year coach was scheduled to re-examined later in the day and receive a prognosis on when he can resume his duties, but he s hoping to be back in the next 7-10 days. I feel good, better than before, Alguacil said. I m lucky to be where I am right now. They re talking to me about wearing a mask (when he returns), but I feel great. By the season, I ll be fine. On March 4 during a game against Kansas City in nearby Surprise, Ariz.,, Alguacil was seated in a folding chair against the backstop behind the on-deck circle a place where managers and coaches often watch spring training games when the Royals Hunter Dozier tried to check his swing and grazed a fastball from Giants right-hander Neil Ramirez. Alguacil had no time to react before the ball hit him in the face. After being struck, Alguacil stayed down for several minutes as blood pooled in the dirt and trainers attended to him. Alguacil, who wears glasses, held a towel to his face and was able to sit up. They he slowly walked a few steps to a medical cart that transported him from the field. Alguacil was transported by helicopter to St. Joseph s Hospital and Medical Center in downtown Phoenix, where he underwent surgery. Alguacil, 44, is entering his first season on Bochy s major league staff, replacing Bill Hayes as first base coach. A former player in the Giants system, Alguacil managed Triple-A Sacramento last season and Double-A Richmond in He was a roving infield instructor prior to that. Since the incident, Bochy and Giants coaches have no longer been sitting outside the dugout during games.. 8

9 MLB.com Bumgarner efficient, Rollins homers vs. Tribe Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Madison Bumgarner had a strong start for the Giants on Friday, though neither he nor Indians starter Trevor Bauer figured in the decision. Bumgarner gave up three hits and a walk while striking out three over four innings, allowing two unearned runs in Cleveland's 7-6 win. "I got a lot of work in the stretch today," said Bumgarner, who allowed the leadoff runner to reach in both the first and second innings. "I got to be a little familiar with that position. Seemed like I made most of the pitches from the stretch. Overall, I felt good and happy with it. Get through the fourth there. Feels good." Full Game Coverage The Giants jumped out to an early lead with a pair of home runs off Indians starter Trevor Bauer in the second inning. Brandon Belt drove his second spring homer out to right-center to lead off the second, and after Mac Williamson singled and stole second, Jimmy Rollins followed with his first round-tripper of the Cactus season, a shot off the top of the right-field fence. Cleveland bounced back with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth. With two outs and nobody on, third baseman Gordon Beckham bobbled a hard grounder, allowing Daniel Robertson to reach first safely. Indians top prospect Bradley Zimmer plated him with a double to left, and Nellie Rodriguez brought Zimmer home with a base hit to left, bringing the Indians within one. "He played a good game," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Zimmer. "He hit the ball, he used the whole field. He's strong enough to get it over guys' heads, and his speed on the bases, first to home, is probably as good as anybody. He can fly. His strides around the bases are beautiful." Both bullpens had big holds in the fifth before the scoring broke open in the late innings. Giants reliever Mark Melancon loaded the bases with one out, allowing a single, a hit batsman and a walk before striking out Erik Kratz looking and inducing a fielder's-choice grounder to short from Robertson. San Francisco had runners on second and third with two outs against Indians reliever Tyler Olson, but Olson got the best of Hunter Pence, catching the right fielder looking for a called third strike. 9

10 Indians Up Next: Right-hander Danny Salazar makes his fourth start of the spring in a 3:05 p.m. ET road game Saturday against the Royals on MLB.TV. He has given up three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings this spring, with eight strikeouts and eight walks. Giants Up Next: Johnny Cueto makes his 2017 Cactus League debut Saturday when the Giants host the Reds at 12:05 p.m. PT. Cueto arrived in camp late last week after spending the early part of Spring Training tending to his ailing father in the Dominican Republic. Cueto led all Giants with 18 wins and five complete games in 2016, posting a 2.79 ERA over 32 starts. Matt Cain is also scheduled to pitch. Ty Blach will start a split-squad game at Arizona at 12:10 p.m. PT on MLB.TV, with Clayton Blackburn scheduled to follow him on the mound. MLB.com Span looking to carry over strong second half Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Denard Span's name was atop the lineup card for Friday's Cactus League game against the Indians, playing center field and leading off. And unlike last spring, the 33- year-old veteran feels he's at the top of his game as well. "I'm excited about the upcoming season," Span said before Friday's game. "I had a nice offseason. I didn't have to rehab any surgeries. I feel good." Spring Training: Info Tickets Schedule Gear That's a nice change compared to the 2016 season, when he was trying to bounce back from a rough 2015 that included three stints on the disabled list as he battled hip, back, and core muscle injuries. He played a career-low 61 games in '15 for the Nationals, and despite starting the season with a clean bill of health for 2016, there was little normal about his first Spring Training with the Giants. "Last year, I felt like I was behind the eight-ball," Span said. "I was able to be out there and do all the drills and everything, but I didn't feel like myself. This Spring Training I feel like I'm at the same speed as everybody else. I'm just trying to find my timing right now at the plate, but other than that, I feel really well." 10

11 Heading into Friday's game, Span's timing had been elusive -- he was 1-for-14 (.071) through his first six games, with a single and a pair of walks -- which isn't alarming for early March. Perhaps more important, he had logged 34 innings in center, which is in the upper tier of spring innings among the Giants. So when did he start feeling like himself again? "[It took] about half the season," Span said. "I started to trust my hip and trust my body a little more. It was more mental, as well as the physical." The numbers support Span's assertion; after hitting.248 (79-for-318) before the All-Star break, he finished strong, hitting.287(73-for-254) after the break and.356 in his final 45 at-bats of the season. On top of everything, he hit double-digit home runs (11) for the first time in his professional career. "The only thing I'm trying to do is go up there and have good at-bats and put good swings on the ball," Span said. "I'm never up there trying to hit a home run. A home run is just something that happens, especially for a guy like myself." Part of getting fully back to his game is getting his running game back to its previous level. Span stole 20 or more bases in four of his last seven seasons. "I just want to do everything that my game entails," Span said. "I want to try and be more aggressive this year on the bases. I want to bunt a little bit more than I did in the past. All those things. It's the same recipe every year, to be honest." If Denard can recreate the recipe he was cooking with in the second half of '16, the Giants will be well-served. 11

12 MLB.com Cueto set to make first spring start Saturday Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After missing the early part of Spring Training while tending to his ailing father in the Dominican Republic, Johnny Cueto is poised to make his first spring start for the Giants on Saturday. Cueto threw live batting practice at Giants camp Wednesday and reported good results following his first time on the mound in Scottsdale. Spring Training: Info Tickets Schedule Gear "It went well," Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. "I threw 65 pitches." While back home, Cueto was on a pitching schedule, throwing bullpen sessions and eventually throwing live batting practice at the Giants' complex. "We had him on a schedule in the Dominican," manager Bruce Bochy said of Cueto, expressing confidence he'd be ready to start the second game of the season behind Opening Day starter Madison Bumgarner. "He threw to hitters on the back field the other day. He's got time to get ready. He's probably where he was last year, to be honest. It's a very similar situation." Cueto was on a delayed track in 2016 Cactus League play as a result of pitching deep into October for the World Series-champion Royals. He expects to throw an inning or two in his Cactus debut against the Reds, and he expects to be ready to take his spot in the Giants' rotation come Opening Day. "I think I'm ready for the season," Cueto said. "That's what I was working on in the Dominican. There's still a month left." Cueto was 18-5 with a 2.79 ERA for the Giants over 32 starts in 2016, with 198 K's and just 45 walks. He had double-digit strikeouts in four games. Last season marked the third time Cueto has won 18 or more games; he won 19 games in 2012 and 20 games in '14, both seasons for the Reds. 12

13 MLB.com Rollins bid to make Giants off to a good start Owen Perkins SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jimmy Rollins continued making his case for a roster spot, starting at shortstop and showing his bat can still be dangerous as he mashed a go-ahead, two-run homer off the top of the right-field fence in Friday's game. "I clipped it," Rollins said of his first Cactus League home run in the Giants' 7-6 loss to the Indians. "I didn't feel any breakdown in my swing. Glad to see I still have some pop. And glad the right field wall was just short enough." Spring Training: Info Tickets Schedule Gear With just 16 at-bats under his belt, his spring average doesn't mean much yet, but the swing itself is getting to where he wants it, and Rollins is happy to show his teammates and manager what he has. "The last couple days, [it felt] real good," Rollins said of his swing. "Everybody goes through a point where you feel good, then you do a couple things and confuse yourself a bit, then go back to what you know best. I've been working on that the last few days. Hopefully go back to finding the barrel. If it finds the grass, good, but if it finds the barrel, odds will be in my favor." The former National League Most Valuable Player and three-time All-Star hopes to be a triple threat off the bench with the ability to provide timely hits, solid defense at shortstop -- he won four Gold Glove Awards with the Phillies from and the ability to play second when the Giants need him. "I'm comfortable playing second," Rollins said after coming out of Friday's game. "There are still times when it looks a little strange. When nobody's on base, it looks normal. If you get a runner on first, I'm way over toward the middle for that double play against a right-handed hitter. It just feels like the Grand Canyon's between me and the first baseman. "But that's the positioning. I know what it's like as a hitter, when I see that, but it feels so much different being in that position when I still have to cover that ground. I'll get used to it." 13

14 He has impressed manager Bruce Bochy, who sees a lot of upside in the 38-year-old veteran. "Jimmy's been doing a good job," Bochy said after the game. "He's played second a couple times, he's played well. He's going to play second tomorrow. He's done all he needs to be doing, and that's playing good ball. He's getting good swings off. He's made some hard outs." In 2016, Rollins signed a Minor League contract with the White Sox and earned the Opening Day shortstop job. He then hit.221 in 41 games and was designated for assignment. If Rollins keeps up the work he's doing in the Giants' camp, he can make it a hard call for Bochy when it comes time to finalize the Opening Day roster. Worth noting Conor Gillaspie was in the original lineup playing third base and batting seventh, but he was scratched when he arrived at the stadium early Friday morning with a sinus infection, according to Bochy. Steven Duggar entered Friday's game as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning. He also entered the game as one of the Giants' innings-logged leaders through the first two weeks of Cactus League play. "I wanted to play him a lot and give him some experience up here," Bochy said. "He started in A ball [in 2015] and went to Double-A [in 2016]. Handled himself real well. He's got all the tools to be an everyday center fielder. This is a great experience for him. He's not competing to make this club, but I wanted to give him as much playing time as I could without taking away from others. He's right at the top in the depth chart when you consider center fielders in our organization." Duggar, the Giants' No. 4 prospect, hit.321 (78-for-243) at Double-A Richmond and put together a Flying Squirrel record 19-game hitting streak from July 18-August 6. He's hitting.364 (4-for-11) in nine Cactus League games. 14

15 CSNbayarea.com Giants spring training day 26 Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Jose Alguacil survived a scare and he's feeling strong, which means enough time has passed that his facial fractures are fair game in the clubhouse. "You look better than you did before," a Giant said Friday as he hugged Alguacil. The first base coach laughed and smiled, and then continued greeting a line of players and coaches. "I'm feeling great," he said. "There's no pain." Alguacil has a shiner where the ball broke his nose and bandage over the minor facial fractures that are still healing. He is dealing with some blurred vision, and he won't know an exact return date until his next visit with an eye doctor, but he said he should be back at the job in a week to 10 days. That's the absolute best-case scenario after Alguacil was hit by a foul ball that went screaming into the folding chairs set out for coaches at Surprise Stadium. Alguacil had surgery and spent several nights in the hospital, but he said it won't be long before he's back throwing BP. He won't even need a new pair of glasses. The original pair was knocked off by the blow and left a deep gash across his forehead. "They didn't break," he said, smiling. "They're back there in my locker." GAME RECAP: Madison Bumgarner pitched four innings, allowing just a pair of unearned runs, but the Giants lost to the Indians... Brandon Belt hit his 25th career spring training home run... Jimmy Rollins pulled a Trevor Bauer pitch into the bullpen area for his first homer as a Giant... Chris Marrero had two more hits, including a hard triple to right, but he wasn't able to pull out another walk-off when he came up with two outs in the ninth. He struck out looking... Kelby Tomlinson had a pair of hits... Derek Law had a rough one, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks. CUETO WATCH: Johnny Cueto will start Saturday's game at Scottsdale Stadium but he'll only pitch an inning or two in his debut. Matt Cain will back him up, with Ty Blach starting the other half of the split-squad up the road. RED, WHITE AND BLUE: Mark Melancon and Jeff Samardzija have been added to the United States roster for the World Baseball Classic, and it sounds like Melancon will be part of that bullpen as early as the second round. Here's a full story. 15

16 ICYMI: The latest podcast featured interviews with Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker. You can stream it here or download it on itunes here. FAMILIAR FACE: If you were watching really random WBC action the other day, you might have seen former Giant Travis Blackley pitching for Australia. QUOTABLE: "Why not, right?" -- Melancon on dropping a two-strike curveball for an inningending strikeout with the bases loaded. CSNbayarea.com Samardzija, Melancon to be added as WBC alternates Alex Pavlovic SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- If Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford help Team USA reach the later rounds of the World Baseball Classic, they may be joined by a pair of teammates. Right-handers Mark Melancon and Jeff Samardzija will be added to the roster, CSN Bay Area has learned, although the Giants are unsure about what the exact level of participation would be. The players got the call from Joe Torre on Thursday, and Melancon said he could join the United States as soon as the second round in San Diego. Conversations with Samardzija centered on making him an option for the semifinal round, which starts March 20 in Los Angeles. "It wouldn't be a problem," Samardzija said. "I feel good." While the Giants have not always been keen on their pitchers participating in the March tournament, Melancon and Samardzija have been two of the most consistent pitchers in camp. Melancon was perfect in his first three outings and he hasn't allowed a run in six appearances. Samardzija has allowed four runs in three starts, and his stuff looks to be in midseason form. His pitch count got into the 60s the last time out, and he said any WBC action would come right at the part of his spring where he usually peaks and then starts to wind down for the regular season. Melancon said he was asked to pitch in the tournament late last year, but he originally turned Team USA down because he did not want to leave during his first camp with the Giants. "It didn't feel right at the time," he said. Like Samardzija, Melancon said he's excited about the second chance. He had a long conversation with general manager Bobby Evans on Friday morning. "What an opportunity," Melancon said. "I'm really thankful the Giants are on board and they understand the opportunity there to be able to represent your country. We're all on the same 16

17 page and comfortable with it. It's all about communication and having these guys back me up has been great." The Giants have one more right-hander who may join the tournament. Johnny Cueto, who is starting Saturday's Cactus League game, has yet to make a final decision on his participation. Cueto has told teammates that he is strongly leaning toward not playing, but his interest was said to be rekindled a bit as he watched recent WBC games and his potential teammates on the Dominican Republic team. Foxsports.com MLB clubs perpetuate idea that U.S. players don t care about WBC Ken Rosenthal MIAMI Here is all you need to know about the difference in how major-league clubs sometimes treat their American and foreign participants in the World Baseball Classic. The Rays made a deal with right-hander Chris Archer to allow him to pitch for Team USA, a deal that forced his removal after four perfect innings Friday night and helped give Colombia a chance for a major upset. The White Sox did not dare pull such a stunt with left-hander Jose Quintana, knowing how important it was for him to contribute as much as possible while representing his country. Quintana got five more outs than Archer, allowing just one hit in 5 2/3 innings while falling two pitches short of the 65-pitch limit for the first round. Colombia took a 2-0 lead off Orioles righty Mychal Givens immediately after Archer left the game, but Team USA rallied to tie the score, then win in 10 innings, 3-2. This is not a criticism of Archer, who surely loves the U.S. as much as Quintana loves Colombia, and said that the sequence of events leading to Colombia s go-ahead rally left him sick to his stomach. The blame goes to clubs like the Rays, who contribute to the perception that U.S. cares less about the WBC than other countries by setting greater restrictions on the use of American players and in some cases discouraging them to participate. The clubs are partners with the players union in the WBC, but most managers and front offices continue to regard the event with dread, fearing injuries. Never mind that a number of pitchers routinely suffer one malady or another in spring training, anyway Alex Reyes, David Price, Sonny Gray, Andrew Cashner, Zach Britton, Huston Street and Scott Kazmir are among those currently sidelined. 17

18 Archer, who threw only 41 pitches, said he tossed 15 to 18 more in the bullpen to complete his night s work. Granted, it was March 10, relatively early in spring training. But heaven forbid he throw those extra pitches in the game. No, Archer said his deal with the Rays at this stage of the spring was four innings or 60 pitches, whichever came first, and that he agreed to follow whatever limits the team established in September. Still, Team USA manager Jim Leyland checked with him after the fourth to make sure he was actually done. There may have been a little bit of miscommunication, Archer said. They came up to me and said, What s the deal? I said, I ve got to stick with the Rays protocol. It was tough, trust me. If it was 55 pitches, or even 50, it would have been a lot easier. When I came out of the game and the momentum shifted there for a second, I was not very happy. Leyland could not have been happy, either, saying the forced removal of Archer put Team USA behind the eight ball a little bit with its bullpen. But the former manager of the Tigers, who was on the other side of the equation during the first three WBCs, has spoken frequently about honoring the clubs wishes in handling players. Team USA should be in decent position with its pitching against the Dominican Republic on Saturday Leyland will piggy-back right-handers Marcus Stroman and Tanner Roark, with both available for 65 pitches. Left-handed reliever Andrew Miller also will be in play; Leyland used six other relievers in the victory. Miller would have worked the 11th, which under a new rule would have started with runners on first and second. But Adam Jones decisive two-out RBI single on an 0-2 count prevented the game from turning into baseball s version of an NHL-style shootout. As dramatic as Team USA s victory was, the second question to Leyland in his postgame news conference was about pulling Archer 24 pitches short of the first-round limit. Well, he had a situation with his organization, Leyland said before launching into an explanation of Archer s agreement with the Rays. Contrast that answer with what Colombia manager Luis Urueta said about allowing Quintana to start the sixth inning. To make that decision, being early in spring training and take him six innings, it s a bit risky, Urueta said, according to the translation from Spanish that the WBC provided to reporters. But the adrenaline at that time and what these guys want to give for their country weighs a lot more than this restriction. 18

19 Bingo. Urueta explained that Quintana was not actually under any formal restriction, and that the pitcher s fifth against the heart of Team USA s order influenced the decision to send him back out for the sixth, with the left-handed hitting Daniel Murphy and Brandon Crawford due to bat. Quintana struck out Murphy and Andrew McCutchen, but Crawford followed with Team USA s first hit. At that point, with Quintana at 63 pitches, Urueta had no choice but to go to his bullpen. Team USA promptly tied the score on an RBI double by Jones and a wild pitch on a strikeout of Nolan Arenado, with Arenado diving into first to reach safely. The passion displayed by Arenado was proof of how much American players care at least, the ones who are in uniform. But Team USA plays at a disadvantage, helping prevent the tournament from catching on in this country. It s disturbing enough that Team USA faces the handicap of competing without Mike Trout and other top players. Restricting those who choose to participate only adds to the team s burden, and diminishes the tournament. The major-league clubs need to decide: Are they in or are they out? 19