SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, July 21, 2018

Transcription

1 SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, July 21, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants top A s 5-1 in matchup of astute pitching pick-ups Susan Slusser The two shrewdest recent additions to Bay Area rotations faced each other Friday night at the Coliseum, and veteran Edwin Jackson (A s) and rookie Dereck Rodriguez (Giants) continued their stingy ways. Jackson, signed to a minor-league deal June 6, turned in yet another quality start for Oakland, but Rodriguez outpitched him in the Giants 5-1 victory. Infielder Ryder Jones, filling in while Brandon Belt was on a likely one-game paternity leave, provided the deciding blow off Jackson, a homer off the foul pole in right in the fifth inning, and Pablo Sandoval added a solo shot in the seventh to end Jackson s night. Rodriguez signed a minor-league deal with the Giants in November, and the team has won the past seven games in which the right-hander has appeared, including six starts. Friday, he worked 61/3 innings and gave up one run and three hits, walked none and struck out five while hitting two men. That was just a good job by Rodriguez, Jackson said. Sometimes you have to give the opposing pitcher the headline. He came out and pitched well, kept a great team off balance. His record shows the stuff he has, he has a good sense of what he s doing out there. 1

2 Jones saw Rodriguez pitch in Triple-A early this season and was impressed. He s super-confident, Jones said. He throws strikes. He s one of those guys, when he s on the mound he feels like he can get every hitter out. We feed off it. In a similar vein, Jackson hadn t given up more than two runs in a start with Oakland before Friday. The Giants got their first in the fourth. Andrew McCutchen provided the first hit off Jackson, a one-out double, and, with two outs, Buster Posey, fresh off a cortisone shot Sunday for his sore right hip, swatted an RBI single to center. Posey said he definitely felt better after the shot. Sandoval s homer to right was the third and final run off Jackson, who had allowed just two homers in his first four outings. If we score more runs, we re talking about what a good game he pitched, A s manager Bob Melvin said. Two mistakes. Jones stay might have begun and ended with Friday s game, but he gave himself a nice souvenir his third career homer. Last year, he began his big-league career with 17 hitless atbats. I was hoping it hooked, Jackson said. But he hit it so hard, by the time it started hooking, it was already off the pole. McCutchen drove in a run with a sacrifice fly off Yusmeiro Petit in the eighth and he made two stylish sliding catches, robbing Matt Chapman of a hit in the fourth and Jonathan Lucroy of one in the fifth. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he liked everything about his club s second-half opener, from Rodriguez s pitching and the team s defense to the clutch two-out hitting and two homers (after the Giants had hit just six in July). It had to be one of our better games, Bochy said. We played well in all facets. Petit, a former Giants reliever, was charged with a second run when Brandon Crawford s single off Ryan Buchter sent in Steve Duggar. Petit had been unscored upon in his previous five games and 11 innings. The A s are averaging 3.7 runs at home compared to 5.4 on the road, but Friday s scoring issues were more to do with the Giants pitchers, according to Melvin. Every one of their guys pitched well, and their starter was terrific, Melvin said. 2

3 The A s dropped the first game of the three-game series at AT&T Park a week earlier but came back to win the next two there. Friday s game drew 45,606, the A s first sellout since April 3, The team is opening Mt. Davis for Saturday night s game in the hopes of setting an all-time baseball attendance mark at the Coliseum and all tickets for the Mt. Davis section have been sold out. There were tickets remaining elsewhere as of Friday night, but the A s believe they ll have a good shot at surpassing the current record of 55,989, set on June 26, 2004, against the Giants. Oakland s post-break rotation appears set. Melvin said that, as anticipated, left-hander Brett Anderson will start Monday at Texas and Frankie Montas is likely to go Tuesday. That means that Daniel Mengden will remain at Triple-A Nashville for the time being. We ll see where this five goes right now, Melvin said. When Mengden s pitching well, he s pitched as well as anyone on our staff. My guess is we ll see him at some point, but I m not really sure when. Anderson has a 6.08 ERA, so he could be on a short leash with Mengden in the wings. San Francisco Chronicle Bay Bridge series: The DH debate rekindled Bruce Jenkins As the Giants assemble their designated-hitter strategy for Phase 2 of the Bay Bridge Series at the Oakland Coliseum, the argument is rekindled once again: Is the DH good for the game? It won t ever disappear entirely, which is a real shame, from this viewpoint. When commissioner Rob Manfred said he favors future expansion and a 32-team structure, it was easy to imagine and then dismiss as pure fantasy the elimination of interleague play and authentic baseball throughout. Manfred made another interesting statement, though, more central to the issue. Reponding to a claim by players union head Tony Clark that the universal DH is gaining momentum, Manfred countered that if the DH is added in the National League, there s a brand of baseball that is done. I think there s going to be some hesitation with respect to that. The most likely outcome remains the status quo. Cue thunderous applause. 3

4 The beauty of the current setup is that we have it both ways. The pro-dh crowd gets a steady dose and the National League purists are satisfied. It s a lively, healthy dialogue, and if things get a little awkward this weekend, or during the World Series, let it ride. So many smart people enjoy the DH, I begin wondering if I m a complete lunatic. Then we learn that a couple of prominent pitchers, the Astros Justin Verlander and the Cardinals Adam Wainwright, spoke up for the traditional game during the All-Star break. It s just the way baseball is supposed to be played, said Wainwright. And one of the most revered voices in the game, broadcaster Mike Krukow, had a simple but telling line the other night while watching one of the Giants pitchers hit. The beauty of baseball, he said, is being able to swing a bat. That s my argument exactly. People don t take up the game so they can try to field a line drive at close range. Standing on a mound and trying to stay composed? That s not for everybody. A kid s first love is with his bat. You can t go to a sandlot, ramshackle field or conventional diamond without one. And if you do in the American League or just about everywhere else at the game s lower levels you can t call yourself a ballplayer. Baseball is nine-on-nine, no specialists allowed. You hit and you field, and you run and you throw, and then the judgments come forth. The better athletes can override their weaknesses with strengths or maybe they re a one-note talent relegated to the bench. I know this is all Dick-and-Jane stuff, but it always comes back to the basics for me. There has never been a game so magnificently designed as baseball. If somebody gets to crack the starting lineup without holding a bat sorry, that s just wrong. A surge of diversity It s been reported for years that young African American athletes aren t playing baseball, but perhaps a revival is at hand. Hunter Greene, a Reds prospect, took the mound in last Saturday s Futures Game and threw a 103 mph pitch. Infielder Ke Bryan Hayes (Pirates) and outfielder Taylor Trammell (Reds) put on a show. Exceptional African American talent was everywhere that day: pitchers Justus Sheffield (Yankees) and C.D. Pelham(Rangers) and outfielders Buddy Reed (Padres), Kyle Lewis (Mariners) andjordon Adell (Angels). Marveling at the spectacle, ESPN s Harold Reynoldssuggested that with so many parents talking their kids out of playing football, youth baseball is on the rise.... That game also provided a pretty good argument for the pitch clock. Everyone s used to it in the minor leagues. It s not even an issue. The pitchers work faster, the hitters spend less time dawdling, and the pace is noticeably better. It s time for the majors to at least experiment with the clock, ideally during next year s spring training.... Watch out for the San Diego Padres in the near future. They have stockpiled 10 of the top 100 prospects ranked by mlb.com, including shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (No. 3) 4

5 and catcher Francisco Mejia, acquired in the Cleveland trade for reliever Brad Hand. Mejia had a 50-game hitting streak in the minor leagues two years ago, and he s a switch-hitter. Wikipedia is a pretty valuable research tool, but you never know if it s been tampered with. In the piece labeled History of the Golden State Warriors, it s claimed that in the season, the Warriors traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jose Bustillos. Somebody pen the correction! For the record, Wilt was dealt for Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and cash (which is almost as baffling as Jose Bustillos)... The Kawhi Leonard saga got downright bizarre when he was traded to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, who admitted being devastated after his longtime devotion to the Raptors organization. Said the Celtics Jaylen Brown on ESPN: If Kawhi doesn t want to go to Toronto, and DeMar doesn t want to go San Antonio, I m not sure it s a good trade for either one. It s tough to play if your heart s not there.... And the gap continues to widen between Golden State and the rest of the league. Carmelo Anthony will make only a marginal difference in Houston, if he winds up there, and ex-hawk Dennis Schroder, about to team up with Russell Westbrook in the backcourt, won t help OKC at all.... Rumors tend to be little more than that, but it was hilarious to hear that Nick Young might sign with Houston. You wonder if CP3 (Chris Paul) wants any part of Swaggy P.... There was only one Bill King, and that goes for all time, when it comes to the daunting task of calling football and basketball play-by-play with accuracy, panache and opinions. But Greg Papa comes awfully close. Replaced by Brent Musburger in the Raiders radio booth? As the move to Las Vegas creeps nearer as one story noted, this is a creepy move. San Francisco Chronicle A s, Giants winning on fie;d but not likely to win trade battles Bruce Jenkins There s no way to soften the news for Giants fans: That Manny Machado deal was a killer. The Dodgers, given up for dead after the season s first six weeks, look like a reasonable bet to get back to the World Series. For the A s, who lost Game 4 of the double-weekend Bay Bridge Series on Friday night, the trade market is a little bit frightening as well. The highest cards have yet to be dealt, but there s a sense that the elite franchises teams the A s might face if they reach the postseason could load up in ridiculous fashion. Such was the prevailing mood around the Coliseum, with a lively gathering of 45,606 on hand (announced as a sellout, although several hundred seats were empty). This is a fascinating series, among the most compelling cross-bay confrontations we ve seen in decades. Down deep, though, how relevant are these teams in the bigger picture? 5

6 Let s stop right here and consider the beauty of this game. When the next NBA season begins, maybe two teams will be anywhere near the Warriors class. Make your plans now for another set of Finals games in Oakland. Baseball isn t that way. The Giants proved that over three World Series appearances, and it s not quite inconceivable that both San Francisco and Oakland could go deep in this year s postseason. There is such a thing, however, as reasonable thought. Whatever skeptics think, the Giants executives like their team. They know it s flawed, but a lot of delightful, improbable things have happened this season. There s character in the clubhouse and an influx of young talent led by Dereck Rodriguez, Andrew Suarez, Ray Black and Steven Duggar (might as well throw in Ryder Jones, who got a start at third base Friday night and homered off Edwin Jackson). One would hope there s at least a measure of contentment, for the Giants aren t equipped to make big noise before the trading deadline. They aren t about to trade Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Madison Bumgarner or Brandon Belt, not with the NL West so tightly bunched. There won t be substantial offers for the likes of Jeff Samardzija, Hunter Pence or Mark Melancon. Knowing how Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans like to operate, count on something happening by month s end. If it s a hitter with power, terrific. The Giants certainly have earned respect throughout the division, particularly in the mind of Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke, who told reporters, I wish the Giants would have listened to the media and just given up on the season. Everyone in the world wanted them to rebuild, and they turned themselves into a really good team by just trying to win. Coming up with a response to the Dodgers acquisition of Machado? That s an entirely different story. We re talking about a superstar, man, said L.A. reliever Kenley Jansen upon Machado s arrival. And there s no way the Dodgers should settle on a half-season rental. If they can convince him to sign a long-term deal as opposed to signing with the Yankees, a team he has longed to join they ll figure out a way to get Machado, Corey Seager and Justin Turner in the infield next season. Paul George said he wanted to be a Laker, and he stayed in Oklahoma City, Jansen said of the NBA All-Star who surprisingly signed a new contract to remain with the Thunder this offseason. Maybe that could happen too, and Manny could stay a long time with us. The A s mustered only a shred of offense Friday night against the impressive Rodriguez, but the 5-1 loss carries no deep meaning nor should we believe that this six-game Bay Bridge Series 6

7 will determine the teams stances on chasing October. A better gauge for the A s will come over the next few days, when their schedule lists Texas, Colorado and Toronto. The truth about the A s is that they could make a sensational deal if they saw fit. They have attractive (if not necessarily available) veterans in Jed Lowrie and Blake Treinen. They have young talent all over the field, and throughout their minor-league system. A package of, say, five highly regarded players could net them a big-time starting pitcher. Does that really make sense, though? The A s have gone down that road before, only to sour the clubhouse mood and come up well short of postseason glory. They re the talk of baseball these days with their power hitting, lockdown bullpen and a knack for late-inning comebacks. Such pleasant cohesion is a precious commodity, not to be spoiled without a damn good reason. (The A s are interested in a more low-key deal, involving Mets reliever Jeurys Familia, and that would significantly improve the club.) When the sublimely talented Cleveland Indians traded for Brad Hand, the San Diego Padres closer, it might have set off a chain reaction that finds the Red Sox, Yankees and Astros pulling off major deals. For now, the A s only concern is catching the Seattle Mariners, fighting a midseason malaise and waiting for Robinson Cano s mid-august return from an 80-game drug suspension. It s something they can handle. If the Coliseum starts filling up for games that don t involve San Francisco, that would be nice, too. San Francisco Chronicle Giants not in their happy place as they open second half Henry Schulman Welcome back to baseball. Here are the results of the Giants' past 20 games at the Oakland Coliseum: L L L L L L W W L L L L L L W W L W L W. What a great place for the Giants to start their second-half push! Hey, at least they're trending in the right direction. If you don't want to count them up, The Chronicle is here for you. The Giants are 6-14 at the Coliseum since 2010 and have lost a lot of games here when the A's were not good. Now the A's are good. That.300 winning percentage is the Giants' lowest at any road park in the championship era. 7

8 During their three title seasons, the Giants went 0-3, 2-1 and 0-2, so it's not exactly a harbinger. Dereck Rodriguez faces the A's for the first time, while the A's throw Edwin Jackson at the Giants for the second time in eight nights. They "got him," so to speak, for two runs in six innings in last Friday's 7-1 Giants victory, the only game San Francisco won in its half of the home-and-home. No roster moves are expected ahead of this game, or at least weren't as of a couple of days ago. Fighting Manny? The biggest question on this reporter's social media feed the past two days has been how the Giants will "respond" to the Dodgers' acquisition of Manny Machado. So, since Brian Sabean began running this show in mid-1996, he and his crew have never made a move simply to counter another team's move. For any team, that is the best way to make a bad deal. The Giants have to decide what's best for them, now and in the future, and right now they are in a holding pattern. They are one of those dreaded teams in the middle, unsure with 10 days before the deadline whether to buy, sell or stand pat. The front office needs to watch how the team plays series by series in a tough part of the schedule, with three in Oakland, two in Seattle and four at home against the Brewers, which will take them through July 30. Then, they choose. If they remain buyers, what do they buy? According to some national reporters, they have checked on Mets closer Jeurys Familia and Orioles reliever Zach Britton. Those are some awfully big-ticket items for a team that supposedly is trying to stay under the luxury-tax cap and does not have the deepest farm system around. But adding relief does fit the Giants' modus operandi. In today's vernacular, there is run scoring and run prevention. The former is straightforward and probably the Giants' biggest need. Run prevention comes in many forms: rotation, relief, even defense. With Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija as question marks due to health, the Giants probably could use another seasoned starter, but those are harder to find than relievers. 8

9 At the moment, assume the Giants have $2 million to spend without surpassing the cap. That would allow them to buy a $6 million player since two-thirds of the season will be gone. If they can move another $2 million payroll, and have a $4 million cushion, they can get a $12 million player. So look for the Giants, like other teams in the middle, to be buyers and sellers. San Francisco Chronicle Giants Madison Bumgarner does not expect to bat in Oakland again Henry Schulman A Madison Bumgarner start in an American League park creates intrigue. Will manager Bruce Bochy let Bumgarner bat? The answer was always no until June 30, 2016, when Bochy ceded the designated hitter in Oakland and wrote Bumgarner into the ninth spot in the lineup, the first time a team had used a pitcher instead of a DH in 40 years. Bumgarner doubled and scored in the Giants 12-6 win. He is not expecting to hit again when he pitches Saturday night. I haven t talked to him, but I don t think I will be, Bumgarner said Friday. I feel we ve got plenty of guys. We were running a little short at the time, meaning the bench in Bumgarner did not pitch in Oakland last year. Bumgarner has not gotten untracked at the plate since his return from a broken hand. After hitting.206 with three homers last year, he has one single in 18 at-bats in He did hit into two hard outs in his final first-half start against the A s on July 13. Like any hitter, he said, he feels more comfortable with more at-bats. I think more than anything it s repetition, he said. I didn t hit much when I was rehabbing. Longoria timetable: Evan Longoria could be activated as early as Tuesday, less than seven weeks after a Dan Straily pitch in Miami fractured his glove hand. 9

10 Longoria went 2-for-3 with an RBI double Friday in his first rehab game for Triple-A Sacramento. He played five innings on defense and is expected to play seven Saturday. The Giants will use Monday s off day to assess whether the third baseman is ready to return for Tuesday s series opener in Seattle. Belt out: First baseman Brandon Belt started the second half on paternity leave awaiting the birth of his and wife Haylee s second son. To replace him, the Giants recalled Ryder Jones from Sacramento. Jones started at third base in his first big-league game this season. He hit.173 in 150 at-bats as a rookie last year and was hitting.299 with nine homers for the River Cats. Machado reaction: Bochy reacted to a question about the Dodgers acquisition of Manny Machado the way he always does when asked about another team s move. He always says the Giants need to worry about themselves. This time he expressed it more emphatically, saying, We ve got to pick it up over here. Playing a couple games over.500 is not going to work. Panik update: Second baseman Joe Panik (groin strain) took batting practice and could begin his rehab assignment next week. San Francisco Chronicle Giants Samardzija gets injection hoping to end shoulder woes Henry Schulman Last year at this time, Jeff Samardzija figured prominently in trade rumors because the Giants were terrible, and players on terrible teams often are dealt. This year, Samardzija s name popped up because the Giants have not hidden their desire to move money if they want to fill other needs and remain under the luxury-tax threshold. And, like last year, the Shark is not going anywhere in July. His third trip to the disabled list this year assured that. The only questions now are when he will pitch for the Giants again and how he can prevent another relapse of the shoulder pain and stiffness that keep suppressing his velocity, keeping him off the mound. 10

11 Manager Bruce Bochy revealed Friday that Samardzija had a platelet-rich plasma injection Monday. While Samardzija is technically in the running to pitch as hoped in Seattle on Wednesday, Bochy suggested that would be a reach, even if a bullpen session Sunday goes well. Derek Holland could pitch instead. If he is needed in relief before then, the Giants could promote Chris Stratton, who started for Triple-A Sacramento on Friday night and would be on turn. Behind some of this year s trade talk was the notion that Holland, plus rookies Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez, have given the Giants enough rotation depth to make Samardzija expendable. That depth also allows the Giants to tread more cautiously with Samardzija, who remains a significant investment. He has $46 million left on a five-year deal that runs through 2020 and has produced just 22 wins in 74 starts (although he was a significant contributor to the 2016 playoff push). Guys have been throwing great, Samardzija said. We want to make sure that where we re at in the season now, I m 100 percent healthy going forward to help this team win. I guess there s good news and bad news. The bad news is we re back here where we re at. The good news is after doing this once or twice we ve got a really good plan moving forward. The plan is more trial-and-error than foolproof. Samardzija and the medical staff need to determine what caused the injury to recur in his second start off his second DL stint, be it weight work, the amount he throws between starts or even batting practice, then pluck those out of his routine. Samardzija is eager to contribute to the stretch drive and reduce that 6.25 ERA. He was hopeful after he allowed three runs in five innings in his 81-pitch return from the DL on July 7 because his velocity was there from the get-go. A week later, against the A s, the physical issues resurfaced. He allowed two runs in four innings against Oakland, threw 55 pitches and was done. Asked if he felt pain or stiffness, Samardzija said, There s a little of both. It s been different. For the most part the best way to describe it is a little bit of a dead arm, like your little brother coldcocked you in the arm. Then you shake it out and you re fine a minute or two later. 11

12 Samardzija said his arm felt great when he made his final start last year, so he rested in the offseason as a pitcher would after throwing a career-high 2072/3 innings. This winter will be different. Rest will be replaced by treatment and strength work in a bid to come to spring training ready to go. For what s left of this year, Samardzija does not want to be half a pitcher on the mound anymore. He said he did not have to go on the DL, and could have kept pitching, but he wouldn t be himself. We re trying to go, he said. I m not trying to hold back. I want to know what s there and see if I can do it. To be effective in the big leagues, you ve got to put it all on the line, every pitch. San Jose Mercury News Three things to watch with the Giants vs. A s Kerry Crowley Pitching matchups Friday: Dereck Rodríguez (4-1, 2.89) vs. Edwin Jackson (1-1, 2.59), 6:35 p.m. NBC Saturday: Madison Bumgarner (3-3, 2.90) vs. Trevor Cahill (1-2, 3.10), 6:05 p.m. NBCSBA Sunday: Johnny Cueto (3-1, 2.36) vs. Sean Manaea (9-6, 3.42), 1:05 p.m. NBCSBA The skinny: After losing two of three to Oakland at AT&T Park last weekend, the Giants hit the road and travel across the bridge to play three more against one of the hottest teams in baseball. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. The Giants are 10 games under.500 on the road this season, but the club won t have to get on a plane or change time zones for this series. Additionally, after four days of rest, a team loaded with veterans should have fresh legs and fire in the belly knowing the National League West race just became tougher following the Dodgers acquisition of Manny Macahdo. What to watch for 1. The evaluation stage draws to a close 12

13 The trade deadline is looming and the results from the Bay Bridge Series should help dictate whether the Giants are interested in buying or selling at the deadline. Whether executives like to acknowledge it or not, recency bias always comes into play when trade talks heat up, so performances in this series could help sway general manager Bobby Evans and executive vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean one way or another. Do the Giants have enough starting pitching to contend? Is the bullpen deep enough to make it through August and September? Should San Francisco look to add a power hitter before July 31? All of these questions are being asked, and even though the Giants don t have much financial wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold, all avenues to improve the club will be considered. 2. How Bruce Bochy manages the pitching staff The Giants can typically count on Madison Bumgarner to work deep into games and save most of the bullpen, which would be a nice luxury to have in the middle of a tough series against a strong offensive club. But after four full days off, every reliever should be ready and Bochy should have no trouble calling to the bullpen early in a game, especially considering the Giants have another off day Monday. The health of Johnny Cueto s elbow will continue to be monitored closely, and it ll be interesting to see whether Bochy plans to have long reliever Derek Holland pitch in relief of Cueto Sunday. If the Giants can save Holland this weekend, the left-hander may start Wednesday s game in Seattle even though Jeff Samardzija (shoulder) will be eligible to return from the disabled list. Should Holland need to throw against Oakland, it s possible Chris Stratton will be promoted from Triple-A if the Giants would prefer Samardzija to continue resting. 3. How Buster Posey fares with fresh legs The Giants catcher dealt with a hip injury throughout the first half of the season and skipped the All-Star Game so he could receive a cortisone injection. Posey has been limited to playing in about three quarters of the Giants games this season, but they re hopeful the injection and rest during the break will serve him well. Though he may 13

14 never post the power numbers he did in the past, the Giants would love to see one of the best pure hitters in the game hit for more pop now that he s had some time to recover. If Posey is able to catch more often and pack more of a punch at the plate, the Giants will look like a more complete team during the second half. San Jose Mercury News Giants return from All-Star break with new third baseman, update on Londoria Kerry Crowley OAKLAND Five different players have already started a game at third base for the Giants this season, but the club will send a new player out to the hot corner Friday in Oakland. The Giants recalled infielder Ryder Jones from Triple-A Sacramento Friday and placed first baseman Brandon Belt on the paternity list. Belt and his wife Haylee are expecting their second child Friday and the new father is hoping to be back in the lineup Saturday. Jones, 24, joined the Giants last summer and hit.173 over 150 at-bats while playing third base and first base. After an injury derailed his progress in spring training, Jones began the season with the Sacramento River Cats and hit.299 with nine home runs in his team s first 81 games. One of the oldest Opening Day rosters in baseball now has a significant amount of emerging talent, as Jones is the youngest player on a roster that includes six rookies. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. It s unlikely Jones will remain on the roster once Belt returns, but if the Giants want to keep a left-handed hitter around all weekend, the club could option infielder Kelby Tomlinson back to Triple-A. The Giants anticipate their starting third baseman, Evan Longoria, will rejoin the club within the next week as the veteran is beginning a rehab assignment with Sacramento Friday. Manager Bruce Bochy said Longoria (fractured hand) will play five innings Friday, seven innings on Saturday and a full game on Sunday before the team reevaluates him in San Francisco on the off day Monday. Longoria fractured his pinky after being hit by a pitch in Miami on June 16 and was initially 14

15 expected to be out until August. After undergoing surgery to repair the fracture, Longoria has been ahead of schedule throughout his recovery process and could rejoin the team Tuesday in Seattle. The Giants have struggled against left-handers since Longoria was placed on the disabled list, losing five of their last six against lefty starters. Panik on the mend Second baseman Joe Panik took batting practice and fielded grounders Friday as he recovers from a groin strain. Bochy said the infielder could start a rehab assignment toward the middle or end of next week, which would allow him to return to the club in the final days of July or at the beginning of August. San Jose Mercury News Giants showcase the value of found money in win over A s Kerry Crowley OAKLAND The Giants have one of the highest payrolls in baseball this season as they re brushing up close to the $197 million luxury tax threshold thanks to an extensive list of bloated contracts. But as the club started the second half in Oakland, their 5-1 win over the A s was all about money found instead of money spent. The Giants are paying pitcher Dereck Rodríguez and utility infielder Pablo Sandoval the major league minimum, but both turned in efficient performances to lead the team to a seriesopening victory. It started with Rodríguez, what another nice job he did, manager Bruce Bochy said. A nice job pitching, got us into the seventh there and really had all of his pitches going again. Rodríguez tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball, lowering his season ERA to 2.72 after the Giants signed him to a minor league free agent deal this offseason. Though the right-hander had never thrown an inning at Triple-A during six seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization, the 15

16 team s decision to allow him to walk this offseason has turned into the Giants gain. After I signed with the Giants in the offseason, I felt like it was a fresh start and I wanted to make a good impression, Rodríguez said. Get San Francisco Giants news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Giants HQ newsletter. Though Sandoval was a known commodity when the Boston Red Sox designated him for assignment last summer, the utility infielder has emerged as one of the Giants most valuable performers this season. His seventh inning solo shot extended the Giants lead to 3-1 and marked his 14th home run with San Francisco since he rejoined the team last August. While Boston is on the hook for the remainder of the $95 million contract Sandoval signed through the end of the 2019 season, Sandoval now has as many homers since coming back to the Giants as he hit during his two-plus seasons with the Red Sox. A third player earning the minimum salary also aided the Giants cause, but Ryder Jones was making his 2018 debut after one of the members of the team s core needed time off. Brandon Belt was not at the ballpark Friday, as the Giants first baseman spent the day with his wife Haylee who gave birth to the couple s second son, August Kyle. While Belt was welcoming a new member to his family, the Giants welcomed Jones familiar face back to theirs. After needing 18 at-bats to record his first hit with the Giants last season, Jones wasted little time making an impact Friday as his fifth inning shot off the right field foul pole broke a 1-1 tie and helped the Giants improve to It feels good, last year it took me five or six games to do something, Jones said. It feels good to get in here and help the team win in some capacity. I didn t imagine hitting a homer, though. The Giants cheapest players weren t the only contributors, though, as right fielder Andrew McCutchen, shortstop Brandon Crawford and catcher Buster Posey also delivered RBIs in the win. After hitting six home runs in June, McCutchen had yet to record an extra base hit in July until 16

17 he launched a one-out double off the left center field wall in the fourth. McCutchen s double was also the first hit of the night for the Giants against A s starter Edwin Jackson, a right-hander who allowed two earned runs over six innings in his start against San Francisco last Friday. The Giants right fielder advanced to third on a Crawford groundout before Posey laced a twoout single into left center field to even the score 1-1. After receiving a cortisone injection to heal his ailing hip Sunday, Posey returned to action Friday and reported feeling fresh and healthy heading into the second half. His 32nd RBI of the season came off a pitcher in Jackson who has given him trouble through the years, as Posey entered Friday s game hitting.095 against the A s starter. After the Giants offense slumped into the All-Star break, Posey understands what an offensive surge could mean for the club moving forward. We know, it s a group of guys that have been around for awhile and we ve got to get these guys some run support, Posey said. Aside from starting the Giants first rally, McCutchen turned in one of his best defensive games of the year as he made a pair of sliding catches to rob Oakland of hits and recorded eight putouts, the most by a Giants right fielder since Randy Wynn had eight April 7, Both of McCutchen s grabs ended innings for Rodríguez, who settled in nicely after allowing the A s to take an early lead in the second inning. He s super confident, he exuberates confidence on the mound and he works quick, Jones said of the rookie starter. He s one of those guys when he s on the mound, you feel like he thinks he s going to get every hitter out. We kind of feed off of it. MLB.com Jones, Panda find power stroke, back Rodriguez Chris Haft OAKLAND -- Rediscovering the long ball Friday night, the Giants received home runs from Ryder Jonesand Pablo Sandoval to support another resolute pitching performance by Dereck Rodriguez in a 5-1 Interleague victory over the Oakland A's. 17

18 The Giants hadn't homered twice in a game since June 19, 25 games ago. They came out of the All-Star break with six homers since July 1, the fewest in the Major Leagues during that span. View Full Game Coverage Those facts became obsolete before a lively Oakland Coliseum crowd of 45,606 that watched Jones, freshly arrived from Triple-A Sacramento, hammer an Edwin Jackson pitch off the facade of the second deck in right field to break a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning. Two innings later, Sandoval extended the Giants' edge to 3-1 with his ninth homer of the season. Summoned here when first baseman Brandon Belt began his paternity leave, Jones almost surely will retreat to the Minors when Belt returns. But Jones may have left an impression with his prodigious drive, which eclipsed anything he did while batting.173 in his 53-game trial with the Giants last year. "I don't know how long I'll be here, but I just want to show them that I've made a couple of adjustments," said Jones, who mentioned that he has "shortened" his swing and is no longer preoccupied with hitting home runs. The evening's most complete performance belonged to Giants right fielder Andrew McCutchen, who doubled and scored in the fourth inning, drilled a sacrifice fly in the eighth and made sliding catches of two sinking line drives. McCutchen's balanced effort was a microcosm of the club's. "We played very well in all facets," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "Got the long ball, but we played small ball too. Got the bunt down, got a sac fly, two-out hits, great game on defense. [Shortstop Brandon] Crawford made a nice play, Cutch had a heck of a game with a couple nice catches out there. He got us going with the double. Buster [Posey], nice job of getting the big two-out base hit. Overall, it had to be one of our better games." All of that provided ample support for Rodriguez (5-1), who whittled his ERA to 2.72 after allowing fewer than three runs, in 6 1/3 innings, for the seventh time in eight starts. The rookie right-hander remained precise, walking none and allowing three hits, along with Oakland's lone run. "He's one of those guys who, when he's on the mound, you feel that he thinks he's going to get every hitter out," Jones said. "And you kind of feed off of it." Rodriguez didn't get overly excited about his winning streak, which he lengthened to four decisions. 18

19 "Every day is a new day," he said. "You could have a really good game or you could have a really bad game. I just go out there and concentrate, pitch by pitch, inning by inning, and whatever happens, happens." That remark reflected Rodriguez's steady demeanor on the mound, which isn't too surprising, given the bloodlines he shares with his father, Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez. "Yeah, I feel real calm," he said. "I don't let a lot get to me. The only person I really let get to me is myself. Unless I throw a pitch where it wasn't supposed to be thrown, or a mistake pitch and I know I could've gotten the guy out if I had thrown it where I wanted it. Besides that, it's baseball. They [opponents] are trying to make a living also. So, have fun." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Posey demonstrated the improvement in the condition of his troublesome right hip by lining a fourth-inning RBI single that opened the Giants' scoring. "Better," he said of his hip. "So I'm happy with that and we'll keep moving forward." SOUND SMART McCutchen finished with eight putouts, one short of his career high. It's the highest putout total by a Giants right fielder in a nine-inning game since Randy Winn also had eight on April 7, 2006, at Atlanta. UP NEXT The Giants have won four of the last five games started by Madison Bumgarner, who received the assignment for Saturday's Interleague rematch at Oakland. According to Baseball Info Solutions, Bumgarner has had no trouble settling on a favorite off-speed pitch this season. Opponents are 2-for-39 (.051) in at-bats that have ended with his curveball. Bumgarner will oppose right-hander Trevor Cahill, who owns an 11-4 Interleague record. MLB.com Belt placed on paternity leave; Jones called up Chris Haft OAKLAND -- First baseman Brandon Belt's paternity leave could be brief. "From what I've been hearing, he'll be here [Saturday] playing," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said before Friday night's Interleague series opener against the A's. View Full Game Coverage As of Friday afternoon, Bochy said that Belt's wife, Haylee, had not yet given birth to the 19

20 couple's second child. Belt's absence left the Giants without their top run producer. Belt is batting.287 in 81 games with team-high totals in home runs (13) and RBIs (42). Pablo Sandoval replaced Belt at first base, batting sixth. Ryder Jones, recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to replace Belt on the roster, started at third base and batted seventh. Jones, who hit.173 with two homers and five RBIs in 53 games for San Francisco last year, hit.299 with nine homers and 48 RBIs in his first 81 games at Triple-A Sacramento. Samardzija receives PRP injection Jeff Samardzija's third stint on the disabled list this season might also be his shortest. The right-hander's shoulder inflammation won't require surgery, and Bochy did not rule out Samardzija starting in Seattle on Wednesday. "He did have an MRI on Monday, then he had a PRP [platelet-rich plasma] shot," Bochy said. "So we'll see where he's at Sunday, whether he can take his bullpen or not." The Giants will likely wait until Sunday to determine Samardzija's next step. "I think I could have started on time after the break," Samardzija said. "It wouldn't have been perfect, but it would have been doable. I think we're being smart about it. Luckily, this team has put me in the situation to have the ability to come back and wait until I'm a hundred percent, with how good the young kids are pitching." Samardzija made two starts since he was activated on July 7. He pitched a total of nine innings and allowed five earned runs, striking out four and walking three. Longoria begins rehab stint Evan Longoria embarked on a rehab stint in Triple-A Sacramento, Friday. The third-baseman has been sidelined since June 14 with a fractured left hand. "Evan is going to play five innings tonight, he'll play seven tomorrow, then we'll see how he feels," Bochy said. "But more than likely, he'll play Sunday. They're off Monday, we're off Monday, then we will evaluate him at that point. I can't say he'll be up with us, but we'll see where he's at." Panik nearing return Joe Panik, who was placed on the disabled list July 7 with a left groin strain, has begun 20

21 participating in baseball activities. "Panik will be taking batting practice today and ground balls at second base," Bochy said. "He could be starting rehab as soon as the middle of next week or the back end of the week." NBCsportsbayarea.com Up for one night, Ryder Jones takes advantage of Giant opportunity Alex Pavlovic OAKLAND -- In the seventh inning Friday night, 26-year-old starter Dereck Rodriguez gave way to 25-year-old Reyes Moronta. Rodriguez jogged to the dugout and sat next to Andrew Suarez, 25, and the two rookies watched Moronta strand a runner. A few minutes later, 24-year-old center fielder Steven Duggar strolled to the plate and roped a single into right. There's a youth movement in San Francisco, but you might have known that already. Rodriguez, Suarez and Moronta were a big part of the story of the first half and Duggar made waves over the final week. What you might not have realized is that another player in the middle of all the action Friday night is actually younger than all four of them. Ryder Jones got 150 big league at-bats last season and had not been seen since, and it's often easy to write a player off when he disappears for a stretch. But Jones, a former second-round pick, is still just 24. He was born seventh months after Duggar, who previously was the youngest player on the roster. There's still plenty of time for Jones to find his stride and live up to the promise he has shown at times. On Friday, there was another flash of that talent. Jones hit a long solo homer in the fifth, giving the Giants a lead they would never let go. With a 5-1 win over the A s, the Giants got their second half off to a rocking start and tied this Bay Bridge Series at two games apiece. Jones is likely headed back to Sacramento. The plan was for him to come up for one day to fill in while Brandon Belt witnessed the birth of his second son, and he certainly took advantage of the opportunity. I thought the homer was huge for him, manager Bruce Bochy said. It was huge for us. He s been doing a nice job there in Sacramento the last month. He s doing what we were hoping this year, having another big year. That s all he needs is at-bats and experience. He s got the tools to be a nice big-league player. Jones struck out in his first at-bat, but got ahead in the count 2-0 the next time up. Edwin Jackson tried to sneak a slider across the inside of the plate and Jones crushed it. Both players leaned in different directions and watched as the ball clanked high off the pole. 21

22 The Giants are leaning heavily on rookies this year, but Jones was part of a 2017 class that never found footing. Just about every player in that group got hurt, and most struggled in the majors. Jones batted.173 last year, striking out in a third of his at-bats. With Evan Longoria brought over and Pablo Sandoval locked in, Jones didn t get much time this spring. He picked up outfield play in Scottsdale, hoping to increase his versatility, but he has primarily been the third baseman in Sacramento. At the time of this latest promotion, Jones was batting.299 in Triple-A, with nine homers, 15 doubles and 48 RBI. He ll head back to a River Cats squad that has provided plenty of help. Rodriguez started the season there. On Friday, he allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA to I trust my stuff. I trust my stuff, Rodriguez said. I was just going after them. NBCsportsbayarea.com Dereck Rodriguez sets second-half tone, leads Giants to win vs A s Alex Pavlovic OAKLAND To make a run at a division title, the Giants need Dereck Rodriguez to match his big first half. Perhaps the rookie has bigger plans. Rodriguez took the ball on the first night of the second half and allowed just one run on three hits against a tough A s lineup. He departed with one out in the seventh and the bullpen took it home, clinching a 5-1 win that evened this Bay Bridge series at two games apiece. Here's what you need to know from the first game back Rodriguez walked none and struck out five. He lowered his ERA to With Brandon Belt on the paternity list, Ryder Jones was called up for a spot start. He certainly made the most of it. Jones jumped on a 2-0 slider from Edwin Jackson in the fifth, smacking a homer off the right field foul pole. The blast was the third of the 24-year-old s career. He hit two last season as a rookie. --- Andrew McCutchen had a pair of sliding catches. The robbery of Jonathan Lucroy in the fifth inning had a catch probability of just 66 percent. --- Pablo Sandoval hit a no-doubter to right in the seventh inning. It was his 14th homer since returning to the Giants last summer, matching his total in Boston. --- The A s announced a crowd of 45,606, a sellout. They re expecting a few thousand more on Saturday. 22

23 NBCsportsbayarea.com Giants Notes Alex Pavlovic OAKLAND There is no move the Giants can make to counter the Dodgers acquisition of Manny Machado. The shortstop was the best player available, and he s now on the team the Giants are chasing. Before Friday s game, Bruce Bochy didn t seem that worried about countermoves, anyway. His concern is in his own clubhouse. We can t control that, Bochy said of the Machado trade. The only thing we can control is what we do here. Overall we ve got to pick it up a little bit. I don t think playing a couple of games over.500 the rest of the way is going to work. Bochy's players then went out and did exactly what he had hoped. The Giants beat the A's 5-1 in their second half opener, getting another strong performance from Dereck Rodriguez, strong outfield defense, and a bunch of quality at-bats with runners in scoring position. They kept pace with the Dodgers, who beat the Brewers 6-4, with Machado reaching base four times in his first game in blue. Bochy said he thinks the NL West will be a battle down the stretch. More than anything, he s looking for consistency from his club, particularly the offense. It s up to us to probably pick up our level of play, he said. --- Andrew McCutchen had eight putouts in the win, including a couple of sliding catches. The eight putouts were the most by a Giants right fielder since Randy Winn caught eight balls on April 7, Evan Longoria had two hits, including an RBI double, in three at-bats for the Sacramento River Cats. The outing was the first of at least three Longoria will make as he comes back from a fractured finger. There s a chance he s in the lineup Tuesday night in Seattle. --- Over the break, the Giants promoted right-hander Shaun Anderson from Double-A to Triple- A. Anderson gave up four hits and two runs, walked three, and struck out six in five innings in his River Cats debut. He had posted a 3.45 ERA in 99 Double-A innings, earning a trip to the Futures Game last Sunday. Anderson came over in the Eduardo Nuñez trade last July and it appears the Giants did very well. Some scouts now consider him the organization s best pitching prospect, and he is 23

24 generally viewed as a solid bet to at least be a back-end type in the rotation. Now that he s in Triple-A, it s possible Anderson could help the big league club out of the bullpen this season. The Athletic Bruce Bochy challenges his team in pregame meeting, and Dereck Rodríguez finds his true identity as Giants win in Oakland Andrew Baggarly Giants right-hander Dereck Rodríguez is son of a Hall of Famer. He is looking forward to experiencing fatherhood for himself. But not necessarily to extend his baseball bloodlines to a third generation. I do Legos, Rodríguez said. Lots of Legos. I can t wait to have a kid so I can buy stuff for him and it s really for me. Lego sets. Funco figurines. Comic books. Anything with a Batman logo stenciled on it. Rodríguez reached into his locker and produced a shiny Batarang mounted on a lacquered frame, a recent gift from teammate Derek Holland. To paraphrase a certain wise ball writer, Rodríguez, 26, is old enough to be comfortable with the things that keep him young. He is also all grown up on a major league mound, despite the fact that he made just his eighth major league start Friday night and that he hadn t thrown a pitch, professional or otherwise, until he was a 21-year-old with new legs, balancing himself on the rubber one day for Mayaguez in the Puerto Rican winter league in Giants manager Bruce Bochy has a method to how he orders his rotation, and it is not always about maximizing matchups and recovery time. Sometimes, part of his method involves setting a tone for a season, for a series or for the first game out of the All-Star break. Bochy held a pregame meeting in which he challenged his fourth-place club to make their move in the standings. Then he had no hesitation about handing the ball to a rookie and a pitching convert who spent most of his baseball life searching for his true identity. He has discovered it now. Rodríguez couldn t have thrown a Batarang with more precision. He held the A s to one run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings and fresh call-up Ryder Jones hit a tiebreaking home run off the foul pole in the fifth as the Giants used a complete effort to take a 5-1 victory over the A s at the Coliseum. It was one of their most satisfying, well-rounded victories of the season. Just overall, it had to be one of our better games, said Bochy, who closed the clubhouse for a pregame meeting in which he told his club that the time for dithering had passed. We covered some stuff we needed to cover, Bochy said. We said a few things: You know, hey, we re way past the halfway point. We need to turn it on here. 24