Sacramento River Cats & SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, July 26, 2017

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Sacramento River Cats & SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Article Source Author Page Parker s walk-off leads Sac in Sandoval s debut River Cats

His River Cats Sac Bee Kawahara 1 debut gave a hint Panda doubles in Triple-A debut with River Cats Davis Enterprise Yancher 3 Down on the Farm: Arroyo vs Shaw

1 Sacramento River Cats & SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, July 26, 2017 Article Source Author Page Parker s walk-off leads Sac in Sandoval s debut River Cats Arnold-Gordon 1 How will Giants fans welcome back Pablo Sandoval? His River Cats Sac Bee Kawahara 1 debut gave a hint Panda doubles in Triple-A debut with River Cats Davis Enterprise Yancher 3 Down on the Farm: Arroyo vs Shaw as Giants top prospect NBC Sports Bay Area Johnson 4 Stratton returns to bolster Giants bullpen MLB.com Haft 6 Arroyo, Slater highlight Giants Top 30 Prospects MLB.com Haft 6 How Pablo Sandoval fared in first game with Sacramento San Jose Mercury Gallegos 7

2 Parker's walk-off leads Sac in Sandoval's debut By Evan Arnold-Gordon / Sacramento River Cats West Sacramento, CA - Jarrett Parker played hero Tuesday night in Pablo Sandoval's season debut, hitting a ninth inning walk-off home run as the Sacramento River Cats (41-61) defeated the Round Rock Express (46-57) 4-3 Tuesday night. Parker stepped up the plate with two outs in the ninth inning and delivered, blasting a 428-foot solo home run to left-center field to give Sacramento their first walk-off homer this season. Parker's walk-off was the highlight of the game, but Sandoval left an impression in his own right in his River Cats debut. Sandoval hit second and started at third base tonight for Sacramento, playing seven innings. The switchhitter finished the game 1-for-4 with a run and stretched a line drive to right field into a double. His double came off Round Rock right-hander Clayton Blackburn who spent two and a half seasons with Sacramento before being traded to the Texas Rangers earlier this year. The River Cats will send right-hander Jose Flores (0-1, 3.68) to the hill for game two and will square off against Round Rock's right-hander David Ledbetter (2-2, 3.86). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live on the air on ESPN 1320 and online at rivercats.com. Postgame Notes Quote Of The Night: "I'm coming here to play the way I know how to play, I'm having fun out there and I'm just going to do the best I can out there." - Pablo Sandoval on his first start with Sacramento Panda-monium: Pablo Sandoval played his first career game tonight at Raley Field went 2-for-9 with an RBI and two walks in three games with San Jose before joining Sacramento. Hwang: Jae-Gyun Hwang played his first game with Sacramento since June 26 went 2-for-4 tonight with his team-leading 45th RBI tonight marked his 22nd two-hit game which also leads the club. Jones: Right fielder Ryder Jones had a multi-hit game of his own, finishing 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a walk second on Sacramento with 18 two-hit games this season Jones is now hitting.317 at home. Moronta: Right-hander Reyes Moronta made his Triple-A debut tonight allowed a two-run home run to former River Cats outfielder Drew Stubbs in one inning of work also struck out two and did not walk any. How will Giants fans welcome back Pablo Sandoval? His River Cats debut gave a hint BY Matt Kawahara / Sac Bee Fans of Pablo Sandoval used to be recognizable by their fluffy hats that looked like panda ears. There were a few of those around a half-full Raley Field on Tuesday night, but the most conspicuous headwear rested atop Israel Gadia, David Hernandez and Ed Sandoval. 1

3 The three wore big Styrofoam hats fashioned like Giants World Series rings, down to the embedded stones and etchings on the side. Ed Sandoval wore a blue Pablo Sandoval All-Star jersey. He also had a large Giants flag pulled around his shoulders. I didn t think I d ever see a Sandoval (on the Giants), said Ed Sandoval, 37, let alone somebody who actually did something for the squad. Ed Sandoval then proceeded to list many things Pablo Sandoval did while playing for the Giants for seven seasons, recalling the third baseman s contributions to three World Series teams, his happy-golucky demeanor and the time he went over the railing to catch a foul ball while simultaneously blowing a bubble with his chewing gum. I m a fat Sandoval myself, Ed Sandoval said. It gave me hope that one day I can join a softball league. Nearly three years have passed since Sandoval secured the final out of the 2014 World Series, his last moment in a Giants uniform before signing an ill-fated free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox. After Boston designated Sandoval for assignment earlier this month, cutting him halfway into a five-year, $95 million contract, the Giants brought him back on a minor-league deal, taking a low-cost flier on a former star. After two games at High-A San Jose, Sandoval joined the River Cats on Tuesday. The curiosity was enough to bring a few extra fans out to Raley Field on a weeknight. Gil and Lenore Sebastian of Woodland said they bought tickets when they learned Sandoval would be playing. I think it s a good idea; what can it hurt? Gil, 63, said of re-signing Sandoval. Lenore added the Giants, who began Tuesday 31 1/2 games out of first place, should try anything at this point. Even though he (Sandoval) left badly, something has to happen. Sandoval raised some eyebrows by criticizing the Giants after his departure following the 2014 season. He said the Giants had disrespected his agent and that he would miss nobody in the clubhouse except manager Bruce Bochy and outfielder Hunter Pence. Sandoval apologized for those comments last week something the Sebastians said they, as fans, did not require. You establish a home, you win a couple of World Series rings, and they decide to get rid of you, Gil Sebastian said. Of course he s going to be emotional. Of course he s going to say some stupid things. Indeed, many of the announced 7,247 fans at Raley Field appeared open to welcoming back Sandoval. As Sandoval walked from the clubhouse toward the dugout a half-hour before first pitch, he received a smattering of cheers from a group of fans pressed against the railing along the third-base line. Sandoval disappeared into the dugout for a moment, then re-emerged and went over to sign autographs for about five minutes before jogging onto the field to warm up. Sandoval s first two at-bats produced harmless groundouts. It brought his minor-league totals to two hits in 11 at-bats since being released on July 14 by Boston where he was hitting just.212 this season. Those numbers had Dennis and Margaret Womble of Davis speaking in reserved terms about the signing while waiting for the gates to open Tuesday afternoon. I don t know if it s going to pan out, said Dennis, 70. 2

4 I believe in working in the younger guys and getting them built up, added Margaret, 64. Work on some of these young guys and bring them up. But they re not paying him (Sandoval) a lot of money, Dennis said. So we ll see how he does. I ll give him a chance. Daniel Comer, 18, of Elk Grove, seized the chance to again wear his Panda hat, which he said had been in my closet somewhere. I kept it I knew he was coming back, Comer said. Everyone loved (Sandoval). He won three World Series with us. So it s hard not to. Panda doubles in Triple-A debut with River Cats By Owen Yancher / Davis Enterprise WEST SACRAMENTO He was the only player without a name on the back of his jersey Tuesday night, but the throng of 7,247 who made the trip out to Raley Field knew exactly who was at third base for the River Cats. Competing in his first game in Sacramento since being signed to a minor-league contract by San Francisco last Saturday, Pablo Sandoval looked surprisingly nimble early in his 2017 Triple-A debut versus Round Rock. Sandoval went 1-for-4 and scored a run as Sacramento defeated The Express, 4-3. But it was Jarrett Parker s walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth that eventually did the trick for the locals. In the top of the first, Sandoval flashed the leather while showing he still has hops. The former Giant and Red Sox infielder scrambled down the left field line to track down a shallow blooper. Nabbing the pop fly in over-the-shoulder fashion, the 2013 World Series MVP listed at 255 pounds sported a grin that stretched ear-to-ear as he trotted back to the Sacramento dugout. I feel great at third base, Sandoval said after the win. I came here to hustle. On the contrary, Sandoval s night at the plate didn t start out like his field play did. His first at-bat? A groundout to second. Next time up? Another roller to first. His third time up, however, The Panda hinted at his hibernating major league power. In the home half of the fifth, the 30-year-old Venezuelan blasted a double to right. The smoking liner would bring home Ali Castillo (two hits and a run) from second base, before a Ryder Jones single scored Sandoval to put the Cats up, 3-2. Jones had two hits, an RBI and a run. I just want to continue to do everything I can on the field, Sandoval added. I m just focused on getting better every day. 3

5 Panda popped out to shallow right during his final trip to the plate Tuesday. He was replaced at third base in a double switch with first baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang and Ryan Lollis in the top of the seventh. That was the plan, Sandoval said regarding his early exit. I don t know what the plan is going to be (today), but I want to play nine innings in a game. After Sandoval s departure, Round Rock came knocking at the door loading the bases and scoring a run in the eighth inning to tie things at 3-3 before Sacramento shortstop Juniel Querecuto induced a rare double play to end the frame. In the bottom of the ninth it was Parker who took Round Rock reliever Sam Wolff (1-2, 3.06) yard, hammering a 2-1 fastball 428 feet to left-center. After the game, River Cats manager Dave Brundage told The Enterprise he was impressed with Sandoval s speed. I saw a guy that bounced around and came in here with some energy, Brundage said. He had a little jump in his step. I like how he went about his work. Giants skipper Bruce Bochy said earlier in the week that Sandoval s stay in Sacramento will be for an evaluation period of 40 or 50 at-bats. Over his three weekend games with Single-A San Jose, Sandoval batted.222. Sacramento (41-61) returns to Raley Field today at 7:05 p.m. for the second game of this four game series. Right-hander Jose Flores will take the mound for the River Cats while Round Rock will counter with David Ledbetter. Notes: No-name Sandoval donned a No. 47 jersey Tuesday. The jersey was too small, Sandoval said, referring to the normal No. 48 shirt he was given before the game. Too small, so I changed it. Sacramento reliever Tyler Rogers (2-3, 1.94) earned the win for his 1 1/3 frames of shutout ball. Wolff took the loss for Round Rock. The River Cats had a handful of roster changes Tuesday morning: righthander Tyler Beede (groin) and infielder Juan Ciriaco (hamstring) were both placed on the disabled list. RHP Chris Stratton was recalled by San Francisco along with INF Jae-Gyun Hwang and southpaw Steven Okert. On top of that, RHP Heath Slatton and Sandoval were both transferred to Sacramento from Class- A San Jose. In MLB news, the Giants traded Eduardo Nunez to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for two minor-league pitchers. Down on the Farm: Arroyo vs Shaw as Giants' top prospect By Dalton Johnson / NBC Sports Bay Area While the Giants were represented by only one prospect on Baseball America s midseason Top 100 list, the same can be said for MLB Pipeline, the prospect service of MLB.com. The only difference is who represents the Giants on these lists. For Baseball America, outfielder/first baseman Chris Shaw leapt right-handed pitcher Tyler Beede as the team s top prospect and was named the No. 86 prospect in all of baseball. On Monday, MLB Pipeline unveiled their new Top 100 list and Shaw too passed Beede, but as San Francisco s No. 2 prospect. 4

6 Infielder Christian Arroyo came in as the Giants No. 1 prospect after a sensational start to the season as a 21-year-old in Triple-A, earning him a call-up to the bigs. Arroyo is the lone Giants prospect on MLB Pipeline s Top 100 list, coming in at No. 67. Beede, now dealing with a groin injury, is 6-7 with a 4.79 ERA in Triple-A. There s an argument to be made for both Shaw and Arroyo as the leading man when looking at the next wave of the Giants future that appears to be more important than ever with the second worst record in the majors so far this season. In Shaw, the 6-foot-4 slugger has exceeded expectations this season, giving the Giants a legitimate power threat they have been desperately looking to bring to AT&T Park. Shaw tore up the pitcherfriendly Eastern League of Double-A with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, hitting.301/.390/.511 with six home runs over 37 games, earning him a promotion to Sacramento. Since then, Shaw has continued to show off his power with nine more home runs, but has also been overmatched at the higher level at times. Through 53 games with the River Cats, Shaw has now struck out 61 times to only 11 walks for a.310 on-base percentage. Over his last 10 games, Shaw is 7-for-39 at the plate, coming out to a.179 batting average. The 23-year-old can flat-out hit, no matter the occasional slump at the highest level of the minors, living up to the billing of perhaps the top pure hitter in the 2015 draft class. Between Richmond and Sacramento, the No. 31 pick in the 15 draft is slashing.286/.343/.494 while knocking out 15 home runs. When it comes to Arroyo, erase the image you have of a.192 hitter in 34 games with the Giants this season. And no, he s not the.396 hitter that made Triple-A baseball look way too easy for someone we re pretty sure runs a lemonade stand on the side. To find that happy medium though, let life give you lemons. Arroyo looked like the young hitter he is at times with the Giants, striking out 32 times to eight walks. But he also showed the ease in his swing with advanced balance and the ability to barrel up balls on a consistent basis for years to come is clear. He also hit three home runs and five doubles in his first stint with San Francisco. The Giants top pick from the 2013 draft is now a.300/.345/.434 career hitter with 24 long balls in 368 minor league games. The big question between Arroyo and Shaw is, who brings more to the table? Shaw s power is far beyond anything Arroyo s will ever be. On the other hand, the same goes for Arroyo s defense to Shaw s, who is playing outfield for the first time in his minor league career this season, though he spent plenty of time out there at Boston College. Arroyo, a natural shortstop, has a strong arm and is a capable everyday player at the hot corner or up the middle. At different times this season, along with Arroyo, the Giants have given time to other prospects such as Austin Slater, Ryder Jones and Miguel Gomez in the field. If it weren t for injuries to his left wrist/hand, we would have seen more Arroyo in San Francisco. Now, we wait and see if this splendid season can bring us an Arroyo-Shaw sighting in September. Or just wake me up when it ends. Around The Horn Hey, Alex Pavlovic found the Giants' new third baseman! 5

7 Heliot Ramos, the Giants' top pick in the 2017 draft, is ranked as the team's No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Giants Top 30. He is one spot ahead of 2016 top pick Bryan Reynolds. Panda Watch: Pablo Sandoval is now batting.231 in four games between the San Jose Giants and Sacramento River Cats. Stratton returns to bolster Giants' bullpen By Chris Haft / MLB.com SAN FRANCISCO -- Continuing to need pitching depth, the Giants recalled right-hander Chris Stratton from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday and optioned utility man Orlando Calixte to the same club. San Francisco's bullpen was virtually depleted in the team's previous series against San Diego. Relievers pitched 12 2/3 innings Friday and Saturday. Ty Blach gave the bullpen an adequate break Sunday by lasting seven innings. However, manager Bruce Bochy was forced to pinch-hit for Matt Cain after four innings Monday in an attempt to seize upon a scoring opportunity. Stratton's experience as a starter enables him to give the Giants multiple innings, which he did Tuesday, allowing two runs in four innings to earn his first career save in an 11-3 victory over the Pirates. This is his third recall of the season. San Francisco's first-round selection in the 2012 Draft, Stratton is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in four appearances (one start) for the Giants. Calixte was in his second stint with the Giants. He has compiled a.172 batting average (5-for-29) with four RBIs in 10 games with San Francisco. Arroyo, Slater highlight Giants' Top 30 Prospects By Chris Haft / MLB.com SAN FRANCISCO -- If the Giants' revised Top 30 Prospects list looks familiar, it should. Five of the prospects ranked among the organization's Top 30 have performed for the Giants this year as the ballclub has tried to find a winning combination. Full Game Coverage The ranking of baseball's top prospects is done by MLBPipeline.com Draft and prospect experts Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Mike Rosenbaum, who compile input from industry sources, including scouts and scouting directors. It is based on analysis of players' skill sets, upsides, proximity to the Majors and potential immediate impact to their teams. Only players with rookie status are eligible for the list. Players who were at least 23 years old when they signed and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible. Infielder Christian Arroyo (No. 1) and outfielder Austin Slater (No. 6) received significant playing time with the Giants earlier this season and might still be with them if they weren't injured. Arroyo has 6

8 endured wrist and hand ailments; Slater pulled a groin muscle. Infielder-outfielder Ryder Jones (No. 14) is another young player who can call himself a Giants alumnus. Slater's solo homer Slater's solo homer Austin Slater lifts a Chad Kuhl offering just over the wall in center, notching his third home run and breaking up the no-hit bid Two prospects are currently on the active 25-man roster: right-hander Kyle Crick (No. 17) and infielder Miguel Gomez (No. 23). Crick, formerly a starter, has found a home in the bullpen. Gomez has appeared in 11 games, starting two at second base. San Francisco's first three selections in last month's Draft have made immediate impressions. Outfielder Heliot Ramos, the Giants' No. 1 pick, made his debut in the Top 30 at No. 4. Third baseman Jacob Gonzalez, the club's second-round choice, is No. 15, while left-hander Seth Corry, the Giants' third-round pick, is No. 13. All three are playing for the Giants' Rookie-level Arizona League affiliate. Right-hander Tyler Beede, previously ranked 73rd in the overall Top 100, dropped off the list. He's ranked third in the organization's Top 30. Arroyo claimed the Giants' lone Top 100 ranking, checking in at 68th. Arroyo also replaced Beede as the Giants' No. 1-rated prospect. Ranked No. 2 is Sacramento first baseman-outfielder Chris Shaw, considered the organization's top power-hitting prospect. How Pablo Sandoval fared in first game with Sacramento By MARTIN GALLEGOS Bay Area News Group The Pablo Sandoval reunion tour made its way to Sacramento on Tuesday night. Batting second in the order and playing third base for Triple-A Sacramento, Sandoval went 1 for 4 with a double. His first three at-bats came against Round Rock Express starter and former Giants prospect Clayton Blackburn. After hitting a pair of ground outs in the first and third innings, Sandoval came up with his first extra base hit since returning to the Giants organization. With one out and a runner on first base in the fifth, Sandoval drove a double down the right field line. Ali Castillo came in to score for Sacramento on the play, but the run did not count as an RBI as it was deemed to have been scored on a throwing error. Sandoval later took third base on a passed ball in the same inning, then scored on a single by Ryder Jones. Facing left-handed pitcher Dario Alvarez in the seventh, Sandoval batted right-handed for the first time in the game and popped out to the second baseman in what was his final at-bat of the evening. He was removed before the start of the eighth inning for a defensive substitution. 7

9 Sandoval will continue to play for Sacramento as he looks to find his way back to San Francisco. 8

ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT Saturday, May 6, 2017

ORGANIZATIONAL REPORT Saturday, May 6, 2017 TEAM LEVEL RECORD LAST GAME STREAK/ LAST 10 Sacramento River Cats Triple-A 10-18; 7.5 GB 4th Place L, 1-5 @ Fresno L1, 4-6 Richmond Flying Squirrels Double-A