Sacramento River Cats & SF Giants Press Clips Thursday, July 27, 2017 Article Source Author Page River Cats, BloodSource reunite for annual Blood Drive River Cats Barsanti 1 Lollis gives Sacramento second straight walk-off River Cats Arnold-Gordon 2 Top prospect Shaw not feeling pressure of potential call-up NBC Sports Bay Area Pavlovic 2 Giants plot strategy for Dodgers lefties SF Gate Schulman 3 Giants GM Evans discusses Nuñez deal, trade deadline SF Gate Schulman 4 Why the Giants immediate plan at third base doesn t involve San Jose Mercury Baggarly 6 Pablo Sandoval
River Cats, BloodSource reunite for annual Blood Drive By Robert Barsanti / Sacramento River Cats West Sacramento, CA - The Sacramento River Cats and BloodSource are teaming up yet again for the fifth annual Raley Field Blood Drive on Friday, August 4. Both parties are excited to continue this partnership into its fifth year and beyond. The River Cats and BloodSource will be open in the Raley Field parking lot next Friday, August 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In celebration of the fifth annual Raley Field blood drive, BloodSource is giving away great prizes all day. Every donor will receive two tickets to a River Cats game and an exclusive San Francisco Giants Blood Donor t-shirt. Since August 2013, the River Cats and BloodSource have teamed up to register over 700 donors and collect more than 615 units of blood. Of those 700-plus donors, 315 of them have been new donors, donating blood for the first time at Raley Field. "We have had incredible success partnering with the River Cats these last five years," said Heather Sharp, BloodSource Account Manager. "Every year we are thrilled with and proud of the response from the West Sacramento and Sacramento communities. I know that I speak for the River Cats when I say we're eagerly anticipating our fifth successful drive." Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood and the summer can be a challenging time for BloodSource and other organizations to collect blood. High schools and colleges - where many blood drives are hosted - are on summer break, while many regular blood donors are on vacation and unavailable to donate. In addition, prospective donors often become deferred due to the effects of travel. Drives like the one at Raley Field provide an alternate location and opportunity for regular and new donors. "This drive has become an important part of both the River Cats family and the Sacramento region," added Greg Coletti, Vice President, Partner Services for the River Cats. "We're proud to continue to partner with BloodSource to bring this drive to Raley Field year after year." *** BloodSource has been this area's nonprofit community blood provider since1948, and serves patients in more than 40 hospitals throughout Northern and Central California. It is a Blood Systems blood center. Blood Systems is one of the nation's oldest and largest nonprofit community blood service providers, currently serving more than 1,000 hospital and healthcare partners across 28 states to provide comprehensive transfusion medicine services for patients in need. The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2017 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com. 1
Lollis gives Sacramento second straight walk-off By Evan Arnold-Gordon / Sacramento River Cats West Sacramento, CA - The Sacramento River Cats (42-61) and Round Rock Express (46-58) traded blows Wednesday night at Raley Field, but when all was said and done, Ryan Lollis made sure the River Cats came out on top in their 6-5 victory. After Round Rock hit a game-tying, two-out home run in the top of the ninth inning to tie the game at five, the River Cats responded by walking off for the second straight night. First baseman Ryan Lollis sent the Sacramento faithful home happy tonight by singling up the middle to score Pablo Sandoval, giving them their fifth walk-off win this season. Leadoff hitter Jarrett Parker got the scoring started tonight for Sacramento, picking up where he left off from last night by launching a home run in the first inning to put the River Cats up 1-0. Sacramento was not done in the first however, as Chris Shaw hit a two-run blast to make it a 3-0 ballgame. Round rock responded in the fourth inning off River Cats starter Jose Flores, tagging the right-hander for a three-run homer to tie things up. Flores yielded his fourth and final run to the Express in the sixth inning but this time it was Sacramento's turn to respond, and in the bottom half of the frame Ryder Jones helped retake the lead. Jones managed to take advantage of Round Rock's defensive shift, driving a go-ahead two-run single through the hole on the left side of the infield to give the home side a 5-4 lead. With the win tonight, Sacramento improved their record to 15-18 in one-run games. Left-hander Andrew Suarez (3-4, 4.69) will get the start for Sacramento in game three and will face Round Rock right-hander James Dykstra (1-4, 8.610). 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 Parker: Jarrett Parker hit his third home run with Sacramento now has eight RBI in 25 games with the River Cats hitting.333 (4-for-12) with five runs and two home runs in the leadoff spot. Sandoval: Designated hitter Pablo Sandoval reached base four times tonight, finishing 1-for-2 with two walks and a hit by pitch scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning after singling to right field from the right side of the plate. Flores: Right-hander Jose Flores tied a season-high by going seven innings struck out six without allowing a walk threw first pitch strikes to 18 of the 26 batters he faced now has 29 strikeouts in 29 innings pitched. Top prospect Shaw not feeling pressure of potential call-up By Alex Pavlovic / NBC Sports Bay Area SAN FRANCISCO The Giants do not like to set timetables for their top prospects, instead encouraging them to force their way into promotions. Christian Arroyo did that in April and Ryder Jones followed over the summer, and both should be in position to compete for the third base job next spring. 2
One of those two could ultimately fill a gaping hole in the lineup. When it comes to left field, one of their current River Cats teammates hopes to do the same. Chris Shaw is the organization s top prospect on some lists, and on all lists, he is their top power-hitting prospect. The 23-year-old has 16 homers and 23 doubles across two levels this season, good for a.503 slugging percentage that s right in line with his mark (.502) over 269 professional games. Shaw is on the fast track, and he became more intriguing when the Giants with Brandon Belt signed long-term at first moved him to left full-time this season. Shaw is doing what was asked of him. Earlier this week, I asked him if that has him thinking about a promotion. It s my motivation obviously to get to the big leagues, that s why you work so hard in the offseason is to put yourself in that position to be knocking on the door, he said. But now, in season, you kind of put all your work in up to this point and everything else is a result of all your hard work up to this point. I don t necessarily put any extra pressure on myself because right now I just go out and play and whatever happens, happens. I can t dictate what falls and what doesn t fall and what my batting average is going to look like a month from now, and ultimately what the front office wants to do. I m fully aware they don t have to add me this year. I trust in the front office in promoting me when they feel I m ready developmentally. The big problem for Shaw at the moment is that the Giants do not need to add him to the 40-man roster until after the 2018 season. They are big on inventory, and not keen on DFA ing another player this year and taking up a winter roster spot over the offseason for a prospect who currently is not in the opening day plans for 2018. That s the paperwork side of this. On the field, Shaw is blocked by Gorkys Hernandez (who is now playing everyday), Jarrett Parker (who will finish his rehab assignment soon), Mac Williamson, and others. It remains a bit of a long shot that Shaw gets a September cameo, and when I checked in with team officials a week ago, the word was that it s not currently in the plans. Having said that, the last-place Giants could certainly use some excitement and a glimpse of power. Shaw has some time left to change the front office's September plans. In the meantime, he s the latest guest on our Giants Insider podcast. The quote above is from the podcast, which you can stream here or download on itunes here. We talked promotions, his move to left, his power, his post-deadline tweet last year, and more. Giants plot strategy for Dodgers lefties By Henry Schulman / SF Gate Conor Gillaspie played third base Wednesday in the Giants first game after Eduardo Nuñez was traded. With three games against Dodgers left-handers this weekend, they plan to promote a right-handed third baseman. It will not be switch-hitting Pablo Sandoval. 3
Manager Bruce Bochy reiterated Wednesday that Sandoval needs more minor-league at-bats, and besides, he has not been a good right-handed hitter. The signs point toward Jae-gyun Hwang, who was optioned Saturday. The Giants by rule must wait 10 days to recall Hwang unless he replaces a player on the disabled list. With every player going through some aches and pains after 100 games, they can find a legitimate candidate. Switch-hitter Miguel Gomez has shown he can hit, but he played second base in the minors this year, and Bochy does not want to play a rookie out of position. Nor does Bochy view Kelby Tomlinson as an everyday third baseman. The Giants replaced Hwang on the 25-man roster by purchasing the Triple-A contract of Carlos Moncrief, a 28-year-old outfielder originally with the Cleveland organization who had played 10 minor-league seasons without spending a day in the majors. He got as far as the on-deck circle Wednesday to bat for Hunter Strickland in the eighth, but Gorkys Hernandez made the third out ahead of him. Just being out there, I was like, This is it, Moncrief said. Sacramento River Cats manager Dave Brundage tried to phone Moncrief to let him know he was going to the bigs, but Moncrief did not recognize the number, thought it was a bill collector and blew it off. Brundage tried again. When Moncrief saw the same number twice, he figured he d better pick up Briefly: Johnny Cueto threw 45 pitches in his first bullpen session off the mound since he went on the disabled list with blisters on his pitching hand. Bochy said Cueto used all of his pitches, will throw with more intensity Friday, and could rejoin the rotation when the Giants return from Los Angeles and face the A s during a four-game home-and-home.... The Giants will not use the off day to skip Matt Cain and have Madison Bumgarner face the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Sunday night so soon after Bumgarner s return. Giants GM Evans discusses Nuñez deal, trade deadline By Henry Schulman / SF Gate A day after trading Eduardo Nuñez to the Red Sox for two pitching prospects, general manager Bobby Evans was not ready to predict if more deals will come before Monday's nonwaiver trade deadline. With so few teams in contention, Evans suggested he might hold onto players he is willing to deal until he can get more potential buyers involved over the winter "It's hard to speculate on landing spots for any one guy," Evans said. "There would have to be something compelling to make something happen. The offer from Boston (for Nuñez) was compelling." The Giants got a 22-year-old right-hander named Shaun Anderson, the Sox's third-round draft pick last year, and will send him to Class A San Jose, where they plan to watch his innings a year out of college ball at Florida. 4
They also got a 17-year-old Dominican prospect named Gregory Santos, who has allowed three earned runs over 30 innings and making the Dominican Summer League all-star team this year. Santos is what's known in the business as a "lottery ticket" who has the look of a player who could hit it big, but is hard to project because of his youth. Or, as Evans put it, Santos represents "a lot to dream on and a lot to work with." Evans said Anderson has four "plus" pitches. Other evaluators have not been that effusive, saying Anderson projects as a middle- or back-end starter, or just as likely a reliever with two good pitches. He did relieve until Boston converted him to starting. One long-time evaluator not connected with the Giants seemed a bit surprised the Giants snagged Anderson for a potential free agent in Nuñez. "It's a nice piece in return for a rental guy in this market," the evaluator said. A longtime scout who is not familiar with either of the two pitchers the Giants received, said Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski is "not on a five-year plan. He is aggressive, so I bet the Giants got close to what they wanted." So, what now for the Giants? A third evaluator confirmed what I have heard, that the Giants are attracting a lot of interest in Jeff Samardzija, who is starting Wednesday's series-ender against the Pirates. Buster Olney of ESPN reported the Giants are listening on Samardzija and Johnny Cueto. Efforts to trade Cueto are complicated by his blister issue and the potential opt-out in his contract. Cueto is making progress on the finger front. He threw off the bullpen mound Wednesday for the first time since his trip to the disabled list, about 45 pitches, and is expected to ramp it up further Friday. Manager Bruce Bochy said Cueto could rejoin the rotation soon, as early as Monday night in Oakland - which is after the deadline. But July 31 is not really a deadline for a Cueto deal. The possibility that he might NOT opt out of his contract, and be on the books for another four years at more than $85 million, surely would scare almost any team away from submitting a blocking claim in August for fear the Giants would say, "OK, he's yours." If Cueto clears waivers in August the Giants can trade him anywhere, not just to the team that claimed him. Hunter Strickland could be in play, too. Most contenders, even those with huge leads in their division, seek to bolster their bullpens. I've had a lot of fans ask why Samardzija would be in demand given a 5.05 ERA and 21 homers allowed. Teams value his durability, he has great stuff and he would be under contract for three more years. He has a lot of money left on his deal, almost $60 million, so I imagine the Giants would have to pay a chunk of that to get any difference-making prospects, or take back a big contract along with prospects. The Giants could remove a lot of money from the books by trading Samardzija, although Evans said he is not under orders to use trades to corral payroll. 5
Samardzija has to be considered part of the Giants' core. The front office has expressed seemingly contradictory views: that it wants to keep its core together, yet understands it might have to trade players with long-term contracts to acquire important rebuilding pieces. I asked Evans about that contradiction. His response, in short: "We believe in our core. We want to protect our core. But we also have a large core." In other words, the Giants could trade a player or two whom they signed long-term and still keep the team largely intact. "When you look at our core, you have to be realistic, but also optimistic with what they have accomplished. They've struggled this year, but there are things they can do to right themselves for next year. There are things they can do this year to reach the level of play we're accustomed to." Lest anyone think the Giants plan to sacrifice long-term success and "go for it" in 2018, Evans said, "No one is saying this is going to be an overnight fix. It's going to take time. Hopefully we can shorten that time with what we do between now and spring training." Why the Giants immediate plan at third base doesn t involve Pablo Sandoval By ANDREW BAGGARLY / Bay Area News Group SAN FRANCISCO The Giants must form a plan for allocating playing time at third base following the trade that sent Eduardo Nuñez to the Boston Red Sox. Yes, it could be Pablo Sandoval. It probably will be Pablo Sandoval. But not immediately. The Giants made a short-term move to address their roster vacancy on Wednesday, purchasing the contract of outfielder Carlos Moncrief from Triple-A Sacramento. Moncrief, a 28-year-old former pitcher who was signed as a minor league free agent last year, was hitting.287 as a partial starting player for the River Cats. Moncrief is here because the Giants didn t want to call up a player that they merely planned to use off the bench Wednesday and then cool his heels on Thursday s travel day. Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that the club would make another roster move prior to Friday s series opener at Dodger Stadium, and confirmed that the team would have a right-handed hitting third baseman on the roster. The only player in the minors who fits that description is Jae-gyun Hwang, who was just optioned to Sacramento on Saturday. Hwang must spend 10 days in the minor leagues unless he replaces an injured player. Bochy smiled when asked if any of his pitchers might come down with an exotic injury in the next 48 hours. Bochy also said that Conor Gillaspie and Kelby Tomlinson were not candidates to get everyday at-bats at third base over the next two months. The biggest possibility that Bochy clearly shot down: Pablo Sandoval will not be on the big league roster Friday. 6
It isn t only because the Dodgers are scheduled to start three left-handed pitchers and Sandoval recently began switch-hitting again. The Giants clearly want Sandoval to show not only that he still has baseball skills, but that he is committed to being a part of their organization. He s proving more than just his bat speed in the minor leagues. I think it s important for Pablo to get more playing time, Bochy said. It s important to make sure he s in the right condition and that he s had enough at-bats. The Giants usually don t wait long when they sign fallen stars to minor league contracts. For example, Pat Burrell went 5 for 16 with a home run in five games at Triple-A before the Giants gave him a whirl in 2010. But this Giants team isn t looking for a pennant push. They aren t going anywhere this season. They re in no hurry. Sandoval doesn t have an opt-out any time soon, either. (If he finishes the year on the active roster, the Giants would hold club options for 2018 and 19 at the major league minimum salary with the Red Sox eating the rest of the near $50 million owed to him.) So yes, the Giants might have traded a player (Nuñez) to the team (Red Sox) that will pay the salary of the guy (Sandoval) who could be their eventual replacement at third base. But that day hasn t come yet. 7