SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, May 10, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle Ho-hum: Giant show little, lose big John Shea

NEW YORK - This one had little suspense. Little drama. Little hope. Like so many of the others.

The Giants collected all of two hits Tuesday night, and Jeff Samardzija coughed up four first- inning runs.

Baseball’s worst team continues to worsen. The Giants’ dropped their fifth straight game 6-1 to the Mets and showed no signs of bouncing back.

The Giants’ only highlight was Buster Posey’s second home run in two days and fourth of the season. Their only other hit belonged to Samardzija, but he gave up 10 of them over seven innings.

Neil Walker, whose walk-off single won Monday’s series opener, hit a two-run triple in the first inning, assisted by left fielder Eduardo Nunez, who misplayed the ball.

Jose Reyes and Rene Rivera added RBI singles. T.J. Rivera doubled home a run in the second, and Michael Conforto homered in the seventh.

The win went to former Giants prospect Zack Wheeler, who lasted four innings.

The Giants are 11-23. The previous time they had the majors’ worst record in May or later was June 3, 1991.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @JohnSheaHey

On deck Wednesday at Mets

10:10 a.m. NBCSBA Cain (2-1) vs.

Montero (0-2)

Thursday vs. Reds

7:15 p.m. NBCSBA Arroyo (3-2) vs.

Blach (0-2)

Friday vs. Reds

7:15 p.m. NBCSBA Feldman (2-3) vs. Cueto (4-2)

Leading off Untimely: Before Hunter Strickland gave up consecutive hits Monday, including Neil Walker’s

2 walk-off single, opponents were hitting .179 (7-for-39) against the reliever.

San Francisco Chronicle Bobby Evans: Giants aren’t sellers yet John Shea

NEW YORK — The Giants will continue to focus on getting better and are not looking forward to selling players before the July 31 trade deadline, general manager Bobby Evans said Tuesday.

In a Q&A with beat reporters, Evans discussed his troubled team, which owns the worst record in the majors and has flaws in several areas. Evans said he’s hoping for improvements from the core players and more wins at home.

As for selling players for the purpose of rebuilding, Evans said, “Our focus right now is to look toward improving this club and try to get us back to position where we’re competing in our division, which we’re not right now.”

Here’s the interview:

On whether management is expecting players to bounce back or looking for outside help: “There are limitations as to what you can do to improve the club in May. Some of that is dependent upon what you have internally. You don’t have as many external options. You’ve got to be measured and weigh every scenario. Again, the confidence that we have in the club is built around the core part of our lineup and the core part of our rotation. That’s currently not at its best. And so, when the norm of our core guys who helped us win two or three championships starts to level out, it’ll certainly lessen some of the difficulties we’ve had and give us a chance to right the ship. The fight right now is to win tonight and try to get back to .500. That’s our focus. That’s our priority, and take it one game at a time.” On team goals moving forward: “The discussion is taking it one day at a time. That’s the mind- set. When I look at it, we’ve got to play 500 on the road and win more games at home. We’ve got to fight to get back to .500. You’re going to do that more with your home-field advantage

3 and the fans buying in. That’s our best medicine right now, win at home and play .500 on the road.” On coping with last place: “It’s hard to overlook the record right now. You can’t overlook it. It stares at us every day. The mentality that the guys have to have is focus on today’s game and do what they can to win today and worry about tomorrow tomorrow. For myself and my staff and front office, we want to look ahead as much as we can, but we’ve also got to set some goals as we watch this next month or two to understand how we can right the ship. It’s challenging to be where we are. We’ve dug the hole we’ve dug. We’ve got to play much better baseball to get ourselves out of it.” On whether the team must dramatically improve to warrant trade-deadline upgrades : “That’s always our mentality. The performance of the club always dictates how we handle the trade deadline. My hope is the guys come back and play back to more of the norm of their careers. It’ll give us a much better chance to compete and make our decision much tougher as we get toward the deadline.” On whether there’s one area that’s most worrisome: “On any given night, it can be one of a number of things that can be concerning. I think we’ve all seen much more consistency out of our starters in the past. We went into the offseason expecting we’d be able to pitch deeper into games with the rotation and we’d be able to use some key guys in the seventh and eighth to get us into the ninth. We’ve had to use our bullpen a lot earlier, which is more taxing and exposes a part of our pen that’s not at its best. We don’t expect to be at the bottom of the league in runs scored per game. That’s a very bad stat and a disappointment, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be how we finish. It’s where we are right now. We have to find a way to improve that. It’s one of the reasons you award a (Christian) Arroyo, who played well in Triple-A and had the opportunity to come up here. It does shift guys like (Eduardo) Nunez and (Brandon) Belt to left field. It does put us at a disadvantage without a leadoff guy (Denard Span) or shortstop (Brandon Crawford). We hope to get those guys back. Again, we want to find a way to get back to a position where we’re competing more than we are right now.” On the performances of the core players: “Despite the fact the numbers aren’t there right now, they’ve done it. We’ve seen them do it in the biggest games in baseball. They’ve brought championships to San Francisco. It’s harder to underestimate them even as much as the performance at the moment is below what we believe they’re capable of. I don’t believe it’ll stay that way. You’re only as good as the sum of your parts, and all the parts are not necessarily

4 functioning at the highest level right now. It makes it hard to ignore the record and the standings. You can’t ignore that. That’s reality. Again, our hope is the performance will elevate and put us back in the position that gives us a more realistic look at what we’re capable of. Right now, it’s very concerning.” On whether there were roster miscalculations: “On the standpoint of left field, we wanted to give (Jarrett) Parker and (Mac) Williamson a chance to take that job. Williamson got hurt the last quarter of spring training. Parker got hurt 30-some plate appearances into the season. Those injuries at some level unraveled what we hoped to be a growth opportunity for both. We weren’t expecting to be a lineup that would be very reliant on left field. We hoped the lineup would be strong enough in other places. At some levels, the injuries put us on our heels a little bit. We certainly didn’t calculate into our plans a low runs-per-game as we have now or a low on-base percentage or low home run totals.” On whether the Giants will sell at the trade deadline: “We are going to be strategic. Our mind- set is not to get too far ahead of ourselves. We’re in May. We’re not looking at the trade deadline right now. We’re evaluating trade opportunities that will improve our club. That’s our focus. Our focus right now is to look toward improving this club and try to get us back to position where we’re competing in our division, which we’re not right now.” On whether the coaching staff is being evaluated: “We’re very fortunate we’ve got a coaching staff that’s led us to three championships. Everybody understands this is a performance-based business. That includes all of us. We’re ultimately accountable for how our club performs. We all know that. Again, our attention right now is not on anything other than to right the ship and getting back to playing better baseball.” On the fans’ frustrations: “Fans have a right to be upset. They’re not alone. The front office is upset. The players are upset.”

San Francisco Chronicle Giants place Mark Melancon on DL John Shea

NEW YORK — The Giants will be without their biggest offseason investment for an unspecified amount of time.

Moments before Tuesday night’s game at Citi Field, the Giants placed closer Mark Melancon on the 10-day disabled list with what the team called a mild right pronator strain.

The Giants said a corresponding roster move will be made Wednesday.

In the wake of last season’s bullpen struggles, which were amplified in the Division Series, the Giants signed Melancon to a four-year, $62 million contract in December.

Melancon has a 2.53 ERA in 11 outings and blew two of eight save opportunities. Opponents are hitting .302 (13-for-43) against him, and right-handed hitters are at .409 (9-for-22).

The injury to Melancon, in the forearm/elbow area, is the first in his career that landed him on the major-league DL. The Giants haven’t revealed the extent of the injury or how long he’ll be sidelined. Derek Law and Hunter Strickland are likely candidates to replace Melancon as closer.

Melancon last pitched Wednesday in Los Angeles, the Giants’ last victory. He’s eligible to be activated May 16.

San Jose Mercury News Giants GM Bobby Evans: “Fans have a right to be upsetr” Andrew Baggarly

NEW YORK – For the first time in 26 years, the Giants own the worst record in the major leagues beyond May 1.

So much happened in that quarter-century: Barry Bonds transformed his home into a baseball town, the wrecking ball wiped out Candlestick Park, Tim Lincecum irrepressibly exploded down the mound and the Giants hoisted three World Series trophies on the steps of City Hall.

They transformed themselves from an afterthought in an empty ballpark, with designs on moving to Florida’s Gulf Coast, to one of Major League Baseball’s jewel franchises and a ballpark experience in China Basin that is second to none.

Perhaps that is why this spring’s pratfall down the stairs is leaving especially florid bruises. It isn’t the failure as much as the expectations. The Giants expected to spend another summer in contention, yet they are buried with an 11-23 record after another sloppy performance in a 6-1 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field Tuesday night.

They were two-hit by their own former first-round pick, right-hander Zack Wheeler, and the Mets bullpen.

Oh, and in case you were doubting, it absolutely can get worse. Just prior to the first pitch, the Giants placed closer Mark Melancon on the 10-day disabled list with what they described as a mild pronator strain – a muscle on the side of the forearm near the elbow.

While the closer is hardly the most important piece on a last-place team, Melancon was the Giants’ signature acquisition this winter. The club gave him $62 million over four years to address a major failure in the ninth inning.

Now it’s fair to wonder how many other budding failures should have been addressed.

“Fans have a right to be upset,” Giants General Manager Bobby Evans said during batting practice Tuesday. “They’re not alone. The front office is upset. The players are upset.”

Where to point the blame? Not even Antonio Alfonseca has enough fingers for that. They entered Tuesday with the worst run differential (minus-64) in the major leagues. Their 4.79 ERA was the third highest in the majors. Their 3.27 runs per game was the lowest in the National League.

Madison Bumgarner separated his shoulder April 20, and while his questionable decision to zip around Colorado on a dirt bike might turn out to be a franchise-altering incident, the Giants’ problems clearly predated it. They had lost all four of Bumgarner’s starts before he wiped out.

Evans spoke of taking one game at a time and “righting the ship.” But what if the hull has splintered?

And where, in hindsight, did the front office miscalculate what they had?

“On any given night, there could be any number of things,” Evans said. “I think we’ve all seen much more inconsistency out of our starters than in the past. We went into the offseason expecting we would be able to pitch deeper in games with our rotation and use key guys in the seventh and eighth to get us into the ninth. We’ve had to use our bullpen a lot earlier in the game which is taxing and exposes a part of our ‘pen that’s not at its best.

“You don’t expect to be at the bottom of the league in runs scored per game. That’s a very bad stat and a very big disappointment, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be how we finish. We have to find a way to improve that. It’s one of the reasons you reward a (Christian) Arroyo who’s played well in Triple-A, to give him an opportunity to come up here.”

The defense has gone soft on this road trip as well, and the impending return of Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford from a strained groin should mark an immediate improvement. Crawford was 3 for 5 while playing seven innings for Double-A Richmond on Tuesday, and should be back within a day or two.

But the injuries in left field forced the team to move people out of position and weaken their defense at multiple spots. Infielder Eduardo Nuñez started in left field Tuesday and misplayed a sinking liner into a triple that contributed to a four-run first inning against Jeff Samardzija (who had one of the Giants’ two hits, by the way.)

Brandon Belt also has shifted to left field, although his biggest issue is an inability to hit fastballs down the pipe. He won’t continue to draw walks if pitchers are unafraid to challenge him. At least Buster Posey appears to be making authoritative contact again. When he hit a home run in the fourth inning, it marked the first time in almost two years (July 2-3, 2015) that he has homered in consecutive games.

Evans is most open to criticism about not acquiring an everyday left fielder, instead relying on the cream to rise to the top in a competition between Jarrett Parker, who broke his collarbone after nine games, and Mac Williamson, who didn’t make it out of spring training because of a strained quadriceps.

Answering that criticism, Evans said he didn’t expect the left fielders to carry the lineup. The bigger misevaluation: the rest of lineup would be hardy enough to hold its own.

“Those injuries on some level unraveled what we hoped would be a growth opportunity for both,” Evans said. “We weren’t expecting to build a lineup that would be very reliant on left field. We were hoping our lineup would be strong enough in other places with veterans in those positions to carry a player who’s younger so he could build his resume and contribute.

“The injuries did put us back on our heels a little bit. We certainly didn’t calculate into our plans a (league worst) runs per game. We didn’t calculate our on-base percentage would be as low as it is, our home runs would be as low as they are. There’s no denying those were concerns that every club has to a certain extent every year, but we anticipated better.”

What now? Evans mentioned leaning on the Giants’ accomplished core and trusting that players like Posey, Crawford, Belt, Joe Panik, Hunter Pence and Denard Span, once healthy, would perform nearer to their career norms.

Evans also lauded Bruce Bochy’s coaching staff, although he dropped the standard disclaimer that this is a performance-based business, “and that includes all of us. We’re all accountable for how this club performs.”

But Evans hinted that more changes could be coming. Arroyo is already here. Ryder Jones is playing left field at Triple-A Sacramento and might be here soon. Austin Slater is getting time in center field. At Double-A Richmond, Chris Shaw has moved from first base to left field. Williamson hit a 420-foot home run Tuesday for Sacramento and also went deep Monday.

This is not the kind of roster that can be purged at midseason, or stripped down at the July 31 trade deadline. That doesn’t mean the Giants will refuse to be in sell mode, though – even if Evans had a roundabout way of saying as much.

“It doesn’t necessarily negate the potential to make moves at the deadline that may weaken you in the current year,” he said. “But that’s not our mentality.”

What is their current mentality? Bochy held a meeting with selected players prior to Monday night’s game, which resulted in a better and cleaner effort in a walk-off loss.

“You know what? (The mood) is actually pretty good,” Bochy said. “You can see the fight in them. You feel it in the dugout.”

That is what a major league manager must say. To state otherwise would be a personal indictment.

So let’s stick to those things that can be measured objectively. Like 11 victories in 34 games.

“It’s hard to overlook the record right now,” Evans said. “You can’t overlook it. It stares at us every day. But the mentality the guys have to have is to focus on today’s game, and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.”

—

Denard Span is scheduled to remain with Single-A San Jose for at least three games as he works his way back from a sprained right shoulder. Span, who reported to the club on Tuesday, was scheduled to play seven innings on Wednesday and nine innings on Thursday.

San Jose Mercury News Giants Notes Andrew Baggarly

NEW YORK – With the worst record in the major leagues, the Giants have had little need for a closer. And now they are losing theirs to the disabled list.

They placed right-hander Mark Melancon on the 10-day DL Tuesday with what they described as a mild pronator strain near the right elbow.

It might sound worse than it is. The pronator and flexor are muscles on the side of the forearm. Melancon is dealing with tendonitis, more or less. And he expects to be ready when eligible to be activated May 16.

“I’ve never been on the DL and it’s been a goal of mine, a career goal, to (avoid) that,” Melancon said. “But I’m at a crossroads with the way we’re playing now. If I’m not at full strength, I could end up hurting ourselves more.”

Derek Law is likely to head a closer-by-committee until Melancon returns, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. For now, the Giants would simply be glad to get a lead to protect in the ninth inning. As indispensable as a closer would have been last year, this season it’s a gaudy hood ornament on a junker.

Melancon, 32, said he began feeling elbow discomfort in the spring and tried to pace himself through it, but the inflammation was getting progressively worse even as the Giants struggled to provide save chances for him.

He said he couldn’t remember whether the elbow began to flare up before or after he appeared for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic in March but didn’t blame his participation, saying, “I mean, I think I threw five pitches in the WBC.”

Melancon had an MRI over the weekend in Cincinnati that showed inflammation and wanted to continue trying to pitch through it, but the elbow heated up again when he tried to get loose in the bullpen at Citi Field on Monday.

The Giants can backdate his DL stint to May 3, so he would end up missing only a week. He said the way the DL rules are set up now, he would be selfish not to take advantage of them.

“I’d be leaving this bullpen a half-man short,” Melancon said. “I feel this team is going to turn it around. Once we do that, I want to make sure all cylinders are clicking.”

Although the prognosis is optimistic, Melancon’s ailing elbow is another troubling and symbolic

10 gut punch for a team that has baseball’s worst record at 11-23. Melancon was the Giants’ signature acquisition this past winter, as they sought to address a bullpen that blew a franchise- record 32 save chances last season. Considered one of the most bankable relievers in the game, Melancon’s four-year, $62 million deal set a record for a reliever before Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen topped it.

Melancon, 32, had Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his right elbow ligament in 2010 while in the Yankees minor league system. Until now, he had not been on the disabled list in his major league career.

Melancon, a three-time All-Star, hasn’t looked right for most of the season. He is 6 for 8 in save chances and faced more traffic than usual, allowing 13 hits in 10 2/3 innings.

—

The club did not announce a corresponding move for Melancon and played a pitcher short in Tuesday night’s 6-1 loss to the New York Mets.

Not that it mattered. They managed just two hits, and one came from starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija.

“I can’t explain why we’re not hitting,” Bochy said. “I know you can’t force it. I know that. You stay behind them and hope they come out of this. But we’ve been sputtering for awhile.”

—

Shortstop Brandon Crawford was 3 for 5 and played seven innings at shortstop in a second rehab game for Double-A Richmond on Tuesday. He will rejoin the Giants on Wednesday, but Bochy said no decision has been made whether to activate him.

Rather than rush Crawford to travel to New York and be ready to play Wednesday’s day game, the club could decide to call up a pitcher for 24 hours, instead. Right-hander Reyes Moronta is the only pitcher on the 40-man roster who is nearby at Richmond; he’s a hard thrower who is holding batters to a .175 average while serving as the Flying Squirrels’ closer.

Then again, considering that Crawford played seven innings and outhit the Giants 3-2, maybe they’d rather have his bat available – off the bench, if not in the lineup.

—

It has been hard to watch Eduardo Nuñez, who didn’t look good at shortstop and hasn’t played a dependable left field. He misplayed a ball into a triple in the first inning, which contributed to

11 a four-run rally that is more or less a capital offense given the Giants’ hitting woes.

Bochy commended Nuñez for agreeing to help the team in left field. He’s in a contract year, and is probably doing himself no favors by doing as the team asks.

“Nuñez hasn’t played a lot of left field,” Bochy said. “He’s trying.”

If Crawford is back at short, and Christian Arroyo remains the everyday third baseman, then Nuñez will have to improve in left field if he wants to continue getting regular at-bats.

MLB.com Four-run first inning sinks Samardzija, Giants Anthony DiComo and Chris Haft

NEW YORK -- More than anything, the Mets spent Tuesday trying to move beyond the Matt Harvey-fueled drama of the past few days. They wanted to shift their focus back to baseball. And the best way to do so, they knew, was to continue their recent winning ways.

With that as their mission, the Mets shot out to an early lead at Citi Field and never looked back in a 6-1 win over the Giants. Zack Wheeler pitched six effective innings against his old organization, Neil Walker hit a two-run triple and Michael Conforto homered, allowing the Mets to breeze to their eighth victory in 11 games.

"There's been a lot of action around here," manager Terry Collins said. "To jump out to a big start like that I think kind of let everybody have a deep breath and really just concentrate on the game." Most of the damage came against Giants starter Jeff Samardzija , who struck out nine in seven innings but allowed six runs on 10 hits. The Giants, who have lost five straight, clawed back on a Buster Posey solo homer in the fourth inning, but could not muster much else off Wheeler and a stout New York bullpen. Last in the National League in runs scored, the Giants collected merely two hits: Posey's homer and Samardzija's third-inning single.

"I can't explain why we're not hitting," manager Bruce Bochy said. "You can't force it. You keep thinking we're going to come out of it."

The win boosted the Mets back to .500 for the first time since they were 8-8 on April 20.

"To get to the end goal, we had to get back to .500," Collins said. "We've got a lot of pieces that are missing. For these guys to continue to do what they do, it seems like year after year … that's why they're so much fun to be around. They just come out and play." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Four-run first: The Mets have made a habit of scoring in the first inning lately, plating at least one run in eight of their last nine games. They broke out for four in the first inning Tuesday, attacking Samardzija with five hits in a six-batter span. The biggest blow came when Giants left fielder Eduardo Nunez misplayed Walker's hit into a triple, allowing two runs to score. Jose Reyes and Rene Rivera then capped the inning with consecutive two-out RBI hits.

"With the way we're hitting," Bochy said, "it's hard to give up four in the first inning." DRAFT DAY REVISITED The Giants' first-round Draft pick in 2008, Posey (fifth overall), homered off the club's first- round pick in 2009, Wheeler (sixth overall), in the fourth inning to cut the Mets' margin to 5-1. Due in part to Wheeler's two-year absence recovering from Tommy John surgery, the two have rarely met since the Giants traded Wheeler to the Mets for Carlos Beltran in July 2011. But Wheeler had gotten the better of Posey until Tuesday's homer, holding him hitless in seven prior at-bats.

"By far," Wheeler said when asked if Tuesday's game was the best he's felt all season. "I still would like to go at least seven [innings], but I felt more comfortable out there today." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The game was Collins' 1,004th as Mets manager, moving him into sole possession of second place on the franchise's all-time list. Only Davey Johnson (1,012) has managed more Mets games; Collins is in line to pass him on the team's next homestand. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Giants challenged a fourth-inning ruling in which Hunter Pence was declared out at first base. A replay review determined that the call on the field stands. WHAT'S NEXT Giants: San Francisco will conclude both the series and its three-city, nine-game sojourn with Wednesday's 10:10 a.m. PT matinee against the Mets. Matt Cain , the Giants' scheduled starter, wants to prove that he's the pitcher who allowed three runs in a recent four-start span, not the

13 one who yielded a career-high-tying nine runs in 3 1/3 innings last Friday in Cincinnati. Mets: Tommy Milone , whom the Mets claimed off waivers last weekend, will make his debut in the Mets' 1:10 p.m. ET series finale against the Giants. The veteran left-hander owned a 6.43 ERA with the Brewers and was 1-0 with a 5.14 mark in three starts.

MLB.com Giants place Melancon on DL Chris Haft

NEW YORK -- The Giants' list of woes lengthened significantly Tuesday when they announced they had placed closer Mark Melancon on the 10-day disabled list with a mild right pronator strain.

Giants general manager Bobby Evans said Melancon's DL assignment was retroactive to Saturday. The right-hander will be eligible for activation May 16, and he expects to be ready when that time comes. The pronator is a forearm muscle that helps flex the elbow. Full Game Coverage Giants manager Bruce Bochy said right-hander Derek Law and left-handers Steven Okert and Josh Osich will handle closing chores in Melancon's absence.

Melancon, who went on the disabled list for the first time in his eight-year Major League career, said he began feeling discomfort during the mid- to late-Spring Training timeframe. "It was one of those things that [wasn't] bad enough to do anything but treat on a daily basis," Melancon said after the Giants' 6-1 loss to the Mets, San Francisco's eighth setback in 10 games.

The discomfort finally became impossible for Melancon to control or ignore last week.

"If I'm not at full strength, I could end up hurting us more," Melancon said. "And I'm leaving the bullpen a man short, or half a man short, if I continue to go like this."

Melancon made his most recent appearance last Wednesday at Los Angeles, where he recorded his sixth save in eight chances. He then underwent an MRI in Cincinnati last weekend,

14 when inflammation was discovered.

Nothing seemed unusual about Melancon's recent inactivity. As the Giants' closer, Melancon usually pitched when the Giants needed to protect a lead. And, with San Francisco slumping toward the worst record in the Major Leagues, Melancon had received relatively few save opportunities. In 11 appearances, he was 0-1 with a 2.53 ERA, 10 strikeouts and one walk in 10 2/3 innings.

In retrospect, there were two ominous signs about Melancon's well-being: Opponents were batting .302 off him, and Bochy did not use him in a save situation at Los Angeles on May 1. Bochy explained he wanted the 32-year-old to avoid exhaustion, since he had appeared in four of the previous five games.

In what was then regarded a coup in the free-agent market, the Giants signed Melancon last December to a four-year, $62 million contract. The three-time All-Star amassed 98 saves in 2015-16.

A corresponding roster move to fill Melancon's spot on the active roster will be announced Wednesday. Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie (@FredZinkieMLB) Although Melancon has disappointed to some degree this season (2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) after recording a 1.93 ERA, a 0.90 WHIP and 131 saves from 2014-16, he should be retained in all leagues given his track record. Melancon owners who need a saves source should immediately look at new Tigers closer Justin Wilson (1.32 ERA, 0.59 WHIP in '17) while also checking on the availability of a more established stopper like Brandon Maurer or Brandon Kintzler . The Giants' Derek Law (career 2.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) may also be a useful addition, as he is expected to see the bulk of the save chances with Melancon out.

MLB.com Cain hoping to rebound against Mets Chris Haft

To avoid being on the losing end of their second three-game series sweep in a row, the San Francisco Giants will depend on Matt Cain to regain the form he displayed before his last start.

Cain allowed a career-high-tying nine runs on 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings last Friday at Cincinnati. In four starts before that one, he posted a 1.17 ERA. Full Game Coverage

"More than anything, he did a great job of pitching, staying away from the middle of the plate," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Mets will counter with left-hander Tommy Milone, who defeated the Giants in his lone career appearance against them on May 29, 2013. Then pitching for Oakland, Milone allowed four runs in five innings, which sufficed as the A's prevailed, 9-6. Things to know about this game

• The Mets will be going for their first three-game sweep of the Giants at home since July 8-10, 2013.

• New York has homered in 23 of its 32 games this season and broke a three-game homerless streak Tuesday with Michael Conforto's long ball. Coincidentally, Conforto's double and home run Tuesday both had an exit velocity of 108.7 mph. That gave the Mets' leadoff man his 10th career game with multiple batted balls hit 105 mph or harder, and his first of 2017. The last time he did it was last June 16 against the Pirates.

• Lifetime, Cain is 6-6 with a 3.61 ERA against the Mets.

CSNbayarea.com Melamcon goes on DL for first time, but expects to be back soon Alex Pavlovic

NEW YORK — Mark Melancon was never put on the DL in his first eight seasons in the big leagues. He was disappointed when it finally happened Tuesday, and not just because he’s less than two months into a four-year deal that was the marquee signing of the Giants’ offseason.

Melancon had hoped to pitch through inflammation in his right pronator, a muscle on the inside of the forearm. The Giants opted to be careful, and minutes before Tuesday’s game they shelved their new closer with a mild strain.

Melancon said he expects to be back when eligible May 16, or shortly thereafter.

“It’s a mild strain and we can back-date it three days, so that helps,” he said. “I expect to be back as soon as possible.”

Melancon said the irritation has been there since the spring, but he was quick to point out that his participation in the World Baseball Classic’s final round had nothing to do with it.

“I think I threw five pitches in the WBC and then got yanked,” he said, smiling.

The Giants ordered an MRI when they were in Cincinnati, but Melancon hoped to contribute against the Mets. When he felt more irritation while warming up Monday, the team made the call.

“He’s felt it on and off the last couple of weeks,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “We made this call to put him on the DL so it’s not nagging him all year.”

The Giants did not make a roster move, and Bochy said it wasn’t a lock that Brandon Crawford will take the spot when he returns Wednesday. If the Giants opt to add another arm for the series finale, Reyes Moronta might be a surprise choice. The right-hander is the only pitcher at Double-A Richmond who is on the 40-man roster.

Bochy said it’ll be closer-by-committee while Melancon is out, with Derek Law being the head guy. You can also probably expect some Steven Okert if lefties are coming up in the ninth.

--- Of course, needing a closer means you have the lead. The Giants lost 6-1 on Tuesday, and they were never really all that competitive. Jeff Samardzija fell behind early and then ended up with one of just two hits from the Giants. The other was a solo homer by Buster Posey.

“I can’t explain why we’re not hitting,” Bochy said. “These things are hard to explain. You can’t

17 force it. You keep thinking we’re going to come out of it, but it’s been a while.”

--- A word about Eduardo Nuñez: It’s probably easy to place blame after the way that first inning went, but the blame should really be placed on the left field plan, not the player. Nuñez is an infielder, and the reports coming into the season indicated that he was shaky in the outfield. He’s willing to play out of position to try and help the team, but it’s not working. Somehow, the Giants need to find a way to put real outfielders in the outfield. They’re not scoring enough runs to give a hit or two away every night.

--- Crawford had a good night, collecting three hits and playing seven innings at Double-A. He will be at Citi Field on Tuesday but Bochy made it sound like Crawford might not be activated right away. He’s traveling tomorrow and then taking a long flight home with the team. Starting the final game of the trip is probably not in the cards.

NEW YORK — Buster Posey hit a soaring home run for the second straight day, and by the end of Monday’s game, he was sitting on a .362/.439/.532 slash line.

That just about does it for the positives.

Playing just a few minutes after they put their closer, the significant acquisition of the offseason, on the disabled list, the Giants once again came out flat. They gave up five early runs to the Mets and lost 6-1, falling for the fifth consecutive day. With one game left before the flight home, they sit at 2-6 on the trip and 11-23 overall.

Given the lack of offense on most nights, this one was pretty much over in the first. Jeff Samardzija gave up five hits and four runs, although the back-breaker wasn’t his fault. With two on, Neil Walker hit a liner to left that Eduardo Nuñez whiffed on. It went for a two-run triple instead of an out, and two hits later in the inning would tack on.

The Giants did nothing against Zack Wheeler, their former top prospect who was shipped to New York six years ago in the Carlos Beltran deal. Wheeler, 26, allowed just two hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out four.

Starting pitching report: Samardzija settled in after the first, but the damage was done. His line: 7 innings, 10 hits, 6 earned runs, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts.

Bullpen report: Mark Melancon was put on the DL just before first pitch with a right pronator strain. More to come.

At the plate: Posey has homers in back-to-back games for the first time since the first week of

July in 2015.

In the field: Nuñez had been worth negative-two Defensive Runs Saved in left field this season coming into the game. It’s here that we’ll note that Mac Williamson has homered for Triple-A Sacramento on back-to-back days.

Attendance: Citi Field was about a quarter full. The locals aren’t exactly thrilled with a team that entered the week with a losing record and an ace on the back pages of the tabloids.

Up next: Matt Cain will try to turn back into April Matt Cain. He’ll face Rafael Montero, who has a 10.45 ERA.

CSNbayarea.com Instant Replay Alex Pavlovic

NEW YORK — Buster Posey hit a soaring home run for the second straight day, and by the end of Monday’s game, he was sitting on a .362/.439/.532 slash line.

That just about does it for the positives.

Starting pitching report: Samardzija settled in after the first, but the damage was done. His line: 7 innings, 10 hits, 6 earned runs, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts.

Bullpen report: Mark Melancon was put on the DL just before first pitch with a right pronator strain. More to come.

At the plate: Posey has homers in back-to-back games for the first time since the first week of July in 2015.

Attendance: Citi Field was about a quarter full. The locals aren’t exactly thrilled with a team that entered the week with a losing record and an ace on the back pages of the tabloids.

Up next: Matt Cain will try to turn back into April Matt Cain. He’ll face Rafael Montero, who has a 10.45 ERA.

Foxsports.com Why this summer’s trade market could be even more intriguing than usual Ken Rosenthal

So, what if the Blue Jays, Rangers and Giants really do stink and end up sellers at the non- waiver deadline?

A buyer’s market could emerge, one that could even include some of the rebuilding clubs as sneaky players.

The Braves already plan to act as buyers and sellers, and the Reds also would consider adding controllable pieces, according to major-league sources.

The Phillies, Brewers, Twins and Padres conceivably might take similar approaches, but an executive from one of those clubs says that July is not the best time for such teams to make significant upgrades.

“The July market tends to be more emotional than the offseason market,” the exec said. “So, it seems unlikely that an out-of-contention team would be the most motivated to swing a trade like that. Not impossible, but unlikely.”

Obviously, the performances of each club will help determine their strategies. The Reds, for example, probably would be more compelled to act if they remained in contention – unlikely, considering their 5.29 rotation ERA is the highest in the majors.

In any case, this will be a different market, if only because of the new rules regarding draft-pick compensation for free agents who reject qualifying offers and sign with new clubs.

Unlike in the past, only a revenue-sharing recipient will receive a pick immediately following the first round for such a player – and only if the free agent signs a contract for a total guarantee of $50 million or more.

All other circumstances will yield lower picks, reducing the incentive for teams that are out of contention to carry players to free agency; the better returns would come in trades.

The non-waiver deadline is nearly three months away. Teams will not get serious about trades until after the amateur draft, which runs from June 12 to 14. But things will be interesting. Things always are interesting.

The dynamics are different every year.

Well, yeah, but offensive regression seems inevitable.

The Yankees rank first in the American League with a .317 batting average on balls in play; the major-league average is .292. Starlin Castro (.400 BABIP), Matt Holliday (.345) and Chase Headley (.342) are hitting into particularly good luck, while Aaron Judge, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner also are a good bit above the league average.

Judge’s average exit velocity, which ranks fourth in the majors, helps produce a high BABIP, but as one rival exec puts it, “Every Yankee right now looks like his best self.”

I wouldn’t go that far – we’ve yet to see the best of Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius, both of whom missed significant time with injuries. But only six teams have outperformed their weighted on-base average to a greater extent than the Yankees, according to exit velocity/launch angle data on Statcast.

One also could argue that the Yankees’ rotation also is bound to regress, whether through injury, inconsistency or both. The team boasts numerous alternatives at Double-A and Triple-A, but Jordan Montgomery likely will face an innings restriction of some kind.

A trade for another starter almost certainly will be a consideration if the Yankees remain in contention.

HERE COME … THE MARINERS?

The Mariners, who have gone 13-9 since opening the season 2-8, might actually be in position to challenge the Astros once four significant players return from injuries.

Reliever Steve Cishek could be back this weekend, while right-hander Felix Hernandez, left- hander James Paxton and right fielder Mitch Haniger could return on the next homestand, which runs from May 15 to 21, general manager Jerry Dipoto said.

That’s the most optimistic scenario, assuming no setbacks. But the Mariners, despite their multitude of injuries, rank third in the AL in runs per game and fourth in rotation ERA. Their bullpen numbers are far less attractive, but part of that is due to poor performances by journeymen and youngsters who were pressed into unexpected duty.

The M’s, believe it or not, already have used 12 rookies, matching the Reds for the most in the majors. Two others, closer Edwin Diaz and left-hander Ariel Miranda, have less than one year of service.

“That is why I always refuted the idea that we had blown up the farm system,” said Dipoto, who made 13 trades involving 36 players during the offseason. “What we did is take the lower levels and turn it into the upper levels. Right now, it’s really benefiting us.”

Still, the Mariners’ start has been jarring, to say the least. In addition to the injuries, they’ve demoted two Opening Day starters, center fielder Leonys Martin and catcher Mike Zunino, and gone from Danny Valencia to Dan Vogelbach back to Valencia at first base.

Can the Mariners threaten the Astros?

I’ll believe it when I see it, but it’s not out of the question that the M’s will turn their season around.

Dipoto, while highly complimentary of the Astros, said, “If you lined up all the worst-case scenarios for us, they all hit … this guy’s hurt, that guy’s hurt, this guy under-performed.

“For the Astros, the opposite happened. They got the Cy Young version of Dallas Keuchel. Lance McCullers is really good. Their bullpen is terrific,” Dipoto continued, overlooking the Astros’ one significant injury, to righty Collin McHugh. “If their pitching is as good as we think it is – and I think it is excellent, particularly once they get into the middle of the game and can launch (Chris) Devenski and shorten the game up – it is particularly ominous.

“We’ve also seen Cleveland – they’ve got that dynamic bullpen. Those two teams are exceptional, we understand they are that good. But we can’t focus on anybody else in the situation we’re in. We’ve got to play day by day and hopefully hold our ground while these guys heal up. So far, we’ve been able to do that.”

THE DIFFERENCE WITH THE CUBS …

A team’s record in one-run games is not necessarily a reflection of its overall strength; most executives believe that luck plays a significant role in one-run decisions, with outcomes often dictated by a pitch here or a hit there.

A better measure of a team’s quality is how often it blows out an opponent, which brings us to the 2017 Cubs, who are 16-15 after 31 games as opposed to 25-6 a year ago.

The Cubs last season were an astonishing 42-13 in games decided by five or more runs. They finished the season with a run differential of plus-252, the highest in the majors since the 2001 Mariners were plus-300.

This season? Different story so far.

The Cubs’ run differential is only plus-10, and they’re 3-3 in games decided by five or more runs. The improvement of the Reds and Brewers also is tightening the NL Central. The Cubs, after going 50-25 against the Central last season, are 10-8 within the division thus far.

LET’S DREAM ABOUT THE REDS …

After all, it might be the last chance we get.

Seriously, what happens if this team patches together a rotation? It’s not out of the question – left-hander Brandon Finnegan and right-hander Homer Bailey could return in late June, righty Anthony DeSclafani in July.

The Reds, second in the NL only to the Nationals in runs per game, are proving they can hit, even though first baseman Joey Votto is their only regular with a lengthy track record.

Their bullpen – thanks to the dominance of righty Raisel Iglesias, emergence of lefty Wandy Peralta and creative usage by manager Bryan Price, among other reasons – has gone from the worst in the game to, at least thus far, one of the best in the NL.

Perhaps the most interesting development, though, is the performance of the Reds’ defense.

The Reds actually were quite good defensively last season, ranking seventh in the majors in converting balls in play into outs. This year, though, they are first, with shortstop Zack Cozart and third baseman Eugenio Suarez ranking among the leaders at their positions in defensive runs saved. (Suarez currently rates as the top third baseman, and second only to Cubs shortstop Addison Russell among all infielders).

Cozart, earning $5.325 million in his walk year, remains a prime candidate to be traded no matter where the Reds are in the standings. Second baseman Jose Peraza can move to short, enabling the Reds to promote second baseman Dilson Herrera from Triple-A.

AROUND THE HORN

*Infield defense remains a concern for the Diamondbacks, who rank 24th in the majors in converting balls in play into outs. Second baseman Brandon Drury, shortstop Chris Owings and third baseman Jake Lamb all rate as negatives in defensive runs saved.

All of those players, though, are 26-and-under, so it’s not as if improvement is out of the question. Drury, in particular, is relatively new to his position, and one club official compares his intensity and work ethic to that of an NHL captain.

Nick Ahmed is Gold Glove-caliber when he starts at short (he actually has played more innings at the position than Owings, who also has filled in at second while producing an .833 OPS). And Ketel Marte, who is playing well at Triple-A, could enter the middle-infield equation at some point this season.

*Good to see Rays shortstop Tim Beckham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft, finally gain some traction in the majors while replacing the injured Matt Duffy.

Beckham’s on-base percentage is just .284, but his OPS is .766 in part due to his six home runs. He also has rated as a plus defensively.

Duffy is expected to return from left-heel surgery in late May. He almost certainly will not be ready to assume a full load immediately, and Beckham’s versatility should help him get continued playing time – he can play all four infield positions and left field.

*Cody Bellinger has electrified the Dodgers with his power and athleticism, raising questions about where he will play once first baseman Adrian Gonzalez returns from right elbow soreness – good questions for the club, obviously.

Right fielder Yasiel Puig remains his usual intriguing self – excellent defensively, inconsistent offensively. Puig’s groundball percentage is the highest of his career, and he has grounded into a major-league high 11 double plays.

ESPN.com One speech won't fix everyone's opinion of Matt Harvey Jerry Crasnick

NEW YORK -- Matt Harvey delivered two apologies Tuesday at Citi Field. The first came in a somber and attentive New York Mets clubhouse, where he stood before his teammates and took full responsibility for his recent actions. By all accounts, Harvey’s message went over well because it seemed so heartfelt in delivery and tone. Shortly thereafter, Harvey took a seat at the front of the media room and broadened the scope of his contrition. He apologized to the Wilpon family, the Mets organization and all the fans who weren’t thrilled by the news that he spent Friday night clubbing and Saturday at the golf course when he should have been preparing for his next start.

The Mets slapped Harvey with a three-game suspension in response, and he’ll begin the process of digging his way out of this self-inflicted mess when he takes the mound Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. "I understand everybody's anger and the organization doing what they did," Harvey said. "I completely understand. It's me who takes full blame for that, and it is me who needs to fix it and make sure it never happens again."

Based on the initial reaction, Harvey bought himself some time and goodwill with his coworkers. The New York media -- and, by extension, a skeptical Mets fan base -- might be a harder sell.

The 162-game grind beats a sense of resignation and practicality into big leaguers, so the Mets have no choice but to swallow hard and forget. Even teammates who strongly disapprove of Harvey’s antics know they’re going to need him if the Mets plan to be a factor in the National League East race this season. Noah Syndergaard is down with a lat injury, and Yoenis Cespedes has hamstring issues, so Harvey’s teammates can’t afford to play behavior police in the coming weeks and months. "There are rules, and when the rules are broken, there are going to be consequences paid," outfielder Jay Bruce said. "But there are no grudges and no lasting effects. We have to move forward. We can’t dwell on anything that happens in the past. That goes for performance or things like this that happen. You have to always move forward." It’s a different story outside the clubhouse. Columnists and beat writers are paid to keep score, and they recall how apologetic Harvey was in October 2015, when he missed a mandatory workout during the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. At the time, Harvey admitted that he "screwed up," and he vowed it would never happen again. He seemed sincere and contrite that time too.

Over the arc of a career, one unexplained absence can be written off as a lapse in judgment. Two suspicious absences -- even stretched over a three-year period -- are enough to give an athlete a reputation.

That dynamic helps explain why the tone at Harvey’s news conference hovered somewhere between skeptical and hostile. As several hands shot up, Harvey was asked why anyone should believe him now, when he made the same claims before and lapsed into the same quicksand.

Mets manager Terry Collins also faced some tough questions about the extent of Harvey’s off- the-field transgressions and whether they’re indicative of a bigger problem. Collins talked about the support system in place for Harvey within the organization, but he took a pass when asked if Harvey might have an alcohol problem.

The one thing everybody seems to agree on is that starting today, Harvey will be judged a lot more by what he does than by what he says. He has done that much damage to his credibility.

"I told Matt he needs to make baseball No. 1," Collins said. "When he did that before, he was on top of the world. This guy was the best pitcher in the game when he made that his priority. And when he makes it the priority again, he’ll be back. You’ve got to be able to put the blinders on and direct yourself down that path and say, ‘I’m not going to let any of that other stuff get in the way right now.’

"I wish I could tell you how many times somebody has said to me, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this.’ The answer I give them is, ‘Don’t tell me -- show me.’ That speaks more than anything else."

At age 28, Harvey isn’t the pitcher he was four years ago. He has been through Tommy John surgery and thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and his stuff isn’t as jaw-droppingly dominant as a result. Harvey took a step in the right direction when he showed up in better shape in spring training, but his first six starts produced some good days mixed with bad.

As Harvey tries to rehabilitate his public image, he’ll have to overcome the perception that he has taken too much for granted. The whole "Dark Knight of Gotham" celebrity pitcher routine made for some great headlines in 2013. But the Matt Harvey who shuttled from one apology to another Tuesday looked more like a confused kid trying to find his way than a staff ace and team leader.

For the foreseeable future, Harvey will attract more attention than usual with his performance on the mound. But he’ll also be judged by his dedication and commitment in the four days between his starts. Harvey has earned the scrutiny, and he’s going to have to live with it.