SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, March 13, 2018
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SF Giants Press Clips Tuesday, March 13, 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Giants, A’s feud in SF’s Cactus League win John Shea MESA, Ariz. — The A’s and Giants met for the first time in 2018 on Monday, a day that started on friendly terms but turned hostile. A’s manager Bob Melvin quipped in the morning that it was going to be odd see longtime A’s pitching coach Curt Young in a Giants uniform. “I was going to ask him if he’d at least wear white shoes today so it wouldn’t look that odd,” Melvin said of the Giants’ new pitching coach. Then came the game — and a lot of discord for a simple mid-March get-together. Franklin Barreto hit a fifth-inning, two-run homer off Giants reliever Sam Dyson, who followed up by brushing back A’s cleanup hitter Khris Davis, throwing high and tight. Davis didn’t appreciate it. Tempers flared, and words were exchanged, on the field and off. Giants catcher Nick Hundley barked toward the A’s dugout. Davis drew a walk and exited for a pinch-runner, and Dyson was pulled after being rocked for four runs. Friction still ensued. Roberto Gomez replaced Dyson and immediately hit A’s prospect Ramon Laureano on a hand. Laureano left the game and went for X-rays; the A’s said they will give a medical update Tuesday. In the eighth, the A’s appeared to retaliate when Daniel Gossett drilled Orlando Calixte on the 1 back, prompting umpire Mike DiMuro to issue warnings to both benches. Calixte stared at Gossett and was slow taking first base but was able to score on Jarrett Parker’s double. After crossing the plate, Calixte nearly crossed paths with Gossett, but the sizable Mac Williamson, the next hitter, got in the way and escorted his teammate toward the dugout. Giants manager Bruce Bochy wasn’t happy Calixte was hit over confrontations that didn’t involve him. “Here you’ve got one of the nicest kids, Calixte, taking one in the back in spring training. It’s not worth talking about,” Bochy said. Across the field, Melvin was asked about the rarity of an umpire warning both teams in a spring training game. “Sometimes boys will be boys,” Melvin said. “That’s the thing, you just never know the intent on either side. I don’t think anybody was hit on purpose.” A’s first baseman Matt Olson said the emotions on both sides weren’t surprising even for mid- March: “We’re out there playing the same game. When things flare up and something like that happens, it’s going to be the same as during the season.” Bochy defended Dyson, who has a 12.27 ERA, by saying, “He’s trying to find it. He’s been off. You look at him, he’s out of sync.” That hardly curbed the bad blood. Calixte’s run was the difference in a 6-5 Giants victory. The teams meet once more in Arizona — Saturday in Scottsdale — and three times in the Bay Area before the season opens. San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ Ty Blach, Chris Stratton solidifying final 2 rotation spots Henry Schulman MESA, Ariz. — When the Giants made their first cuts Monday, rotation prospects Andrew Suarez and Tyler Beede dodged the reaper. They remain in camp, still in the hunt for jobs. Their odds, though, are longer than they were at the beginning of spring because the two starters who essentially had jobs to lose have done a great job protecting them. Ty Blach has looked like the solid starter who replaced an injured Madison Bumgarner in April, allowing four earned runs over 121/3 Cactus League innings. Chris Stratton has been even better. Stratton held the A’s to a Stephen Piscotty solo homer over four innings in Monday’s 6-5 2 victory. Over 12 innings this spring, he has surrendered two runs. Together, Blach and Stratton have walked seven and struck out 23. “We were hoping these guys would come and pitch the way they did last year, and both are doing it,” manager Bruce Bochy said before suggesting he might be ready to announce the full rotation in a week. Stratton had no command of his signature curveball, which made Monday’s effort more impressive. He compensated with a slider that catcher Nick Hundley encouraged him to throw. The cuts: Thirteen players were optioned or reassigned to minor-league camp, with no real surprises. The most familiar name was left-handed reliever Steven Okert, who pitched well in his few outings but sits behind Tony Watson and Josh Osich on the depth chart. Osich has not allowed a run in five outings and has drawn raves for his command and stuff. Other 40-man players optioned were pitchers Tyler Herb, Pierce Johnson, Chase Johnson, Reyes Moronta and D.J. Snelton, plus catcher Aramis Garcia and second baseman Miguel Gomez. Five nonroster players were assigned to minor-league camp: pitchers Tyler Cyr, Jose Flores, Dereck Rodriguez (son of Ivan) and Madison Younginer, plus infielder Alen Hanson. As Bochy promised, none of the 10 outfielders in camp was cut. Bochy said all, even prospects Steven Duggar and Chris Shaw, remain in contention for big-league jobs. Bullpen insurance? A reliever to remember for down the road: Manny Parra. The 35-year-old Sacramento-area native and former Milwaukee starter pitched a perfect ninth inning against the A's. The left-hander is attempting a long-shot comeback after not pitching in the majors since 2015. He toiled in independent ball last year after the Cubs released him. “The times he’s come over here, he’s thrown the ball well,” Bochy said. “He looks healthy.” Briefly: Bochy said Evan Longoria (ankle-heel stiffness) could return for Tuesday night’s game against the Cubs or Wednesday night against the Mariners. … Mark Melancon is scheduled to pitch Wednesday after two days off. The staff gave him three days off after his first appearances. MLB.com Stratton zeroing in on spot in rotation Alyson Footer MESA, Ariz. -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy did a valiant job of remaining vague on Monday 3 when pressed about specific candidates who might fill out his rotation come Opening Day. But, it's becoming increasingly obvious Chris Stratton may have already pitched his way into the rotation. Stratton's performance against the A's -- four-plus innings, one run, three strikeouts -- only helped fortify a sampling this spring that could justify awarding him with one of the available spots in the rotation. He arrived to Spring Training with a leg up, based somewhat on how he performed over 10 starts for the Giants last year. With a little more than two weeks remaining until Opening Day, he's done nothing to knock himself out of consideration. "You look at the body of work last year and what he's doing now, yeah, we think a lot of him," Bochy said. "We'll have this thing down, soon." The decision-making process won't be easy. The Giants are in a favorable position, in that the pitchers that they are considering for their rotation are mostly performing well. Lefty Ty Blach has a 2.92 ERA over four starts. Veteran non-roster lefty Derek Holland has allowed four runs (three earned) and nine strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. Lefty Andrew Suarez and right-hander Tyler Beede haven't performed as well, but are still in the mix. Still, it's fair to say no one auditioning for a job has outpitched the 27-year-old Stratton. Other than the solo homer he yielded to Stephen Piscotty in the second, Stratton had few issues against the A's on Monday. Cumulatively, he's allowed three runs over 12 innings this spring. He also has last year's numbers as backup. Stratton finished the 2017 season with a 3.68 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP and 51 strikeouts across 58 2/3 innings. "You're always coming in here to compete for a spot," Stratton said. "Even when it's your first camp. I give the same effort now that I would then." Stratton acknowledged that his rotation chances have increased since he first began his journey as a Giants up-and-comer, but he declined to speculate on where he may be in the pecking order of hopefuls. Instead, he rattled off the names of his teammates also vying for jobs and pointed out the competition was still very thick. "Just some of the guys in the mix, we can continue to compete and make each other better," he said. The rotation has three locks -- Opening Day starter Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija. Based on spring performances alone, a case could be made for three pitchers for the final two spots -- Blach, Stratton and Holland. Holland and Blach are also candidates for the bullpen. Also, the Giants have two off-days the first week of the season, which might prompt the club to go with four starters to begin the year. 4 "We still have a little bit of time here," Bochy said. "We'll have it down here in another week or so. We don't have to etch something in stone right now. But you have to like the way [Stratton] threw the ball. We have Blach, Holland, Suarez, Beede ... but Stratton's doing what he needs to do. He's pitching very well." MLB.com Duggar's hot bat hard for Giants to ignore Alyson Footer MESA, Ariz.