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Home , Andrew Baggarly, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Christian Arroyo, David McKay (baseball), Kelby Tomlinson

SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, April 26, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle Giants lose; Christian Arroyo gets 1st MLB hit off Henry Schulman

The that Christian Arroyo sent into left field for his first big-league hit surely will be placed in a display box, with a brass plate noting the date, inning, where the ball went and the who threw it.

Arroyo and his family would have cherished the shrine even if the pitcher’s name had been Heath Dinglefroom. How wonderful for them that it actually will read “Clayton Kershaw.”

Arroyo’s family was in the stands to see his first-inning hit against one of the greatest ever to take the mound. They stuck around to see another ho-hum Kershaw triumph at AT&T Park, a 2-1 Dodgers victory that — believe it or not — cost the Giants another player.

Brandon Crawford strained his right groin as he rounded first on an eighth-inning single that sent to third with two outs. Crawford left the game with no idea when he will return, before Kenley Jansen struck out pinch-hitter to end the Giants’ final threat.

“I’ve never had anything like that before, so I can’t tell you how bad it is,” Crawford said. “It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop. That’s good news from what I hear.”

Crawford was to miss the next three games on bereavement leave, anyway. Manager said he hoped Crawford could get an MRI exam before he leaves for Southern California on Wednesday morning, but Crawford did not think that would be possible.

He got hurt during the first of many turns that will miss after his dirt-bike crash. Replacement Ty Blach allowed two runs in five innings. He threw 75 pitches, 50 more than his season- high out of the bullpen.

The runs scored in the fourth, after Blach ran his career-opening shutout streak against L.A. to 14 innings.

The Dodgers tied the game 1-1 on ’s no-out single. The winning run scored on an Adrian Gonzalez grounder to Posey at first base. Posey looked Justin Turner back to third and threw to second to force Puig. Turner made a delayed dash home and Crawford fired a throw to Nick Hundley, who was not able to pluck the ball out of the dirt.

It would have been a “great ,” in Bochy’s words.

“It short-hopped him,” Crawford said. “It’s not an easy play with a ’s glove on, trying to make a tag and catch a ball in the dirt. I’d like to say I should have made a better throw, but I put all I had behind it.”

Once Kershaw got the lead, he sniffed his 19th career win against the Giants and dominated through the seventh.

Arroyo batted second in place of Belt, who sat with a career 3-for-51 against Kershaw, In his first at-bat, Arroyo attacked a first-pitch fastball and grounded it sharply through the hole.

Asked if that was how he envisioned his first hit, Arroyo said, “I didn’t think I’d get it off Kershaw. In the moment, I was ecstatic. Hopefully, there are many more where that came from and I look forward to competing against him again.”

Nobody gave Arroyo a Kershaw a scouting report. He watched video and remembered what he saw on “SportsCenter.” He said he went into “battle mode” after getting his first hit and was disappointed to strike out in the third with two runners on.

Blach did get a scouting report before he blasted a double to left-center to lead off the third inning, his third career hit in five at-bats against Kershaw.

The only pitcher with more hits against the Dodger, Bumgarner, approached Blach in the dugout and told him to look for something up and away because Blach had beaten him on an inside pitch the time before. That is exactly what Blach got.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ Eduardo Nuñez confesses to not hustling Henry Schulman

Madison Bumgarner was not the only Giant to ’fess up this week.

Eduardo Nuñez, now a super-utility player with Christian Arroyo’s arrival, said Tuesday that he was wrong for not running out some groundballs, one of which might have cost the Giants a chance to beat the Rockies.

Nuñez also said he is still somewhat uncomfortable playing left field, but he expects that feeling to improve and he was happy to step aside for Arroyo.

In the April 13 opener of a four-game home series against the Rockies, who were leading 2-0, Nuñez led off the fifth inning with a one-hopper to third baseman , who was playing in. Nuñez jogged out of the box as Arenado held the ball momentarily.

When Nuñez finally sped up, Arenado made a wide throw that Mark Reynolds had to dive to catch. An “out” call was sustained by replay, the Giants went down 1-2-3 and lost the game 2-1.

Nuñez also did not run out a grounder in Kansas City last week.

“No excuses. You have to run hard on every single ball,” Nuñez said.

Asked if the coaching staff talked to him about it, he said, “They don’t have to. I know what I’m supposed to do.”

Asked about moving from third base to left field, Nuñez said, “Whatever the team needs is the bottom line. The team is better with Arroyo. He’s a great player. ... I’m a little uncomfortable (in left). That’s normal. The more playing time I have, the more confidence I’ll feel. I have to make the plays.”

Crawford to be away: will begin an absence Wednesday so he can join his wife, Jalynne, for the viewing and funeral for her sister Jennifer in Southern California.

The Giants could have Crawford back for Friday’s game against San Diego if they don’t formally place him on leave, which must last three games. But they would not be allowed to replace him on the roster for Wednesday’s and Thursday’s games, and manager Bruce Bochy said the club needs another player because it already is short with hurt.

Perfection: Domenic Mazza, who was born in Walnut Creek and attended Clayton Valley High in Concord, threw an 85-pitch perfect game for the Giants’ low Augusta, Ga., team in a 9-0 win at Lexington, Ky., on Tuesday. It’s the first perfecto in South Atlantic League history.

Mazza, 22, now has something to be known for besides allowing an homer to Tim Tebow. Mazza was the Giants’ 22nd-round pick in 2015.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants confirm Bumgarner does not need surgery Henry Schulman

Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner will not require surgery on his separated left shoulder and will begin rehab work in four to five days, manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday.

“He’s going to start some light work,” Bochy said. “It’s going to be slow at first, nothing major. Things have calmed down a little. There’ll be no surgery or anything. We’re going to rehab this.”

Giants head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner said the medical staff continues to get other opinions and expects to divulge a firm diagnosis Wednesday.

On Friday, a day after Bumgarner crashed a dirt bike near Denver, the Giants said the left-hander bruised some ribs and incurred a Grade 1 or 2 sprain of the AC joint in his pitching shoulder. A sprained AC joint means the shoulder is separated. A Grade 1 sprain means the ligament is stretched. Grade 2 signifies a tear.

Although the Giants have not offered an official prognosis, they expect Bumgarner to miss at least two months.

Meanwhile, got good news.

Bochy said diagnostic tests on Cain’s right hamstring “came back clean,” and the right-hander is expected to take his next scheduled turn against the Padres on Saturday.

Cain left Monday night’s 2-1 victory with hamstring tightness after pitching six shutout innings. He also took a comebacker off his right foot, which remains sore.

San Francisco Chronicle Beyond the wins and losses, times of grave concern Bruce Jenkins

It’s a different kind of conversation in the Bay Area’s sporting circles these days, laced with shock and concern. Conventional topics beckon — the Warriors’ playoff run, Christian Arroyo’s arrival, the 49ers’ draft options — but it comes back to this:

Have we ever had such a strange year in sports? With such disturbing ramifications? The Bay Area’s Mount Rushmore surely includes , Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey and Bruce Bochy (it’s a jam-packed Rushmore, no doubt), but just now, we ponder not their accomplishments, but the rest of their lives.

In terms of performance, we’ve had worse years in the Bay Area. Take 1979, for instance. The A’s finished 54-108 and drew 306,763 fans for the season. The Giants were 71-91, riddled with dissension, and fired manager Joe Altobelli in September. The Warriors were reasonably entertaining, but they finished sixth (and last) in the Pacific Division at 38-44. The Raiders lost three of their first four games, finished fourth in the AFC West and watched the playoffs from home.

And the 49ers, on the verge of greatness, went 2-14 in head coach Bill Walsh’s first season with the franchise.

In retrospect, those are just a bunch of numbers. People get over things, look ahead to better times. What’s happening now is plainly troubling, and seemingly without letup.

The Warriors did their head coach a huge favor by sweeping their first-round series in Portland on Monday night. They won’t play again until Sunday, at the earliest (it would be Tuesday if Clippers-Jazz goes the full seven games), giving Kerr a chance to address his condition with the best available specialists, no distractions in play. He surely will be in touch with the team, but this is an in-season opportunity that rarely comes along, and he needs some answers about the spinal-fluid leaks that have tormented him for far too long.

Those close to Kerr, especially general manager , don’t lose sight of his ongoing crisis. I caught up with Myers in a corner of Oracle Arena on May 30, when the Warriors beat Oklahoma City in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. People were hugging and high-fiving all around him; it was one of the greatest wins in franchise history. In a brief chat, Myers quietly offered a sobering reminder that Kerr was nowhere close to recovery, and that his noble stance and perseverance should never be taken for granted.

It’s amazing, to all of us in the media, how Kerr remains so consistently funny, generous and informative in his interviews. No matter how much discomfort he might feel, he’ll take time to acknowledge remarkable feats in other sports, speak out against social injustice or make clear his disgust with the Trump administration. Kerr remains the complete man, even in his broken state. And yet we realize that his condition, so alarmingly relentless, could lead to retirement.

As for Bochy, who has undergone three heart procedures over the past three years, we get a look into the character and toughness of the Giants’ leader, and how effortlessly he puts everyone at ease when the subject of his health arises. Baseball is his tonic, his healer. He smiled broadly and often Monday night as the Giants, finally looking like themselves, knocked off the Dodgers.

Still, whenever those dugout shots find coaches and in conference, you wonder how the future unfolds. With either of those men, the Giants would be left in capable hands. You just hope it’s a natural progression, nothing immediate, with Bochy getting the full measure of his managerial career before retiring to the easy chair.

Bochy was a big-league catcher for nine years, and like all of his contemporaries, he took some wicked shots to the head ( once leveled Bochy in a frightening home-plate collision that sent him flying). As such — and with the benefit of progressive thinking toward concussions — Bochy fully understands what Posey means to the Giants, and what the future holds. Now we’re all thinking along with the club, wondering about the first-base option as Posey clings to his principles. And there is no easy answer.

If the Giants leave a big decision up to Posey, they’ll know it’s the right call. That wouldn’t be the case with Bumgarner, so humbled by his decision to go dirt-biking in Denver. As we worry about the health of Kerr, Bochy and Posey, it’s a little bit different with Bumgarner. He’ll pitch again, and he’ll do it this season whether the Giants are contending or not. He needs to get back on the horse, so to speak (he can relate), and be the able town sheriff.

Will he ever be quite the same? Will the Giants? That’s the Bay Area’s state of mind right now, on so many fronts. The mythical Mount Rushmore is covered with scaffolding, workers trying to finesse a resurrection. And the chips keep falling.

San Francisco Chronicle Giants fans light up for rallies Sam Whiting

In the bottom of the seventh inning of a tight game against the Dodgers, Giants fan Marc “G-Man” Roberts put down his glove and reached for his cell phone.

From his perch in the right-field arcade at AT&T Park, he scanned the upper deck for a signal and then it came. A single flicker became two flickers, causing Roberts to whip out his phone, punch up the flashlight app and hold it high. Instantaneously, fans on all levels did the same and it looked as if fireflies had replaced the customary late-inning seagulls.

The flashlight rally was on.

“A trend,” said Roberts, before upgrading it to “a new tradition.”

No one knows how it started, but this much is known for sure — in a month in which not much else has worked for the Giants, the flashlight rally has gotten the job done.

“It just happened organically and caught on like wildfire,” public-address announcer Renel Brooks-Moon said. “Oh, boy, you couldn’t miss it. It was awesome.”

The necessary elements appear to be thus: the seventh inning, a man on base and long at-bats to allow the light show to build. In the bottom of the seventh Tuesday, there wasn’t time for it to become an actual, official, full-blown, can’t-fail flashlight rally. The Giants had a man on with two outs and up when the cell phones started to shine. But the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw was lights-out quick, getting Pence to ground out on three pitches.

The lights first appeared on an Orange Friday, April 14, in the seventh inning with the Giants protecting a 4-2 lead over Colorado. The inning began with two , before Brandon Belt came to the plate with a man on base. Mike Muldowney, a splash-cam operator for NBC Sports Bay Area, zoomed across the to flashing lights in the left-field upper deck, above the See’s Candy sign.

Belt, who had been in a 1-for-19 slump, started fouling off pitches, and with each foul ball more cell- phone flashlights appeared.

“It just kind of started and kept growing,” Muldowney said. “Next thing you know, the stadium is lit up.”

Rusty Phillips, who was working the TV camera by the Giants’ dugout, saw bulbs flashing in a way that he had not seen since was going after the record. Phillips set his camera on a wide angle and caught a sea of flash as Belt swung on the 13th pitch he saw, ripping a base hit that center fielder Charlie Blackmon booted, allowing a run to score, as if a Voodoo spell had been cast.

The flashlights stayed on as the Giants strung together five singles to score four runs, the only time they have been that efficient all season. There was something to this new flash mob.

“I’ve only seen that at a rock concert, never a baseball game,” said , who had been doing the telecast that Friday. He posted a photo to his Instagram account, with the hashtags #rallylights and #fridaynightlights, and 2,585 followers liked it.

Comments ranged from “beautiful” to “magical,” though one follower with an Orange County handle commented that the flash has been a tradition with the Angels for years. Another mentioned that they do it during night games at the University of Wisconsin.

Monday’s game against the Dodgers was the first home night game since that Orange Friday, and broadcaster was skeptical of the lights returning.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen again,” Kuiper said before the first pitch, “because I don’t think people knew why it happened the first time.”

There have been rumors that it was a social-media call to action but there is no evidence of that. One theory is that the house lights are lower this season, making the stands darker, fostering the necessary contrast to the bright white light.

“If it’s going to happen again, it’s going to happen in this four-game series” against the Dodgers, Brooks- Moon said.

When the Giants came to bat in the seventh inning, they were holding a one-run lead and were in need of insurance. That’s when G-Man Roberts, 53, who lives in Pinole and has gotten some TV time for his suit of orange from wig to toe — and his habit of standing in the arcade with his glove raised, ready to catch a home run — reached for his phone.

“It could happen anytime,” he said.

Then it did. “Don’t turn on those phones,” screamed one arcade standee, but it was too late.

“It’s a light rally,” said Joe Phillips, of Pittsburg. “It happened before and now it’s happening again.”

Jennifer Rosas, from Manteca, had not seen the lights before and had no hint they were coming. But she knew what to do when she saw them and instructed her daughter, Amanda Rosas, and their friend, Dominique Vargas.

“I turned to them and said, ‘Let’s do this,’” Rosas said. “I feel like I’m part of the fans, which is exciting to me.”

Then came the chant “Beat L.A.,” with the flashlights pulsing.

“It gets the batter pumped up and gets inside the pitcher’s head,” said Noah Roberts, son of G-Man.

Sure enough, singled. Drew Stubbs drew a walk, moving Panik to second. He then scored on a Pence single.

For two consecutive games, the rally lights had delivered runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. In this case, it made it 2-0, Giants, in a game they would win 2-1. The rally towel had been made obsolete by tech innovation.

“It worked,” Rosas said.

In the middle of the eighth inning, the fan anthem “Lights,” by Journey, came on but far fewer flashlights came out.

These lights are not for singalongs. Only rallies.

San Jose Mercury News Christian Arroyo creates a memory, but Kershaw too much for Giants Andrew Baggarly

SAN FRANCISCO – Christian Arroyo narrowed his eyes and started his hands.

He had faced Clayton Kershaw plenty of times, but that version was an assemblage of pixels and 32-bit color. Here he was in full flesh, his jaw loose, descending into that bunny-hop delivery. Arroyo was not awestruck, nor was he keen to browse.

The 21-year-old rookie with the thick shock of hair made his first major league hit a whistling single off a three-time Cy Young Award winner, creating a memory in the first inning for himself and a sellout crowd amid the Giants’ 2-1 loss to the Tuesday night.

“I figured maybe he’d come after me,” said Arroyo, who swung at the first pitch. “I said, `Hey, a heater, put a good swing on it. I got a good result.”

The Giants did not. Left-hander Ty Blach made a game effort, contributing with his bat and glove as well as completing five innings while replacing Madison Bumgarner in the rotation.

But Kershaw was Kershaw. He pitched through some early wrinkles and a cramping calf, and by the end of his seven innings, it was all hard stuff and hammer curves. He adapted to Arroyo, too, throwing two- strike sliders that resulted in a pair of strikeouts. Blach hit a leadoff double in the third inning and scored when Buster Posey snuck a two-strike single through the left side – an event that prompted Kershaw to tenderize his glove with three furious punches.

But as he so often does, Kershaw came out ahead on the final cards. Yasiel Puig hit an RBI single in the fourth and Justin Turner contributed a deft bit of baserunning to score the tiebreaking run on a fielder’s choice as the Dodgers drew even two games into this four-game series.

“We’re just a little short there at the end with players, and with the injuries we’re dealing with,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who couldn’t pinch-run for Posey when the club mounted a rally against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth. “Those little things probably caught up with us at the end.”

Add Brandon Crawford to the MRI punch card club. He followed Posey’s single off Jansen with a hit down the left field line but grabbed at his right groin as he rounded first base.

The Giants already knew they would be without Crawford for the remaining two games of this series while he attends funeral services for his sister-in-law. The club is expected to place Crawford on the three-day bereavement list and call up another player, likely Kelby Tomlinson.

The question is whether their infield captain and Gold Glove shortstop will be ready to play this weekend.

“I really haven’t felt anything like that before, so I can’t tell you how bad it is,” said Crawford, who was replaced by pinch runner . “It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop, so from what I hear, that’s good news.”

Blach, who was a revelation as a September callup in a pennant stretch last year, entered with 11 career scoreless innings against the Dodgers. He extended his run to 14 before beginning his two-run fourth with a walk to and two singles.

It appeared that Blach might escape with a 1-1 tie when Adrian Gonzalez hit a grounder to Posey at first base. But Posey has a catcher’s instincts, and he paused to ensure Turner did not start from third before throwing to Crawford covering second base.

Turner bolted as the ball left Posey’s hand, and catcher Nick Hundley couldn’t handle Crawford’s skipping throw to the plate.

“It short-hopped him, and that’s not an easy play with a catcher’s glove on to swipe tag,” Crawford said. “I’d like to say I should’ve made a better throw. But I got rid of it as quickly as I could and I put as much on it as I could.”

Nobody expects Blach to equal what Bumgarner brings to the rotation. But the rookie did a pretty good job of replicating what Bumgarner brings to the lineup.

Blach’s double in the third inning was his third career hit in five at-bats – and all of them have come against Kershaw. He also knocked the Dodgers’ ace for two singles in an Oct. 1 start last year.

How remarkable is that? Well, consider that Kershaw has given up three hits to just one other pitcher: Bumgarner, who has four. Even Bryce Harper has just two hits in 22 career at-bats against Kershaw. (And Posey? His RBI single was his 22nd hit against Kershaw. No major leaguer has more.)

Blach contributed with his glove, too. The left-hander showed why he won the among all minor league in 2015, spearing a line drive from Kiké Hernandez as if playing catch to end the fifth inning. It came after Blach had thrown his 75th and final pitch of the night, and also after one of Bochy’s rare mound visits in which he does not ask for the baseball.

The Giants received as much as could be expected from Blach, considering he hadn’t thrown more than 25 pitches in an outing since the spring. He didn’t even get the chance to stretch out in a side session because the Giants used him in relief Friday at Coors Field.

The late innings churned with constant drama. got Andrew Toles to chase a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded to end the seventh inning, and blew a fastball past Yasmani Grandal to strand two in the eighth.

And when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tapped Jansen for a four-out save, Posey and Crawford tapped back. But pinch hitter Brandon Belt complained about a high pitch taken for strike two, then swung through another to end the inning.

Jansen set the Giants down in order in the ninth.

“We’ve had three or four (games) where we’re right there,” said Bochy, “and we just can’t get over the hump to pull one out.”

Maybe a precocious, 21-year-old rookie can do something about that. He will face lesser pitchers than Kershaw. He is bound to get hits off some of them.

“I just envisioned getting one,” Arroyo said. “I didn’t think it’d be against a guy the caliber of Kershaw. In that moment, I was ecstatic. Hopefully there will be many more where that came from. I look forward to competing against him again.”

San Jose Mercury News Giants’ Brandon Crawford exits game early with strained groin Andrew Baggarly

SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants already knew they would be without Brandon Crawford for at least the final two games of their series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now they can’t be sure when their Gold Glove shortstop and infield captain will return.

Crawford grimaced and pulled up lame after rounding first base in the eighth inning Tuesday night, and after attempting to jog down the line, he exited for pinch runner Jeff Samardzija.

Crawford was diagnosed with a strained right groin, but the severity might not be known for several days. An MRI exam probably won’t be possible before Crawford leaves Wednesday morning for Southern California, where he will attend funeral services for his sister-in-law.

Jennifer Pippin, the oldest sister of Crawford’s wife, Jalynne, died unexpectedly April 12 when she suffered an asthma attack. She leaves behind a husband and two small children.

The Giants are expected to put Crawford on the three-day bereavement list so they can recall another healthy player – likely infielder Kelby Tomlinson – in his absence. The club already is playing short with a 13-man pitching staff, and center fielder Denard Span’s sprained shoulder is expected to keep him out until Thursday.

“We’re just a little short there at the end with players, and with the injuries we’re dealing with,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who couldn’t pinch-run for Buster Posey when the club mounted a rally against Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen in the eighth inning of a 2-1 loss. “Those little things probably caught up with us at the end.”

Crawford followed Posey’s two-out single with a hit down the left field line, and was going for second base when he said he felt tightness.

“I felt it one step, then felt it again, and so I shut it down,” Crawford said. “I really haven’t felt anything like that before, so I can’t tell you how bad it is. It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop, so from what I hear, that’s good news.”

Pinch hitter Brandon Belt struck out to strand both runners, and Eduardo Nuñez moved from left field to shortstop in the ninth.

Nuñez likely would become the everyday shortstop in the event Crawford must go on the 10-day disabled list.

San Jose Mercury News Madison Bumgarner “starting to calm down,” will begin rehab work soon Andrew Baggarly

The Giants have not released an official timetable for their left-handed ace, who has a sprained left shoulder and bruised ribs after wiping out on a dirt bike on Colorado last Thursday. But Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Bumgarner already is feeling improvement and will begin some light rehab activities within four to five days.

“Things are starting to calm down a little bit,” Bochy said. “And it’s good news that there’s no surgery. If that were the case, he’d be out for the year. So we got good news on that.”

Bumgarner was diagnosed in Denver with a Grade 1 or 2 sprain of the AC joint in his left shoulder. The Giants’ medical and training staff was assembling all their information and expected to deliver a more comprehensive report on Bumgarner to reporters on Wednesday. An AC joint sprain is another way to describe a separated shoulder. The question is whether Bumgarner stretched ligaments or partially tore them.

The expectation for now is that Bumgarner would require at least two months of rest and rehab work before he could be ready to throw off a mound. And then he would need to rebuild his pitch count while hoping to avoid any setbacks – a process likely to take at least a few more weeks.

A sprained AC joint is an injury more common among NFL quarterbacks.

San Jose Mercury News : Giants fully support Bumgarner after accident Daniel Mano

Giants closer Mark Melancon made it clear Tuesday that the team fully supports Madison Bumgarner following the ace’s dirt bike accident last week.

“We’ve all got his back,” Melancon told KNBR’s Tolbert & Lund. “Obviously, Bum wasn’t out to get hurt and we all know that … Him being so honest and out-front, I think that important. That’s what being a role model is, is showing up and saying, ‘Hey I messed up. and he did that.'”

“It’s not like he’s going to be on that DL any minute longer than he has to, we all know that,” Melancon said. “So if it was different — if he was going to milk the DL and be on their a little bit longer and run that route — then I don’t think guys would really be behind him as much. But we know that’s not the case.”

KNBR host asked Melancon about the fine line of players living life outside of baseball.

“You have to have a gauge. You have to understand what’s really dangerous and what’s not,” Melancon said. “Sometimes on the outside it looks dangerous but we all know it’s not. And what level of intensity you’re going at (matters). But there’s certain things that you probably shouldn’t do, and Bum knows that. Nine out of 100 times, nothing happens (to him). But when that one thing does happen — and that’s the activity that you’re doing — it looked bad. I think he’ll definitely learn from this. And I think all of us will learn from this.”

Melancon started the interview on a lighter note, joking about Buster Posey after the catcher picked a runner off second base to end the game with the closer on the mound.

“He always has to kind of steal the thunder,” Melancon said. “I felt like (the Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez) had two strikes, and it’s a perfect set-up for a . Of course, (Posey) comes in and steals the show.”

MLB.com Strong Blach loses rematch with Kershaw Ken Gurnick and Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- Creating another episode in what could develop into a long-running series, Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw and San Francisco's Ty Blach combined to forge their second compelling matchup in as many meetings Tuesday as the Dodgers outlasted the Giants, 2-1.

Kershaw played the role of an ace perfectly as he yielded San Francisco's lone run and six hits in seven innings. Kershaw pitched nearly the entire game in discomfort, having been hit on the right calf by the first batter he faced, Hunter Pence.

"He knew what this game meant for us," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "We needed to win this game. With some of the things going on [injuries and short starts], we needed to turn it up today."

Kershaw thus evened the score against Blach, a fellow left-hander who permitted two runs and four hits in five innings. Last Oct. 1, the rookie lasted eight innings to defeat the formidable Kershaw, 3-0.

"I think it doesn't matter who you're going up against. Every time, you want to compete and give your team a chance to win," said Blach, who has one Major League victory to Kershaw's 130 and zero Cy Young Awards to Kershaw's three. "It doesn't matter who that matchup is. Obviously, you know it's going to be Kershaw, so you need to keep your team close."

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out pinch-hitter Brandon Belt with two on and two outs in the eighth inning before working the ninth to secure his fifth save and third four-out save of the season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Turner's alert trip: The Dodgers may have stolen a run in the fourth inning. With runners at the corners, nobody out and a run in, Adrian Gonzalez hit a grounder to first baseman Buster Posey, the All-Star catcher who switched positions so another right-handed batter (Nick Hundley) could get in the game. Posey glanced briefly at Justin Turner, the runner at third, to hold him there, then threw to second base for a forceout.

Immediately upon taking Posey's relay, shortstop Brandon Crawford fired the ball home and might have nabbed the sliding Turner. But his throw short-hopped Hundley, who couldn't hold on to the ball long enough to make the tag.

"That just says something about the player," said Roberts. "Last night he makes an aggressive play that gets him to second base [on a wild pitch], then he makes an aggressive play and gets thrown out to end the game. He plays the way you're supposed to play. To read the throw, and make Crawford make a perfect throw, that was the deciding run, and credit to J.T."

At bat, Blach's at home: Maybe Blach should teach a seminar on handling Kershaw. He ran his improbable batting average against the Dodgers ace to .600 (3-for-5) by launching a third-inning double in two at-bats. He proceeded to score the Giants' lone run on Posey's single. When their paths crossed last Oct. 1, Blach went 2-for-3 off Kershaw.

"Sometimes you just swing hard and get lucky," Blach said. "Actually, Madison [Bumgarner] came over before the game and said, 'Hey, he's probably going to try to throw you up and in since he threw you [outside] last time.' So I was kind of looking for a pitch in that vicinity."

QUOTABLE "Sometimes you're aggressive on the bases and look [stupid]. Sometimes you're aggressive on the bases and it wins a ballgame." – Turner

A PAIR OF FIRSTS This was a big night for one prospect from each team, Los Angeles Cody Bellinger and San Francisco third baseman Christian Arroyo. Each collected his first Major League hit. Arroyo's was a first- inning single; Bellinger's was a ninth-inning single. "It's one of those things I won't forget," Arroyo said. "Hopefully, there'll be many more where that came from."

Bellinger's came on a 3-0 pitch he cued for an infield single. "Not what I expected it to be, but I'll take it," said Bellinger, son of former Major Leaguer Clay Bellinger. "I think I'm going to give it to my mom. I think she'd enjoy it the most."

UPON FURTHER REVIEW San Francisco's Eduardo Nunez appeared to be thrown at second on a stolen-base attempt to end the first inning. But the Giants challenged the ruling, which was overturned.

The Dodgers challenged a safe call at third base by umpire Todd Tichenor on Posey, who went first to third on a single by Crawford. The call was confirmed and Posey was safe.

WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: gets his third start this year in place of the injured Rich Hill in the Wednesday 7:15 p.m. PT game, while Cody Bellinger is expected to get his second Major League start in the outfield after his callup Tuesday. Wood is 0-2 against the Giants and has an 8.31 ERA at AT&T Park.

Giants: 's coming off his first loss of the season, having allowed all of Colorado's runs in a 6- 5 setback last Friday. Facing the Dodgers in Wednesday's 7:15 p.m. PT contest might benefit Cueto, who finished 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts against Los Angeles last season. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV.

MLB.com Giants to miss Crawford for at least 2 days Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- You might say that Giants manager Bruce Bochy feels hamstrung, though he'd probably prefer not to use a body part as an expression to describe his club's injury predicament.

Given the Giants' shortage of able-bodied position players, they might be fortunate that the 2-1 setback they were dealt Tuesday by the Los Angeles Dodgers did not extend into . With their luck, they just might have run out of players.

"We were a little short there at the end, with the injuries we're dealing with," Bochy said. For instance, he explained, he couldn't use a pinch-runner for Buster Posey after he rapped a two-out single in the eighth inning. That's basic strategy most managers would employ.

"These little things," Bochy said, "probably caught up with us at the end."

One factor wasn't so little: the right groin strain that shortstop Brandon Crawford sustained while rounding first base in the eighth inning.

The Giants were due to lose Crawford for at least the next two games while he attends his sister-in-law's funeral. He's allowed to take three days off and go on the bereavement list, which would enable the Giants to add a player and replenish their bench somewhat. But Bochy said Crawford wasn't sure whether he'd use the third day.

Depending on the condition of his groin, Crawford might need the rest.

"At this point, I'd put him at day to day," Bochy said. The Giants intended to schedule an MRI examination for Crawford to determine the injury's extent before he departs.

"It tightened up on me," Crawford said. "I've never had anything like that before. I didn't feel a pop or anything like that, so from what I hear, that's good news." Before he was injured, Crawford was performing at his usual level. He singled off reliever Pedro Baez in the eighth as the Giants mounted an ultimately fruitless rally. And he nearly turned what would have been a dazzling double play in the fourth inning.

With runners at the corners, nobody out and a run in, Adrian Gonzalez hit a grounder to Posey, who moved to first base so another right-handed batter, catcher Nick Hundley, could get in the game against left-handed Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw. Posey glanced briefly at Justin Turner, the runner at third, to hold him there, then threw to second base for a forceout.

Immediately upon taking Posey's relay, Crawford fired the ball home and might have nabbed the sliding Turner. But his low throw handcuffed Hundley, who couldn't hold on to the ball long enough to make the tag.

"That's not an easy play with a catcher's glove on to try to make tht swipe tag while trying to dig [the ball] out of the dirt," Crawford said. "I'd like to say I should have made a better throw, but I got rid of it as fast as I could and put as much behind it as I could. It's one of those things where it's worth the risk to try to get the runner at home."

MLB.com Cueto seeks return to dominance vs. Dodgers Ken Gurnick

With Julio Urias up from the Minor Leagues to start on Thursday, Wednesday night's start for Alex Wood against the Giants could be his last for a while with a return to a long relief role possible.

Wood has been on a short leash in two starts this season as the substitute for the injured Rich Hill. He has pitched a total of only 8 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs for a 5.40 ERA. He has 10 strikeouts but also six walks in those two starts. The last time he started against the Giants was a year ago at AT&T Park when he allowed five runs in five innings of a 12-6 Dodgers loss.

The Giants, meanwhile, throw Johnny Cueto. Although he has scuffled to a 5.25 ERA in four starts this year, against the Dodgers last year he was 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts. Things to know about this game

• Cody Bellinger made his Major League debut batting eighth against left-handed starter Ty Blach on Tuesday night, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is likely to move him up in the order while starting him in left or center field against the right-handed Cueto.

• Though Wood throws left-handed, left-handed-batting first baseman Brandon Belt likely will return to the Giants lineup after not starting Tuesday. Manager Bruce Bochy will have to shuffle personnel elsewhere, as shortstop Brandon Crawford, who strained his right groin in Tuesday's game, is expected to begin his bereavement leave to attend his sister-in-law's funeral.

• With Logan Forsythe on the disabled list, Roberts has wanted to play Chase Utley at second base against right-handed pitching, although he's off to the worst start of his career (1-for-29).

• While struggling at Coors Field in his last outing, Cueto recorded just two swinging strikes out of 92 pitches. That 3.3 percent rate was his second-lowest in a start since the beginning of the 2015 season.

MLB.com’ Bumgarner won't need surgery on shoulder Chris Haft

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that left-hander Madison Bumgarner will not require surgery on his sprained left shoulder and could begin light workouts in four to five days, but that won't accelerate the timetable of the ace pitcher's recovery -- mainly because no timetable exists yet.

Bumgarner, who sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder in a dirt-bike accident outside of Denver during last Thursday's scheduled off-day, is believed to need at least two months of recovery.

In other injury-related news, an MRI examination proved that right-hander Matt Cain avoided serious damage to his right hamstring, increasing the likelihood that he'll be able to make his next scheduled start Saturday against San Diego at AT&T Park.

Bochy did not commit to naming a replacement if Cain's unable to pitch, though he acknowledged long reliever would be the logical choice.

Bochy added that center fielder Denard Span could be ready to resume playing by Thursday, given his smooth recovery from a sprained right shoulder. The Giants also must decide whether to put Brandon Crawford on the three-day bereavement list, since the All-Star shortstop conceivably could return from his sister-in-law's funeral after two days. San Francisco's already-thin bench would be further challenged if Span and Crawford were gone or unavailable simultaneously without a player added to the roster.

Nunez eagerly accepts LF duty Eduardo Nunez has calmly accepted the Giants' left-field duties, which was a product of the club's recent lineup shuffling.

"Just put me there. I'm down," said Nunez, San Francisco's erstwhile regular third baseman. "There's no question about it. It doesn't matter where I play. I want to win."

Nunez, who has appeared in 31 games as an during parts of eight Major League seasons, pointed out he'll need on-the-job training. Coping with wind and mastering fly balls or line drives hit directly over his head -- typically one of the most difficult plays for any outfielder -- are among the challenges he cited.

"The more I practice, the more playing time I get, the more comfortable I'm going to feel," he said.

NBC Sports Bay Area CRAWFORD STRAINS RIGHT GROIN IN EIGHTH INNING OF GIANTS' 2-1 LOSS TO DODGERS Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford was always going to miss the final two games of this series to attend the funeral of his sister-in-law. The Giants are now hoping an MRI result shows that Crawford won’t miss any time beyond his three days on bereavement leave.

Crawford pulled up with a right groin strain as he rounded first on a base hit in the eighth. After jogging a bit in the outfield, he was pulled from the game.

“It tightened up,” Crawford said. “I haven’t really felt anything like that before. I’ve never really had anything like this before. It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop or anything, and from what I hear, that’s good news.”

Crawford’s liner off Kenley Jansen sent Buster Posey from first to third. Cody Bellinger's throw went into third and Crawford was busting it for second when his leg shut down. He said he could feel the pain in his groin as he tried to run it off.

“(Trainer Dave Groeschner) told me it wasn’t a great idea to try and push it,” Crawford said.

Ordinarily, the Giants would send Crawford for an MRI on Wednesday, but he is flying down to Los Angeles for two days of services. Crawford originally told manager Bruce Bochy that he could be back in time for Friday’s game, but the Giants — already playing without Denard Span and with a short bench — were planning to put Crawford on the bereavement list and call up an extra position player.

Eduardo Nuñez moved over to short in the ninth and he’s Crawford’s primary backup. Christian Arroyo, called up Monday, can also play the position. The Giants have Kelby Tomlinson and Orlando Calixte on the 40-man and one of them is likely to join the team Wednesday.

--- Arroyo and Bellinger are two of the NL West’s top prospects, and they got their first big league hits on the same night. Arroyo got a first-pitch fastball at the letters from Clayton Kershaw and roped it into left field.

“I figured he would come at me,” Arroyo said. “I said, ‘Hey man, see a heater and take a good swing at it.’ I just envisioned getting (a big league hit) but I didn’t think it would be off a guy the caliber of Kershaw. In the moment I was excited. That’s something you don’t forget.”

Arroyo’s family won’t forget it, either. His parents and two younger siblings were here and they went nuts as Arroyo rounded first. That’s always a cool moment.

--- Ty Blach has three big league hits and all of them are off Kershaw.

“Sometimes you just swing hard and get lucky, I guess,” he said.

There’s only one active pitcher who has more hits against Kershaw than Blach. That’s Madison Bumgarner, who has taken him deep twice. A year ago, Bumgarner walked into the video room and asked if he wanted advice on hitting Kershaw. On Tuesday, he gave Blach some advice.

“Madison before the game came up and said he’s going to throw you up and in because he threw it low and away last (year),” Blach said. “I was looking for a pitch in that vicinity.”

Bumgarner knows Kershaw well. Blach got a fastball up and he knocked it over a drawn-in outfield for a double.

--- We’re 10 paragraphs into this story without a score. The Giants lost 2-1, but it’s hard to dissect this one too much. When the Dodgers get 25 outs from Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, they’re going to win that game nine out of 10 times.

Kershaw lowered his season ERA to 2.29. The Giants gave him a little bit of trouble early, but he turned it on in the middle innings.

“He settled in and he was as tough as he normally is,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “The thing you hope is to some chances. We had a couple.”

The eventual winning run came across on a strange play in the fourth. With runners on the corners, Adrian Gonzalez hit a bouncer to first. Posey looked Justin Turner back to third and then threw to Crawford at second for one out. Crawford spun and fired a strike home to try and get Turner, who had taken off. The throw skipped in the dirt and Nick Hundley couldn’t handle it. Turner made it 2-1, and that was that.

Bochy said he had no problem with how that play went down. All the decisions were right, it was just a tough double-play to pull off.

“I’d like to say I should have made a better throw but I got rid of it as fast as I could and I put as much on it as I could,” Crawford said.

The Giants were a couple inches behind Turner on Tuesday. On Monday, they were just ahead of him, with Posey picking him off second to end the game. It’s been that type of series between these two.

--- I saw a lot of grumbling on about Yasmani Grandal pulling balls back into the strike zone in the late innings. Be careful what you wish for, Giants fans. Posey might be the best pitch-framer in the game. Any change that would keep guys like Grandal from fooling umps would hurt the Giants more than most.

NBC Sports Bay Area CRAWFORD STRAINS RIGHT GROIN IN EIGHTH INNING OF GIANTS' 2-1 LOSS TO DODGERS Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — Brandon Crawford was always going to miss the final two games of this series to attend the funeral of his sister-in-law. The Giants are now hoping an MRI result shows that Crawford won’t miss any time beyond his three days on bereavement leave.

Crawford pulled up with a right groin strain as he rounded first on a base hit in the eighth. After jogging a bit in the outfield, he was pulled from the game.

“It tightened up,” Crawford said. “I haven’t really felt anything like that before. I’ve never really had anything like this before. It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop or anything, and from what I hear, that’s good news.”

Crawford’s liner off Kenley Jansen sent Buster Posey from first to third. Cody Bellinger's throw went into third and Crawford was busting it for second when his leg shut down. He said he could feel the pain in his groin as he tried to run it off.

“(Trainer Dave Groeschner) told me it wasn’t a great idea to try and push it,” Crawford said.

Ordinarily, the Giants would send Crawford for an MRI on Wednesday, but he is flying down to Los Angeles for two days of services. Crawford originally told manager Bruce Bochy that he could be back in time for Friday’s game, but the Giants — already playing without Denard Span and with a short bench — were planning to put Crawford on the bereavement list and call up an extra position player.

Eduardo Nuñez moved over to short in the ninth and he’s Crawford’s primary backup. Christian Arroyo, called up Monday, can also play the position. The Giants have Kelby Tomlinson and Orlando Calixte on the 40-man and one of them is likely to join the team Wednesday.

--- Arroyo and Bellinger are two of the NL West’s top prospects, and they got their first big league hits on the same night. Arroyo got a first-pitch fastball at the letters from Clayton Kershaw and roped it into left field.

“I figured he would come at me,” Arroyo said. “I said, ‘Hey man, see a heater and take a good swing at it.’ I just envisioned getting (a big league hit) but I didn’t think it would be off a guy the caliber of Kershaw. In the moment I was excited. That’s something you don’t forget.”

Arroyo’s family won’t forget it, either. His parents and two younger siblings were here and they went nuts as Arroyo rounded first. That’s always a cool moment.

--- Ty Blach has three big league hits and all of them are off Kershaw.

“Sometimes you just swing hard and get lucky, I guess,” he said.

There’s only one active pitcher who has more hits against Kershaw than Blach. That’s Madison Bumgarner, who has taken him deep twice. A year ago, Bumgarner walked into the video room and asked Matt Duffy if he wanted advice on hitting Kershaw. On Tuesday, he gave Blach some advice.

“Madison before the game came up and said he’s going to throw you up and in because he threw it low and away last (year),” Blach said. “I was looking for a pitch in that vicinity.”

Bumgarner knows Kershaw well. Blach got a fastball up and he knocked it over a drawn-in outfield for a double.

--- We’re 10 paragraphs into this story without a score. The Giants lost 2-1, but it’s hard to dissect this one too much. When the Dodgers get 25 outs from Kershaw and Kenley Jansen, they’re going to win that game nine out of 10 times.

Kershaw lowered his season ERA to 2.29. The Giants gave him a little bit of trouble early, but he turned it on in the middle innings.

“He settled in and he was as tough as he normally is,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “The thing you hope is to create some chances. We had a couple.”

The eventual winning run came across on a strange play in the fourth. With runners on the corners, Adrian Gonzalez hit a bouncer to first. Posey looked Justin Turner back to third and then threw to Crawford at second for one out. Crawford spun and fired a strike home to try and get Turner, who had taken off. The throw skipped in the dirt and Nick Hundley couldn’t handle it. Turner made it 2-1, and that was that.

Bochy said he had no problem with how that play went down. All the decisions were right, it was just a tough double-play to pull off.

“I’d like to say I should have made a better throw but I got rid of it as fast as I could and I put as much on it as I could,” Crawford said.

The Giants were a couple inches behind Turner on Tuesday. On Monday, they were just ahead of him, with Posey picking him off second to end the game. It’s been that type of series between these two.

--- I saw a lot of grumbling on Twitter about Yasmani Grandal pulling balls back into the strike zone in the late innings. Be careful what you wish for, Giants fans. Posey might be the best pitch-framer in the game. Any change that would keep guys like Grandal from fooling umps would hurt the Giants more than most.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat Giants' Madison Bumgarner won't need surgery on pitching shoulder JANIE MCCAULEY SAN FRANCISCO — Giants ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner will not require surgery on his sprained pitching shoulder and is scheduled to begin light rehabilitation activities in four or five days.

The 2014 MVP bruised ribs and sprained his pitching shoulder in the dirt bike accident during last Thursday's off day in Colorado. He is wearing a sling on his pitching arm for at least another week.

Bumgarner underwent a follow-up MRI exam Monday night that showed what the Giants already thought: no structural damage to the shoulder. Manager Bruce Bochy shared the update before Tuesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We're going to stay on course to rehab it," Bochy said. "No surgery, which is always a good thing. Guys are out for a year if you have surgery."

While there is no timetable for Bumgarner's return, he is likely to miss approximately two months and will need a throwing program to build back to 100 pitches.

Bumgarner is 0-3 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts and has received only five runs of support — two on his own home runs.

He said a day earlier he doesn't know of any punishment planned by the club.

"Our focus is on getting him healthy," general manager Bobby Evans said.

An MRI exam on right-hander Matt Cain's tight right hamstring that he felt during as he warmed up for the seventh inning in his win Monday night showed no problems and he is slated to take his next turn in the rotation.

"I feel good," Cain said.

Center fielder Denard Span did some cage work and was set to take batting practice on the field Wednesday with the hope he will be back in the starting lineup for Thursday afternoon's series finale. He has a mild right shoulder sprain that forced him out of Saturday's game at Colorado after he hurt it long-tossing.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat Giants shut down by Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw JANIE MCCAULEY

SAN FRANCISCO — Clayton Kershaw struck out seven over seven innings in another impressive performance in San Francisco’s home ballpark, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Giants 2-1 Tuesday night to end a four-game losing streak against their rival.

Buster Posey extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single in the third that put the Giants ahead, but then Yasiel Puig singled in a run in the fourth and Adrian Gonzalez’s groundout drove in another.

The Dodgers, who were on the other end of a 2-1 result a night earlier, also ended a six-game skid at AT&T Park to avoid matching the franchise’s longest winless stretch in San Francisco from April 21-Sept. 28, 2015.

Lefty Ty Blach (0-1) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings making his first start in place of injured Madison Bumgarner. The ace southpaw bruised his ribs and sprained the AC joint in his pitching shoulder in a dirt bike accident last Thursday during a day off in Colorado.

Brandon Crawford grabbed his right groin immediately after rounding first when he followed Posey’s two-out single in the eighth with a base hit off Kenley Jansen. The shortstop was looked at by athletic trainer Dave Groeschner then came out of the game.

Pinch-hitter Brandon Belt then struck out to strand Posey on third as the tying run.

In the ninth, Cody Bellinger beat out an infield single in his major league debut after being called up by the Dodgers to start in left field. A day after San Francisco promoted top prospect Christian Arroyo to play third base, the Dodgers brought up their top prospect from the same 2013 draft class.

Arroyo also got his first major league hit — and a lengthy standing ovation — on a single in the first after going 0 for 4 with three groundouts and a strikeout in his debut a day earlier after being called up from -A Sacramento.

Kershaw (4-1) allowed six hits and one run, walking one as he improved to 11-4 in 19 outings and 18 starts in San Francisco’s waterfront ballpark. Jansen finished for his fifth save and the 15th of his career recording four outs.

Justin Turner matched his career-best hitting streak at 11 games with a first-inning single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Julio Urias will be back in the majors to start Thursday’s series finale for the Dodgers, and he may be up for good. “We can now get Julio here, and he can be with us for the duration,” Roberts said. ... Bellinger was needed given the injuries: CF Joc Pederson is on the disabled list with a strained right groin, while LF Franklin Gutierrez is on the DL with a left hamstring strain. INF Logan Forsythe is also sidelined by a broken right big toe.

Giants: An MRI exam on Matt Cain’s tight right hamstring that he felt during his win Monday showed no problems and he is slated to take his next turn in the rotation. ... CF Denard Span did some cage work and was set to take batting practice on the field Wednesday with the hope he will be back in the starting lineup for Thursday afternoon’s series finale. He has a mild right shoulder sprain that forced him out of Saturday’s game at Colorado after he hurt it long-tossing. ... Manager Bruce Bochy said the Giants are likely to use the bereavement list for Crawford, who will miss games today and Thursday to attend the funeral of his sister-in-law, who recently died of an asthma attack. ... Posey got a break from catching duties and played first until going behind the plate in the ninth.

San Francisco Examiner Madison Bumgarner won’t get surgery Jacob C. Palmer

AT&T PARK — Madison Bumgarner doesn’t have a timetable to return from a left shoulder AC sprain and the bruised ribs that forced him to the disabled list for the first time in his career. But the Giants believe he’ll be able to avoid surgery, which would’ve extended his time away even longer.

“Bum will do rehab stuff within 4 or 5 days,” manager Bruce Bochy said before the Giants’ game against the Dodgers on Tuesday. “He’ll start some real light work. It’s going to be slow at first, nothing major.”

San Francisco Examiner Clayton Kershaw quiets Giants lineup in Dodgers win Jacob C. Palmer

AT&T PARK — It was supposed to be the battle of aces in ’s best rivalry. But when Madison Bumgarner put himself on the shelf for an indefinite amount of time after a motorcycle accident, it was just Clayton Kershaw against the . The home team struggled to convert traffic on the basepaths into runs and the Los Angeles Dodgers came away with a 2-1 win.

“We put some pressure on him,” Bruce Bochy said of his team’s approach against one of the best pitchers in baseball. “… He settled in, he was as tough as he normally is. The only thing you can hope is to create some chances, and we had a couple.”

Ty Blach, filling in for the injured Madison Bumgarner, fittingly got the offense started. Leading off the bottom of the third, Kershaw couldn’t get a fastball by Blach, who turned on a 92.5 mph four-seamer for a double into the left-center field gap.

“Actually, Madison before the game came up and said, ‘hey, he’s probably going to throw you up and in since he threw you away last time,'” Blach said. “So I was looking for a pitch in that vicinity, and luckily that’s where I was looking and he threw it there.”

Hunter Pence, hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time this season, followed with an infield single, and Buster Posey plated the run when his seeing-eye single rolled under Corey Seager’s diving glove. But that lead wasn’t long for the world as Blach allowed a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles in the following half inning. Adrian Gonzalez hit into a fielder’s choice next as Justin Turner was able to score as the ball bounced away from Nick Hundley after Brandon Crawford’s throw skipped into the plate to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead

That was enough for Kershaw, who allowed two more scattered hits throughout his seven-inning outing, which ended after just 90 pitches.

“When you’re going against one of the best — if not the best pitcher — in the game, you’ve got to hope that you’re guy goes out there and gives you a chance, and that’s what Blach did,” Bochy said.

After the Dodgers ace departed, the Giants threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. But after allowing consecutive singles in a four-out save situation, Kenley Jansen threw a 94.6-mph cutter in a full count past Brandon Belt to end the threat.

Jansen would run into no such trouble in the ninth, when Joe Panik, Drew Stubbs and went down in order. Crawford exits game early

Brandon Crawford hit a single in the bottom of the eighth inning, but when he turned around first base, he favored his groin and winced in pain.

The Gold Glove shortstop was pulled from the game and Jeff Samardzija pinch ran for him. After the game, Bochy said Crawford was day-to-day with a right groin strain.

Crawford declared ignorance on how bad it was because he’d never had an injury like this.

Crawford is scheduled to miss the next two games on Wednesday and Thursday to attend the funeral of his sister-in-law.

Arroyo gets first hit

Giants top prospect Christian Arroyo earned his first major-league hit in his first at-bat against Kershaw. A new nickname has been circulating Twitter for the third baseman: Boss Baby.

Up next

The Giants play the third of their four-game series against the Dodgers on Wednesday. Johnny Cueto will face off against Alex Wood.

Fansided Giants, Blue Jays face rebuild decision, Red Sox, Orioles do dumb things, power rankings, league leaders and more Nicholas Ian Allen

Debating whether the Giants and Blue Jays should hit the reset button, if the Red Sox should have tried to hit Orioles star Manny Machado, plus the Nationals, Eric Thames, league leaders, power rankings and more.

Madison Bumgarner has dazzled fans with his abilities as a pitcher and a hitter this season — well, throughout his nine-year major league career, really. However, Bumgarner recently landed on the disabled list for the first time in his career as a result of the way he landed falling off a dirt bike last Thursday when the Giants were in Colorado to face the Rockies.

It’s obviously a big loss for the club. Through four starts, Bumgarner has posted a 0-3 record, but has a 3.00 ERA, having allowed 25 hits and four walks while striking out 25 hitters in 27 innings. He also hit two home runs on Opening Day.

A four-time All-Star, Bumgarner has finished in the top 10 of the National League Cy Young race in each of the past five seasons. It’s unclear how long the 27-year old lefty will be sidelined with the rib and shoulder injuries he suffered, including a sprained AC joint. Nevertheless, Bumgarner is likely to see his streak of top-10 Cy Young finishes come to an end, as well as his run of six straight seasons of pitching 200-plus innings while making at least 31 starts.

Shoulder injuries are tricky. Bumgarner has been one of the most dependable starters in the major leagues over the past six seasons, so he may bounce back quickly and be back on the mound in a month or so. He may even be his same, mostly dominant self. Or, Bumgarner’s freak accident may impact him in such a way that his performance could suffer for years to come.

Despite the obvious concerns, and the nature of the accident (players are generally discouraged from doing things like riding mountain bikes, especially during the season), the Giants aren’t likely to pursue any sort of retribution for Bumgarner’s accident. That’s a smart move since he’s already underpaid after signing a five-year, $35 million contract prior to the 2013 season. But, Bumgarner’s injury might force the Giants hand on another matter: whether or not to tear down the roster and rebuild.

Thanks to a vintage performance from Matt Cain, the Giants beat the Dodgers Monday 2-1 to improve their record to 7-13. The team still owns the worst record in the NL West, and instead of Bumgarner pitching head-to-head with Clayton Kershaw Tuesday night in San Francisco, Ty Blach took the mound against the three-time Cy Young winner. Simply put, things could get worse before they get better.

Aside from the 32-year old Cain, who has a 2.42 ERA in four starts, the San Francisco pitching staff hasn’t been good this season. Overall, the Giants rank 14th in the NL in ERA (4.51) and park-adjusted ERA (125), 12th in runs allowed (90) and 12th in hits allowed (173). Jeff Samardzija, Johnny Cueto and Matt Moore all have ERAs over 5.00. Samardzija and Cueto also happen to be 32 and 31, respectively.

The core of the lineup is also on the wrong side of 30. Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford both celebrated their 30th birthdays earlier this year, Denard Span is 33 and Hunter Pence is 34. Eduardo Nunez will be 30 later this season, and Brandon Belt just turned 29.

In other words, the window to win a fourth World Series is closing. Unless the team starts playing better baseball quickly — a possibility, though Bumgarner’s injury obviously makes it less likely — the Giants will need to make some moves to boost the roster in order to contend for a playoff spot, especially considering the competition in the suddenly very strong NL West.

That could mean going after available players such as Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain — an impending free agent that would be an ideal fit in center field at AT&T Park — or trying to trade away some of the team’s aging stars to rebuild what has become a uncharacteristically shallow farm system.

Though the team may continue to struggle, there’s no reason to panic. After all, the Giants stumbled through a 76-86 season in 2013 between even-year World Championships. We’re also only three weeks into the season and the Giants have committed a lot of money to core players, most of whom are signed to long-term deals that would be difficult to move.

The Blue Jays on the other hand, should prepare to start over. Toronto is 5-14 through Monday, which is the worst record in baseball, and the club has been even more injury-prone than the Giants. Josh Donaldson, J.A. Happ, and — the team’s three top performers in 2016 in WAR, according to Baseball-Reference – are all on the disabled list, as are shortstop and reliever J.P. Howell. Only Sanchez is younger than 32.

In fact, the average age of the Blue Jays position players is 31.4, highlighted by 36-year-old Jose Bautista and 34-year-olds Russell Martin, Steve Pearce and Kendrys Morales. The starting rotation features Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano, both of whom are 33, plus 33-year-old reliever Joe Smith and 40- year old .

Toronto’s window isn’t just closing, it’s nearly shut.

The Blue Jays also parted with slugger Edwin Encarnacion over the offseason, which has hurt their run production, and will likely hurt their ability to bounce back this season. Only the Royals (another should- be rebuilding club) have scored fewer runs so far than the Blue Jays.

Sometimes baseball players do dumb things

In case you were under a rock this weekend — or climbing mountains and cave diving in the Puerto Rican rainforest like I was (unlike Bumgarner, no employer or fan would care if I fall and hurt myself) — you saw that the and engaged in the traditional (and silly) back-and- forth following a run-in between Manny Machado and Dustin Pedroia at second base Friday night.

Machado slid late into second base, coming in with his spikes high. His cleats caught Pedroia in the leg, and the Red Sox second baseman was injured and hasn’t played since.

Machado has a reputation for putting himself in these types of situations, but the play itself was relatively innocent. Of course, because of Machado’s reputation, many Red Sox fans claimed Machado’s slide was dirty and that Machado is, has been and always will be a dirty player. To be fair, there has also been some concern from other corners of the baseball universe. Nevertheless, as wrote for FoxSports, Machado and Pedroia are the least at fault for the situation — and the (at least) two dumb decisions that followed.

Dumb Decision No. 1: dangerously threw at Machado Sunday, and instead of hitting him in the backside as has become custom in the unwritten code, he sailed a fastball over the head of the star third baseman. As a result, Barnes was ejected and suspended.

Eduardo Rodriguez apparently tried to hit Machado in the backside earlier in the game. Had Rodriguez not missed three times, or had the Red Sox determined that Rodriguez’s failed attempts sent enough of a message that they were unhappy with Machado for his role in injuring Pedroia, Barnes would have stayed out of the situation completely.

Instead, Barnes put himself at the very center by throwing behind Machado’s head. The 27-year-old right-hander apologized afterward, and pointed out that throwing at someone’s head is a line no pitcher should cross. It’s very possible Barnes was trying to hit Machado in the backside, or possibly between the numbers.

Nonetheless, pitchers aren’t as accurate as we sometimes expect them to be, which is why intentionally trying to hit someone with a pitch is a very bad idea and could have done irreparable harm to Machado.

Dumb Decision No. 1.5: Red Sox manager John Farrell came out of the dugout to argue whether or not the ball, which hit Machado’s bat (and not his head, thankfully), was fair. This was done in poor taste given the fact Machado had newly been hit in the head by a major-league fastball.

Dumb Decision No. 2: Orioles Zach Britton was quoted by Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com basically calling Pedroia out for not being a good enough leader to stop this foolishness.

Pedroia, to his credit, didn’t seem happy about the incident. However, even this move received backlash from fans and observers upset that Pedroia didn’t appreciate Barnes sticking up for his teammate. Britton’s take was off the mark, however.

There was also an incident in Minnesota over the weekend. Twins pitcher Justin Haley hit Tigers center fielder JaCoby Jones in the face with a pitch Saturday, which, though scary, seemed completely accidental. Still, Detroit pitcher Matthew Boyd threw behind Twins slugger Miguel Sano in retaliation.

Sano, upset at the situation (and rightly so), pointed and yelled at Boyd before catcher James McCann got involved, which led to the two players shoving one another and Sano taking a swing (side note: much like a football player shouldn’t try to punch another player wearing a helmet, baseball players shouldn’t throw a punch at a catcher wearing a mask, especially of the hockey goalie-style).

Sano has been suspended, and will appeal. Jones has been placed on the disabled list.

Three things we learned

1. The are a World Series contender

The closer situation has yet to resolve itself, but with 13 wins in their first 19 games, the Nationals have opened up a 2.5-game lead in the NL East and have already taken control of the division.

An 8-4 loss to the Rockies Monday ended the Nats seven-game winning streak, which included sweeps in Atlanta and New York. The three wins in Queens are particularly important given the banged-up Mets were expected to be Washington’s top competition in the NL East. As it stands heading into Tuesday’s games, the Mets are five games back.

Bryce Harper looks like an MVP again, hitting .394/.518/.803 with seven home runs and 20 RBI through Monday. Ryan Zimmerman also has seven homers, and has hit .379/.431/.788 with 18 RBI, and has driven in 14 runs while hitting .308/.341/.513.

The team’s four primary starters all have an ERA of 3.65 or better in four starts. Stephen Strasburg has posted a 2.89 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 28 innings. is 3-1 with a 1.95 ERA and 33 K’s in 27.2 frames. Gio Gonzalez has a 1.35 ERA.

It’s worth pointing out that the Nationals played the Sunday night game in New York and travelled to Colorado for a game with the first-place Rockies the very next day. It’s a tough stretch, and the Nats have a four-game series in Denver before heading home and beginning play against the Mets Friday, but this team should be just fine.

Actually, given the lack of strength throughout the division, especially with the Mets hurt and struggling, the Nationals should be considered the favorites to be the first MLB team to clinch its division in September.

2. The Marlins will have new owners soon

It’s okay Marlins fans. Jeffrey Loria can’t hurt you anymore. Well, once the sale goes through, that is.

According to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg, Yankees legend Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush are part the group that won an auction to purchase the . We don’t yet know the price of the sale, but it is expected to be in the $1.3 billion range. The franchise was recently valued at $940 million by Forbes. Fans in Florida will wait patiently for the details, especially the timeline for the new ownership group to take place.

It’s exciting news, especially the connection to Jeter, who as a future Hall of Famer is likely to have a big role in the operation, and will likely insist on building a first-class organization. Also, there shouldn’t be any worry that the Fish will try to relocate after the sale given Jeter’s and Bush’s ties to the Sunshine State.

3. The Braves are right to build around Freddie Freeman

Keeping with the NL East theme, the entered Tuesday on a six-game losing streak, and with an NL-worst .333 winning percentage. Only the Blue Jays are off to a worse start.

However, the Braves still have an MVP candidate, as Freddie Freeman has opened the 2017 season hitting .381/.494/.810 with seven home runs, 16 runs scored, and nine RBI. Freeman also has two doubles, one triple and two stolen bases.

As Atlanta reporter Grant McAuley pointed out, Freeman’s hot start is just a continuation of where he left off last year. After all, he did finish sixth in the MVP voting last season despite the team’s 67-94 finish.

The Braves are off to a bad start this season, and are in the midst of a rebuild. But, the 27-year old Freeman has been one of the few “untouchable” players on the team for good reason. With a new ballpark, many of Atlanta’s top prospects at or near the major league level, and an improving offense, the Braves should have a contending team soon.

Whatever Eric Thames has been doing is working. The 6-foot, 210-pound left-handed hitter, in his first season with the Brewers after a three-year stint in Korea, homered twice more Monday night and again Tuesday to raise his major league-leading mark to 11 home runs this season.

Thames now has eight dingers against the in six games this season, including at least one long ball in each contest. Also, no other player has eight home runs total. Finally, Thames took Reds rookie Amir Garrett deep twice Monday, which pushed his total to four home runs against lefties in 16 plate appearances to date.

League Leaders

Every week we set aside one advanced statistic for position players and another for pitchers to dip our toes into the deep end of the baseball analytics pool. Most of the time, the stats related to position players are offensively based. However, defensive metrics are becoming better each year and help us better understand a player’s value in the field.

Today, we take an early look at this year’s leaderboard. Calculating DRS is very complicated, but the description of the stat itself is self-explanatory. DRS tells us how many runs a player has saved with his defense. It is also a plus/minus metric, in that players with negative DRS actually allow more runs than they’ve saved, and therefore hurt their team when they play the field.

As an example, Andrew McCutchen posted the worst DRS in baseball (-28) last season, which was six runs more than No. 2 J.D. Martinez, the slugging Tigers outfielder. No wonder the Pirates moved McCutchen over to right field and gave Starling Marte (who ranked seventh in the majors with 19 runs saved last season). Also, that helps explain why Marte’s suspension is such a big deal to the overall success or failure of the Pirates this season.

Last season, Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts was the runaway leader in DRS with 32. White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton (now of the Washington Nationals) was the runner-up with 22, followed by Blue Jays center fielder (21) and Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (20).

DRS

Rougned Odor, 2B, (6) Lorenzo Cain, OF, (5) Addison Russell, SS, (5) Austin Hedges, C, (4) J. LeMahieu, 2B, (4) Hedges and LeMahieu are actually with five other players: Tigers second baseman , Nationals third baseman , and of the Yankees, Marcell Ozuna of the Marlins and the Mariners’ Mitch Haniger.

As for pitchers, ERA is a commonly used metric — so common that we don’t have to preface the use of the acronym by explaining . FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is far less common, but does a better job describing the pitcher’s true value. E-F (ERA-FIP) shows us which pitchers are actually pitching better than their ERA would indicate.

Last season, Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray led the major leagues in E-F (1.14), Yankees starter Michael Pineda led the American League (1.02) and Rockies right-hander (1.00) rounded out the top three.

E-F (Qualified starters)

Jeff Samardzija, San Francisco Giants (3.06) Danny Salazer, (2.35) Jason Hammel, Kansas City Royals (1.98) Justin Verlander, (1.89) , Baltimore Orioles (1.85) Jeff Samardzija has obviously struggled this season. A 0-4 record with a 7.40 ERA in four starts is not good by any means. Samardzija leads the majors with 20 earned runs allowed in 24.1 innings. However, he hasn’t quite as bad as his ERA would suggest. Samardzija has struck out 30 hitters this year, and is actually posting a career high 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings to date. His 3.3 strikeouts-to-walks ratio is better than any he has posted in a full major league season other than his 2014 All-Star campaign.

Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect that — assuming he continues to strike hitters out and limit his walks — Samardzija’s ERA will come back down to earth as the season progresses. The same goes for the rest of the players on this list, who have all struggled this season, and have also posted higher ERA’s than expected.

Random MLB Power Rankings

Ranking the top 10 players currently on the disabled list

Madison Bumgarner, SP, San Francisco Giants Josh Donaldson, 3B, Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Detroit Tigers David Price, SP, Boston Red Sox Aaron Sanchez, SP, Toronto Blue Jays Adrian Beltre, 3B, Texas Rangers Zach Britton, CP, Baltimore Orioles Gary Sanchez, C, Chris Tillman, SP, Baltimore Orioles , SP, Los Angeles

Around the Fog Horn Possible Draft Targets for the San Francisco Giants Jake Mastroianni

Earlier this year I profiled three college players that I think the Giants could target in the first round. Those three were , Brendan McKay and Tristan Beck.

While Beck and Houck are still a possibility at 19, McKay will most definitely be off the board by the time the Giants pick.

The Giants have three picks in the top 100. Their first pick is at 19, and then they don’t pick again until 58. Then they have one more pick at 96 before having the 21st pick in rounds 4-40.

With a lot of mock drafts now out, we’re going to take a look at the players predicted to be taken by the San Francisco Giants.

I’ve looked at three different mock drafts and they all have the Giants taking someone different at 19.

As you know, the MLB Draft is impossible to predict, but hopefully by the time we get to the draft we’ll have covered whomever the Giants decide to select.

The Giants didn’t have a first round pick in 2016, but the three years before that they took college players. We’ll see if they stick with that trend or go back to the high school ranks.

Around the Fog Horn San Francisco Giants: Arroyo Collects First Hit in Loss to Dodgers Justin Rodgers

A day after making his major league debut, San Francisco Giants third baseman Christian Arroyo had his first career hit off of Clayton Kershaw in Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Coming off of a much needed win against the rival Dodgers yesterday, the San Francisco Giants looked to repeat that success on Tuesday night. Ty Blach got the start on the mound for the Giants in a rematch against Clayton Kershaw, and much like the October 1st matchup last season, it was a pitcher’s duel throughout.

The San Francisco Giants have been tinkering around with their lineup quite a bit lately trying to find some sense of success, and there was one major change in tonight’s lineup. A day after making his major league debut in the sixth spot in the order, Christian Arroyo moved all the way up to second in the order, which says a lot to me about the trust the organization has in Arroyo, especially with Kershaw on the mound.

That move paid off as Arroyo came up in the bottom of the first and delivered with his first career hit off of the best pitcher in the league–just how we all drew it up.

Unfortunately, for the orange and black there was not much offense on the night other than that, which is to be expected when Clayton Kershaw is on the bump. The Giants did however take the lead in the third inning all starting after Blach decided to take matters into his own hands, leading off the inning with a double. Hunter Pence followed with a single to second base, which moved Blach to third.

Honestly, the Giants should have scored more with runners on first and third, which is frustrating because Kershaw will not give teams many opportunities to score, so you have to take advantage of any opportunity you have. Arroyo and Nunez followed with back-to-back strikeouts, and Buster Posey saved the inning from complete disappointment with a two out RBI single.

The Dodgers would eventually take the lead in the fourth inning on a RBI single by Yasiel Puig, and a groundout by Adrian Gonzalez to Buster Posey.

The score would hold up from there as the Giants would eventually lose by a score of 2-1. The Giants threatened in the eighth inning, but to no avail. Posey and Brandon Crawford both singled with two outs in the inning before Brandon Belt struck out off of Kenley Jansen to end the inning. The Giants would then go down in order in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Here are some takeaways from tonight’s ballgame:

Christian Arroyo got the first hit of his major league career: Congratulations to him! Not too many players get to say they got their first career hit off of one of the league’s best. I guess , who also wore number 22, can say that after getting his first career hit off of none other than Nolan Ryan. Ty Blach pitched well tonight: Making his first start of the year against the Dodgers was an ideal matchup for Blach. The Dodgers flail against left-handed pitching and Blach pitched the best game of his career against them last year. He only went five innings tonight, which is understandable since he has not stretched it out yet this year, and filled Bumgarner’s void nicely.

The offense really needs to step up. The team may have been fortunate winning yesterday after only scoring two runs, but more often than not that is not going to cut it. Someone needs to step up and deliver in clutch situations. Brandon Crawford left the game after grabbing his hip in the eighth inning. It is unclear the extent of his injury, but let’s hope it is not anything too serious.

Fox Sports San Francisco Giants: Christian Arroyo Makes an Impressive Defensive Debut Keaton Moore

Following his strong and with endless potential, Christian Arroyo made his major league debut for the San Francisco Giants on Monday.

As a part of a number of roster changes, the San Francisco Giants called up promising prospect Christian Arroyo to make his major league debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 24. The No. 84 prospect in baseball (per MLB.com) played third base and batted sixth in the Giants’ 2-1 win over the Dodgers.

In his first major league , Arroyo saw three pitches before softly grounding out to second baseman Chase Utley. He went on to do the same in his next two at bats and finished the game 0-3.

Yet he made a number of stunning plays at the hot corner, including a barehanded play on a ball that bounced off starting pitcher Matt Cain.

Rookie on the Rise

Arroyo got the call to the majors on Monday after starting the season with the Triple-A . He recorded a .446/.478/.692 slash line with three homers and 12 RBI in 16 games.

Prior to that, the Giants selected Arroyo 25th overall in 2013 from Hernando High School. He made a name for himself as Team USA’s starting shortstop on the 18-and-under squad in 2012, where he hit .341 to eventually win the gold medal. After becoming the 2013 MVP with the AZL Giants, he spent a season in both Single-A and Double-A.

Despite his unteachable instincts and impressive range, he ran into a wall called Brandon Crawford at shortstop. Nonetheless, Arroyo quickly adjusted to third base, playing 48 games at the hot corner last season.

Along with Arroyo, Drew Stubbs made his Giants debut in center field. Consequently, the Giants designated Chris Marrero for assignment and placed Aaron Hill on the disabled list with a forearm strain to make room for their newcomers on the roster. With Arroyo at third, Eduardo Nunez moved to left field, where he has now played just 18 games in his career.

CBS Sports Giants' Ty Blach: Takes tough-luck loss Tuesday against Dodgers RotoWire Staff

Blach (0-1) was a tough-luck loser Tuesday against the Dodgers, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk through five innings. He struck out two.

Blach allowed two runs to score after three consecutive batters reached to start the fourth inning, but he didn't even allow a man past first base in any of his other frames. The lefty was called upon to make his first start of the season after Madison Bumgarner (ribs, shoulder) was lost for an extended period of time, and he acquitted himself nicely against the divisional foe. Blach should remain in the rotation for the foreseeable future after this appearance and will draw an extremely inviting home matchup with the Padres on Sunday.

CBS Sports Giants' Brandon Crawford: Leaves game with injury RotoWire Staff

Crawford exited Tuesday's game against the Dodgers early after appearing to tweak his groin while running to first base, NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic reports.

Crawford exited the game after coming up a bit gimpy while running to first. Following his departure, he was able to run sprints on the side of the field so it appears that the injury was nothing overly serious. The shortstop was already planning to miss the next two games as he takes time off on the bereavement list, so he'll have time to heal up. Until further information becomes available, he'll be considered day- to-day.

FantasyPros.com Brandon Crawford strains groin Blaine Blontz

Brandon Crawford was diagnosed with a strained right groin. The expectation is that he'll require a stint on the 10-day disabled list, but more news will come from the team today on official decisions. (Andrew Baggarly on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact It's disappointing for the Giants who continue to deal with injuries to start the season. Crawford was off to a nice start and was proving fantasy relevant at a shallow position.

MLB Trade Rumors Brandon Crawford Suffers Groin Strain Jeff Todd

Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford departed last night’s game with a groin strain, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reports. The veteran had already been scheduled to miss a few games on the bereavement list, but the club will be anxious to see how he feels upon his return. “I really haven’t felt anything like that before,” said Crawford, “so I can’t tell you how bad it is. It just felt tight. I didn’t feel a pop, so from what I hear, that’s good news.” San Francisco will likely bring up utilityman Kelby Tomlinson to fill in for Crawford during his three-day absence, Baggarly notes.

Bleacher Report Giants Can't Wait Around to Pull Trigger on Trade for Impact Power Hitter Jacob Shafer

When Madison Bumgarner landed on the disabled list after a dirt bike misadventure, the San Francisco Giants lost their best pitcher and a pretty darn good power hitter.

The first part sounds important, and it is. The Giants' rotation won't be nearly as formidable without Bumgarner, who's expected to miss two months or more, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

They still have an ace-level arm in Johnny Cueto, however, and a solid supporting cast that includes Matt Moore, Jeff Samardzija and a resurgent Matt Cain.

San Francisco's issue is offense, and the club needs to address it via trade before it's too late.

After a dispiriting 2-1 loss to the arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers Tuesday night, the Giants are tied for 21st in batting average (.235), 25th in runs scored (72) and 27th in OPS (.648).

Not surprisingly, they sit at 7-14, dead last in the National League West.

"Right now, there's nothing clicking, let's be honest," manager Bruce Bochy told reporters recently, per Anthony Castrovince of Sports on Earth.

San Francisco has made some moves, calling up top position-player prospect Christian Arroyo and inserting him at third base.

The 21-year-old Arroyo has made a few slick plays and collected his first career hit Tuesday against Dodgers demigod Clayton Kershaw. It looks like the kid can play.

That may be enough to give Giants fans hope. The franchise has an impressive track record with homegrown talent, after all. Buster Posey, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik compose nearly half of the current starting lineup and account for much of the club's production.

That said, the Giants' championship window won't hang open forever. After winning a of even-year rings between 2010 and 2014, San Francisco needs to strike now.

Posey is 30 years old. Hunter Pence is 34. Crawford tweaked his groin Tuesday and will miss an undetermined stretch, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Cueto will likely opt out after this season, meanwhile, and the once-indestructible Bumgarner has betrayed his mortality.

The July 31 trade deadline is a lifetime away. By then, San Francisco could be buried by not only the Dodgers (10-11), but the 14-7 Colorado Rockies and 14-8 , the surprise leaders out west.

It's a tough time of year to swing a deal, obviously. Everyone is technically a contender, so asking prices for impact players are elevated. The odds of something happening in April or early May are slim.

Still, general manager Bobby Evans should be working the phones and trying to get creative.

Perhaps the Kansas City Royals, who are mired in last place in the American League Central, would be open to trading center fielder Lorenzo Cain, an impending free agent who's hitting .299 with an impressive .427 on-base percentage.

Then there's slugger Ryan Braun, who has six home runs and a .970 OPS through 20 games. A veteran left fielder with performance-enhancing drug baggage may feel like deja vu to the Bay Area faithful, but Braun's pop would immediately and measurably improve the Giants' frequently punchless attack.

San Francisco is clearly all in on Arroyo, but it has other chips in a low-key yet not barren farm system, including right-hander and big-swinging .

Painful as it is, the team needs to dangle those pieces sooner than later and be prepared to mortgage the future for improvement now.

Let's put it this way: After Jarrett Parker went down with a broken clavicle and Chris Marrero fizzled, the Giants are rolling with Eduardo Nunez in left field.

Nunez has notable and undeniable offensive upside, but his limited adventures in the outfield have been less than pretty, as McCovey Chronicles' Grant Brisbee outlined.

If you want to skip that link and get straight to the punchline, the title is, "I watched Eduardo Nunez play a game in left field so you don't have to."

This teams has holes. Arroyo brings youth and hope. The even-year juju is sprinkled across the roster. But the Giants need to upgrade their offense, plain and simple, and the moment is now.

Or, failing that, as soon as possible.