SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, August 25th, 2018

San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ Posey to have season-ending hip surgery Monday Henry Schulman The decision was cemented long before squatted for 10 innings Friday night and endured what he called "about as tough as loss as I can recall." Posey and the Giants already determined he would have season-ending arthroscopic surgery in Vail, Colo., on Monday to repair the torn labrum and remove bone spurs in his right hip, injuries that at times debilitated him in what is now a lost season for the team. Posey wanted to play as long as possible before boarding a plane for Colorado on Sunday, and he was in there in the first of three against the Rangers, walking twice and hitting an RBI in the Giants’ 7-6, 10-inning loss — a game they led 6-0. Had the Giants not fallen into the competitive abyss, Posey might have waited until season's end to have the operation. Now, there is no point in playing another inning. Head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner told Posey the typical recovery time is six to eight months. The 2019 season will begin seven months and a day after the surgery. Dereck Rodriguez, wearing his special Players Weekend jersey, returned to the mound after a hamstring injury. "You don't want to say you're out of it until you're out of it," Posey said in the near-midnight silence of a losing clubhouse at AT&T Park. "But unfortunately, where we are, it makes sense to take care of it right now. "I think if everything goes smoothly, and there are no hiccups, I'll be ready to go next Opening Day. From everything I've researched and heard, the outcome is generally pretty good and I can get back the range in my hip that's vital for hitting and squatting." In that final word, Posey made it clear that if he does start the 2019 opener, he plans to be behind the plate. Posey has chosen Dr. Marc J. Philippon of the Steadman Clinic to perform the operation. He also had consulted an equally renowned hip specialist, Dr. Bryan Kelly, in New York earlier in the week. As late as Friday the medical staff was gathering more details from diagnostic tests. Kelly performed a similar operation on then-Reds Devin Mesoraco in July, 2016. Mesoraco, who required multiple hip surgeries and also had a shoulder ailment, did not play again until late April, 2017. But he is fine now, playing for the Mets. Posey was not sure if he would give the faithful one more shot to see him play Saturday. If Friday's game was his last in 2018, man oh man. The Giants had a 4-0 lead after one inning, with Andrew McCutchen homering to start the rally against Drew Hutchison. Thanks part to Posey's RBI single in the fourth, they took a 6-0 lead. The Giants, coming off a 4-6 trip that finally persuaded management that the playoffs were not to be, at least were destined to beat a team worse than they are to please the faithful in the opener of a nine-game homestand. The Rangers chipped away at the lead, first scoring twice in the fifth against an otherwise excellent Dereck Rodriguez on a Shin-Soo Choo bloop single. Joey Gallo produced the next two runs with a homer in the seventh against and a broken-bat RBI single off in the eighth, which narrowed the Giants' lead to 6- 4. The Giants still were one second from victory until booted Choo's groundball with two outs in the ninth. Rougned Odor tied the game 6-6 on Will Smith's next pitch, lining a homer into McCovey Cove. The Rangers won it in the 10th when lost the strike zone with two outs and two on. He walked Ronald Guzman and Robinson Chirinos on eight pitches, the latter forcing home the winning . "It was lost earlier," manager said. "There were so many things you could look at. Sometimes you've got to put the game away. We had a chance to put the game away, we didn't and it haunted us." Therein lies another insult to injury for the Giants. They had the bases loaded with one out in the eighth and a chance to seal it when Cory Gearrin came on to strike out and and strand the runners. Gearrin pitched a perfect ninth as well. The former Giants setup man got the win, striking out four of his five hitters, and beat Dyson, the former Rangers closer. The game ended with Posey on deck hoping for one more shot to lift his team after a season worth of painful plate appearances that yielded a .284 average and power numbers that clearly were affected by the hip. His five homers and .382 slugging percentage were both career lows, not counting 2011, when he four homers before Scott Cousins ended his season horrifically in late May. Posey and the Giants expect that Monday's operation will allow him to be more of who he once was at the plate. After announcing his surgery, Posey talked about what the season was like playing with the injury. "I just tried to make adjustments, some occasional alterations in my swing mechanics so I can clear (the hip) and not get stuck," he said. "Some days were better than others. Some days I was feeling the way I’m used to feeling. Some days I was feeling locked up. "Hopefully after I get this done I'll get a more consistent feeling back."

San Francisco Chronicle Giants starter has yet another shoulder setback Henry Schulman One of the boxes the Giants hoped to check off in a lame-duck September was getting Jeff Samardzija on the mound for a few starts, his right shoulder healed, to propel him into the offseason and 2019. That increasingly looks unlikely. Samardzija was meeting with team doctors Friday to plot a new course after the right-hander again felt pain during an otherwise successful four-inning rehab start for -A Richmond, Va., on Wednesday. “There is a little concern there, to be honest,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “There’s some soreness. He’s not real close.” This marks another setback in a ruined third season in San Francisco for Samardzija. He began the year on the disabled list with a strained pectoral muscle and is serving his second additional DL stint with shoulder soreness. He has made 10 starts this year for the Giants, most recently July 14 in Oakland, with a 6.25 ERA. The Giants have said they do not envision a surgical solution for Samardzija, which Bochy reiterated Friday. “I haven’t heard that,” he said. “The diagnostic tests haven’t shown anything needing surgery.” Holland apology: Derek Holland met with reporters and offered a second apology upon the team’s return from New York for his actions during an appearance with Giants massage therapist Haro Ogawa on the MLB Network program “Intentional Talk” on Wednesday. As part of what was meant to be a funny dialog with Ogawa, Holland spoke in a caricatured Asian voice, which some viewers found offensive. Holland meant it as a humorous exchange with Ogawa, a friend, but said he understood why it came off differently. “No matter how you look at it, it may be funny to us, or anybody who got a laugh out of it, but it’s not funny to everybody else,” Holland said. “We’re not trying to offend anybody. But that is what happened. With that being said, we shouldn’t have done that to begin with. “We screwed up the whole situation. Our entertainment was somebody else’s (humiliation). It’s not good.” Holland faces no discipline from the league, which was satisfied with the Giants’ statement acknowledging Holland’s insensitivity and Holland’s apology Thursday in New York. The Giants on Friday still were discussing internal options for Holland to make amends. Roster moves: The Giants optioned pitcher Casey Kelly to -A Sacramento to clear a 25- man spot for Dereck Rodriguez, who had been on the DL. San Jose Mercury News Buster Posey vs. Father Time: The battle that will drive Giants’ offseason decisions Kerry Crowley NEW YORK — Father Time has an undefeated record, but he’s especially harsh when it comes to major league . Father isn’t particularly patient and he has a habit of exposing weaknesses. A sore knee here, a twisted ankle there. Eventually, he pinpoints a deficiency and pounces.

There are those that survive a few blows. Hall of Famer Ivan Rodríguez spent 21 years behind the plate, but even Rodríguez’s run came to an end in 2011. Mike Piazza also fought back, but a 16-year stint in the majors halted after Piazza played half of a season in Oakland in 2007. Some like are forced to alter their plan of attack and try to hit Father from a different angle like first base. Others like won’t change their strategy. Father Time comes for everyone, and now, he’s delivered a devastating punch to the face of the Giants franchise. Giants vice president of baseball operations Brian Sabean announced Thursday that hip surgery is imminent for Posey, who will soon be shut down and miss the remainder of another season that got away from the Giants. It’s possible Posey has already played his last game this year, but he may have a few more left. This round is coming to an end, and as Posey waits for the next to start, he’ll receive more attention from his cutman than he’s ever needed. Posey, 31, plans to be back for Opening Day in 2019. Sabean said the catcher will have a “complete clean out” of his hip with the goal it extends his career behind the plate. Posey, like Mauer, knows he’ll eventually have to come at Father Time from a different direction. While Posey is a career .306 hitter with an .840 OPS, members of the Giants pitching staff have strongly indicated Posey’s ability to handle the bat isn’t exactly his greatest talent. They’re enamored of the way Posey calls a game, studies opponents and constantly acts with his next step in mind. attributes much of his postseason success to Posey, who busted onto the scene in 2010 and led the Giants to heights they couldn’t possibly dream of. Posey’s season-ending hip surgery is forcing the Giants’ front office to confront difficult decisions (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group) Three rings in five years, an MVP, a Gold Glove and a reputation that precedes him. Posey is a perennial All-Star, and even this season –when he’s played through significant pain– his peers voted him onto the All-Star roster because what’s an All-Star team without Posey? Father Time will eventually answer that question. For now, the Giants are left to consider what their roster will look like in 2019, in 2020 and beyond. Posey is signed through 2022 and he’ll stay in the ring at least as long. Still, the Giants will have difficult decisions to confront this offseason and the state of Posey’s health is at the front of their minds. Can they count on Posey to catch regularly in 2019? Can he hold down a part-time role in 2020 when first-round draft choice arrives a decade after Posey did? How many games can Posey realistically catch following surgery, and what will they want out of a reserve? These are the issues the Giants are forced to consider, and they’re issues that will shape San Francisco’s offseason itinerary. Backup Nick Hundley, who should earn most of the team’s starts in September, will be a free agent. Hundley brings the Giants value, but he’ll turn 35 in two weeks and may have other teams inquiring about his services. Prospect Aramis Garcia will likely receive his first taste of big league action when the Giants do shut Posey down, but it’s unclear whether Garcia has enough talent on offense or defense to provide depth for a full major league season. Bart isn’t ready, and if he was close, the Giants would have sent him to Single-A San Jose instead of rookie ball in Salem-Keizer. The Giants are likely expecting Bart to contribute in a major way in 2020, which will allow Posey to shift to first base. Will they speed up that transition this offseason? Brandon Belt could be traded to clear the way for Posey and may fetch the Giants a reliable corner , an asset for the rotation, or an exciting prospect who can contribute when Bart and 2017 first round draft choice are ready to take center stage. A deal involving Belt would likely force the Giants to search the free agent market for catchers, which they should consider anyway. The Giants may need to scour the free agent market for catchers this offseason. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) Dodgers switch-hitter is an ideal fit, partially because he can play against both righties and lefties but also because he provides positional versatility. Grandal can play first base and so can , which would allow Posey to continue catching on a part-time basis. If the Giants want offense, they can try to sign Phillies free agent-to-be Wilson Ramos. If they’re interested in defense, Martin Maldonado of the Astros will be on the market. Posey could wind up splitting time at catcher and first base next season, with 2020 as the target for his full-time move. The Giants could also re-sign Bumgarner after 2019 and keep an iconic battery together by asking Posey to catch Bumgarner every fifth day into the future. San Jose Mercury News Korean-born outfielder vouches for Giants pitcher embroiled in racial controversy Paul Gackle SAN FRANCISCO — Derek Holland is getting a first-hand tutorial on the thin line between humor and hurtfulness. Two days after Holland attempted a comedy bit on MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk” by performing an Asian caricature alongside Giants massage therapist Haro Ogawa, the left-hander issued a full-throated apology, insisting that his racial insensitivity was unintended. Prior to the Giants showdown with the at AT&T Park Friday, Holland received support from someone who’s lived the Asian experience in America.

Korean-born outfielder Shin-Soo Choo vouched for Holland, his teammate for three years in Texas and workout partner in the offseason. “I’m not defending him, but I know he’s a personality. I did a lot of joking around with him, too,” Choo said. “But he needs to understand when he can do that and when he cannot do that. You have to think about when the right time is.” Choo said that big league clubhouses are filled with players from different countries, which leads to a lot of racial and ethnical jabs between players. He’s certain that he and Holland engaged in humor that could be viewed as demeaning toward Asians while they were teammates from 2014 to 2016. Holland, in Choo’s eyes, committed an error when he failed to recognize the ramifications of taking clubhouse humor to the general public. He suggested that Holland’s insensitivity was fueled by ignorance, not hatred. “We were always joking around like that in the clubhouse, but it wasn’t mean. We were friends. We were like family. It was a mistake,” Choo said. “I don’t understand why people are so sensitive about this.” The “Intentional Talk” interview is offensive because of the long history of racial caricature that’s been used to belittle, marginalize and oppress minorities in America. But Choo insists it wasn’t reflective of how Holland actually treats minority teammates in the clubhouse. “He always respected teammates of every country: Japanese, Dominican, Korean,” Choo said. “He’d ask questions. He wanted to know about my country. When I heard what people were saying about him, I couldn’t believe it.” Holland’s interview triggered a similar reaction from his teammates in the Giants clubhouse. “People who know Derek know that if he thought that was what he did was going to cause this he wouldn’t have done it. He didn’t mean to cause any malice,” Andrew McCutchen said. “It’s not a distraction at all.”

McCutchen said Holland will need to learn from the experience and understand why the sketch was offensive. “It’s not something that’s okay to do,” he said. “He knows that now, that’s why he’s apologizing for it.” A day after Holland released a statement expressing regret for his conduct on MLB Network, he reiterated the sentiment in an interview with local reporters. “I apologize to anyone I offended with this,” Holland said. “This was not the intention. We were just trying to have fun. Haro and I were goofing off. Obviously, I crossed the line, went too far. “It sucks we’re in this situation. I’ve now caused a distraction to this team, my teammates, the organization, the city of San Francisco.” With surgery imminent, Posey remains in the Giants lineup Surgery is imminent for Buster Posey, but the Giants catcher is in the lineup Friday, batting third. Manager Bruce Bochy said the team is still figuring out when Posey will undergo the procedure. “He wouldn’t be playing if it could get worse,” the Giants manager said. “As soon as we come up with the date we’ll let you know.” The Shark suffers a setback Jeff Samardzija suffered a setback in his recovery from right-shoulder inflammation during a four-inning rehab start with Double-A Richmond Wednesday. Bochy said Samardzija is experiencing “soreness” in his shoulder and will meet with doctors Friday. This is Samardzija’s third stint on the disabled list this season. Samardzija signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Giants in December 2015. “There is a little concern there to be honest,” Bochy said. “There’s some soreness. He’s not real close.” Players Weekend After a 4-6 road trip, the Giants need to loosen up their collars this weekend. Perfect timing for the Players’Weekend. MLB.com Posey surgery Monday with 6-8 mos. Recovery Chris Haft SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants catcher Buster Posey announced Friday that he will undergo season- ending hip surgery on Monday that he hopes will help him regain his full range of skilll as a hitter. The procedure could delay the start of Posey's participation in the 2019 season. Posey said that Dave Groeschner, the Giants' senior director of athletic training, told him that he could be sidelined for six to eight months. "So if things go smoothly with no hiccups, I'll be ready to go next Opening Day," said Posey, 31. The Giants are scheduled to open next season at San Diego on March 28 -- approximately seven months from now. If Posey could rehabilitate himself into playing shape in six months, he would be ready for by the end of February, two weeks after and catchers report for workouts. History favors Posey. He recovered smoothly from multiple left leg injuries which he sustained in a home-plate collision in 2011. One year later, he won the Most Valuable Player award and earned the first of six All-Star recognitions. Posey will undergo the procedure in Vail, Colo., and it will be performed by Dr. Mark J. Philippon, a renowned hip surgeon. Posey acknowledged that he'll undergo labral repair and the removal of a bone spur in his right hip. He attributed his ailments to the cumulative wear and tear of catching, not to any particular incident. The goal of having surgery, said Posey, will be to "get you back to getting that range in your hip that's pretty vital for hitting." Posey has recorded a .284/.359/.382 slash line, significantly below the .306/.374/.465 averages he recorded in 1,143 games entering this year. He has accumulated five home runs and 41 RBIs, also far from his usual pace. Posey said that he was prepared to play the rest of the season had the Giants remained in contention for a postseason spot. That's no longer realistic, given the team's 63-67 record, though the Giants have not yet been mathematically eliminated. "You don't want to say you're out of it until you're out of it," Posey said. "But unfortunately, where we are, I think it makes the most sense to get this taken care of." MLB.com D-rod’s return spoiled as 6-run lead evaporates Chris Haft SAN FRANCISCO -- Dereck Rodriguez (D-Rod) needed seven pitches to dispel any lingering concerns about his health. That was the number of deliveries Rodriguez needed to retire the side on three grounders during a perfect first inning Friday night. Unfortunately for the Giants, Rodriguez's teammates neglected to follow his example by gradually squandering a six-run lead in a 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Rangers at AT&T Park. Rodriguez appeared bound to earn the decision as Giants closer Will Smith (Smitty) retired the first two Rangers he faced in the ninth inning with San Francisco leading, 6-4. Then second baseman Joe Panik (J.P.) mishandled Shin-Soo Choo's grounder for an error. Up came Rougned Odor (El Tipo), who lined the first pitch into McCovey Cove to tie the score. The Rangers forged ahead as reliever Sam Dyson (Pssst) walked Robinson Chirinos (Pelo Buche) with the bases loaded and two outs in the 10th to force in a run. Citing the vanishing lead that should have been safe and the struggling bullpen that's usually competent, Giants catcher Buster Posey said, "That's about as tough of a loss as I can recall." Earlier, all seemed right with the Giants' world. They built a 6-0 edge while Rodriguez no-hit Texas through four innings. Rodriguez went on the 10-day disabled list after sustaining a strained right hamstring during the brief on-field fray with the Dodgers on Aug. 14. As Rodriguez subsequently pointed out, his throwing arm escaped wear and tear. He proved his fitness with a typical outing -- typical for him, that is. Rodriguez resumed his Rookie of the Year candidacy by lasting six innings and surrendering two runs on three hits. With his father, Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez, watching in the stands, Dereck Rodriguez faltered only in the fifth, when Choo blooped a bases-loaded, two-run single to left field. Rodriguez recovered by striking out Odor on a 93 mph fastball to end the threat. Rodriguez extended his streak of starts in which he allowed two runs or fewer to nine. That's the second-longest active streak in the Majors behind Boston's Chris Sale (The Conductor), who has 10 in a row. "I think it's because he throws a lot of strikes," Ivan Rodriguez replied when asked for his explanation of Dereck's effectiveness. "When a pitcher throws a lot of strikes, he gets a lot of outs. That's what he does the most. He's a strike-thrower, he doesn't walk too many guys. He just pitches to contact. He's struck out a lot of guys, but he's always in the strike zone and mixing up his pitches very well." Rodriguez reminded reporters that he continued to throw while his hamstring healed. "I feel fine," he said. "I walked [three] guys, but I battled. … It was a good day. I felt normal." The Giants gave Rodriguez instant and ample support by scoring four first-inning runs. Andrew McCutchen (Zoom) belted a leadoff homer before the Giants loaded the bases against Rangers starter Drew Hutchison (Hutch) on Panik's single and walks to Posey and Brandon Belt (Bob). After Evan Longoria (Longo) chopped an infield single to score Panik, (DJ BC Raw) and Alen Hanson (El Chamaquito) launched sacrifice flies. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS The seventh-inning that Rangers slugger Joey Gallo (Pico de Gallo) clobbered off Giants reliever Reyes Moronta (Ell Tibu) was a rarity. Not only was it just the third home run Moronta allowed in 60 appearances this year, but it also was an adept job of hitting on Gallo's part. According to Statcast™, Moronta flung a fastball to Gallo that traveled at 98.2 mph with 2,526 rpm -- an enviable combination of velocity and spin. It didn't seem to matter to Gallo, though. MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY The Giants maintained their uncanny success with challenges in the first inning, when a replay review verified their assertion that (Dugg) recorded an infield single on a grounder to shortstop. Duggar showed off his considerable speed en route to first base and beat the throw from Elvis Andrus (Merulo Jr.), who fielded the ball cleanly. The reversal improved the Giants' success rate on reversed calls to 80 percent (20 of 25). UP NEXT Andrew Suarez (Andy) will attempt to rebound from his shortest outing of the season when he confronts the Rangers in Saturday's 1:05 p.m. PT rematch. Suarez worked 2 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) in the Giants' 11-4 loss at Cincinnati. Suarez is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three Interleague starts this season. He's also 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA in 10 starts at home, compared with 2-5, with a 5.55 ERA in 12 appearances on the road. He'll be opposed by Rangers left-hander Martin Perez (El de las Matas). The Athletic Buster Posey schedules season-ending hip surgery, hope to be ready by Opening Day enxt year Andrew Baggarly The Giants wore jerseys with their nicknames on the back as part of a promotion Friday night, and Buster Posey did not have to think too hard about his selection. Buster is Buster. Hasn’t Buster always been Buster? He batted third in the lineup and strapped on his shin guards and got into his squat for what was likely the final time this season. Or maybe it’ll be Saturday afternoon, depending on how he feels. It certainly won’t be later than that. Posey followed a stunner of a 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Texas Rangers at AT&T Park with news that was anticipated but no less of a punch to the diaphragm: he will undergo arthroscopic yet significant season-ending surgery on his right hip on Monday. The procedure will take place in Vail, Colorado. Noted orthopedist Dr. Mark Phillipon will perform it. Dr. Bryan Kelly, whom Posey consulted while in New York earlier this week, will . Recovery time is six to eight months – just enough time to give Posey a fighting chance at starting on Opening Day next season. Starting behind the plate on Opening Day next season. Posey’s goal is to catch again next season, and based on everything the doctors tell him, the procedure to repair a damaged labrum and shave down bone irregularities should restore him to full and pain-free function. “If we go smoothly with no hiccups, I’ll be ready to go next Opening Day,” he said. That wouldn’t be the case if Posey had persevered with the discomfort through the end of the season – something he was willing to do if the club had remained in contention. Even now, with the Giants all but drawing dead, he said he had a hard time shutting it down. “Yeah, you hesitate,” Posey said. “You don’t want to say you’re out of it till you’re out of it. Unfortunately, it makes the most sense to take care of this now and hopefully be ready Opening Day.” Posey chose the surgeons, and the course of treatment, as part of a time-consuming process over recent weeks in coordination with the Giants medical staff. Hip issues are not uncommon with catchers, especially later in life – Hall of Famer has undergone double hip replacement surgery – but active backstops who have undergone the procedure have returned to catch again. Posey cited the Reds’ as one example. Devin Mesoraco has had labrum repairs in both hips. At minimum, though, the Giants should feel compelled to cover themselves by acquiring additional catching help from the outside world this winter – even if they re-sign backup Nick Hundley. The injury most clearly affected Posey at the plate. The pain is what is robbing his swing of its rotation. That rotation is what allows him to double to the gap or clear the fence. Posey has just five home runs this season. He hit just two after the All-Star break last year. In 2016 after the break, he hit just three. “It’s an accumulation over the years,” he said, “and it got to the point this year it affected me a little more.” For four months, and probably a lot longer than that, Posey has gone to the plate and battled as best he could. “Well, I just tried to make adjustments,” he said. “Occasionally, I’d alter some swing mechanics to feel like I can clear and not get stuck. Some days are better than others and I feel more like I’m used to feeling. Other days, I feel more locked up. Hopefully, I get this done and feel more of a consistent feeling.” Often it has meant a flared single to center or right field. Occasionally, it was a line drive that split two . Buster never billed himself as a slugger. But the total lack of extra-base power, especially against the left-handed pitchers he used to obliterate, has been one of several significant drains to an offense that, in the harsh but fair words from executive vice president Brian Sabean, has been straight out of the 1960s. Sabean, of course, was the architect of that offense, trading for Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria after receiving a mandate from ownership to continue building around the franchise’s core players. But at least give Sabean credit for this: he isn’t shielding himself by counting the days on the disabled list, or rattling off the litany of injuries, or throwing up his hands and lamenting that it just wasn’t in the cards for this team to persevere to the end in what became a milquetoast National League. “We were very respectful and doubled down on our core, and for some reason, they couldn’t stay on the field, and for some reason, they weren’t playing to their baseball cards this year,” Sabean said on KNBR. “We’re more open-minded than ever — whether it’s now or especially going into the offseason — to shake things up. Guys are really playing for their place on the ’19 team in my mind right now.” That 1960s offense showed some flower power in the first inning Friday, batting around on Drew Hutchison, a pitcher for whom milquetoast would be an aspiration, while scoring four runs. Posey contributed a walk in that inning. In a two-run fourth inning, Posey contributed more. He lined an RBI single, and then he hustled from first to third, bad hip and all, when the Rangers did not hit the cutoff man on Brandon Belt’s RBI hit. Flared jeans went out of style. Even in a 1960s offense, heart and hustle do not. Even after the bullpen gave back most of the six-run lead, the Giants were set to take a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers, with the most notable news being that McCutchen did not hug anyone goodbye and Posey held together for nine innings behind the plate. It didn’t turn out that way, though. For one thing, Posey caught 10. That’s because … golly, do we really have to do this? Second baseman Joe Panik fumbled a routine grounder with two outs and two strikes in the ninth. Then Rougned Odor followed with a two-run home run off of Will Smith that shot over the arcade on a line and skimmed the water like a sandpiper. The Giants lost in the 10th when Sam Dyson, the former Ranger, walked in a run. That made a winner of Cory Gearrin, the former Giant, and yes, it officially cannot get weirder than that. Or more degrading. “Probably as tough of a loss as I can remember,” Posey said. Gearrin deserved the win for escaping his own bases-loaded situation in the eighth, when he struck out Belt and Longoria – two players who were expected to power this lineup but instead had their seasons chopped up by injuries and inconsistency. Even after Panik’s error, Bochy pointed first to the lack of a putaway punch in the eighth. “There were so many things that added up in tonight’s game,” Bochy said. “That’s what makes it so frustrating.” Sabean lamented a lineup that hasn’t scored on the road, has been “very inept” against power pitching, does not have a nose for the RBI and strikes out far too much relative to their lack of power. “We have not been any form of consistent,” he said. “Maybe a little bit more presentable to the eye at home, but we’ve got to become more dynamic. If that takes doing it with other players, we’re prepared to do that.” It might have added up to the most depressing, most embarrassing, most water cooler-kicking loss of the season. But it could be worse. The Giants could have hung around in pretender-contender mode for a few more weeks before melting away. Then they’d miss the playoffs, and be certain to miss their franchise player behind the plate on Opening Day next season. In 2019, there is yet hope: Buster could be Buster again. The Athletic Media Column: Do the Giants need another splash? If they after a big name, a note about the guy who launched them a decade ago Steve Berman In 2008, when I started my old website where I mused about some of the local teams and occasionally covered media shenanigans, the sports landscape was very different than it is today — which, I guess, one would expect, seeing as an entire decade has passed since that time. Mike Nolan was busy losing his 49ers coaching job to Mike Singletary, around the same time Lane Kiffin was getting the boot by the Raiders in favor of Tom Cable. The Warriors were burrowing their way back to irrelevance after the fleeting comet known as “We Believe” reminded many local residents that an NBA team plays in Oakland. The Sharks were good, but you could fit my pathetic amount of hockey knowledge into a puck. The A’s were consistently average or below, and the Giants were slowly pulling themselves out from the under enormous shadow of . Little did the Giants know, they were about to experience tremendous good fortune. It didn’t matter much that they weren’t postseason contenders at the time, because every non- Sharks team in the region was in the same boat. Then appeared, and the Giants suddenly had the perfect player — one who was not only one of the game’s most dominant pitchers, but someone who was unconventional yet approachable, a kid adored by youngsters, seniors, and everyone in between, not unlike Stephen Curry. Lincecum was everything the Giants had hoped would be, but he was even better than Zito during his best seasons with the A’s, at a fraction of the cost. The Giants had their Bonds replacement, something not even their front office could’ve imagined when they took Lincecum 10th overall. I won’t get too far into the weeds about the Giants’ current situation — we have plenty of writers at The Athletic who already do a great job performing that service. The team is clearly in a transition stage, much like they were a decade ago. Except now, the pressure is exponentially higher. When I started writing in 2008, one of my pet theories was that the Giants could become “Red Sox West,” meaning they could maintain a top-5 payroll and build a perennial contender … if they so desired. Now, the Giants’ payroll is in the $200 million range, right up there with the game’s biggest spenders. With World Series titles came greater expectations. The A’s are a great story, which hasn’t translated to the box office quite yet, but could help swing a little momentum toward a new stadium in Oakland if more private investors are tempted to come forward. The 49ers are primed to be a hot ticket for the first time since leaving Candlestick, and — last but certainly not least — the Warriors are the top franchise in North America and will move into the Giants’ neighborhood in one year. At the end of this season, some key Giants employees will either resign, get reassigned, or be asked to leave. Fans will want changes, and reasons to spend gobs of money to watch this team, and the prospect of a healthy Buster Posey after hip surgery won’t be enough. And with all of this pressure, the Giants may revert back to old habits and try to add a new, headline- grabbing “face of the franchise” type via free agency. might not be in the decision-maker’s chair anymore, but has the Giants’ method of attracting fans with big, recognizable personalities really changed? They already tried to land , and he (rightly, in hindsight) said no thanks to a team he thought was a non-contender. is the next obvious target, and perhaps the Giants can land him if they outbid the usual suspects, but the obvious comparisons to Bonds would probably doom that signing from the start, since that’s an impossible standard and Harper is as streaky as he is telegenic. The Giants could afford to be patient a decade ago, because what else was there? A quarterback battle between Shaun Hill and J.T. O’Sullivan? Corey Maggette essentially replacing Baron Davis? But now they are the victims of their own success, with several area teams either on the rise (49ers, A’s) or on top of the world (Warriors). One of the reasons covering the media is an important niche of sports journalism (in my opinion) is that teams are greatly affected by media coverage. Bonds produced headlines, along with a reason to come to the park and/or drop everything and watch whenever he came to the plate. Lincecum was also a headline-driver who came with his own catchphrase (“Happy Tim Lincecum Day”) that reminded Giants fans that attending a game could be an electrifying experience once every five days. The current Giants are boring, there’s no obvious star coming through the pipeline next year unless Joey Bart arrives way ahead of schedule, and the sellout streak is a distant memory. The Giants know all of this. If they let the pressure to stay relevant get to them this offseason, and they either sign Harper (or Manny Machado) or trade for more aging stars in hopes of selling a few extra tickets, instead of adhering to a methodical plan based heavily on drafting and developing, they’re going to be in the same mess they found themselves in when they signed Zito. Unless another Lincecum comes in and saves the day, anyway. Media Morsels — It’s tough to get to know a broadcaster through a handful of innings over a weekend series — especially a series as dreary as that one in Cincinnati, but fill-in Rich Waltz didn’t seem to fit the Giants’ announcing mold. His voice isn’t as distinctive as their current set of play-by-play broadcasters, and he may be a little too buttoned-up for this particular audience. From Jon Miller to the three other main guys working now, Giants fans have come to expect a sense of humor from their announcers. However, maybe Waltz has a flair for one-liners and the ability/willingness to get silly on occasion and I’m not being fair; once again, I’m going from a very limited sample size. — I didn’t get a chance to listen to the rest of the show, but Gary Radnich’s opening segment on KNBR with Brian Murphy on Friday (Radnich’s last day at KRON) was some of the best radio I’ve heard in years. It was a whirlwind of stories, jokes and asides — frenetic at times, but chaos is generally the realm in which Radnich has always thrived and Murphy kept up with him step for step. — KHTK 1140 in Sacramento, which is part of the team’s network of radio affiliates, claims to be filling a hole that A’s fans have been complaining about all season. — For those of you from out of the area who asked about how they can watch NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Letters to 87,” the half-hour documentary about how Dwight Clark’s “The Catch” touched so many, here you go. You can read my review (no spoilers, I promise) here. NBC Sports Bay Area Giants catcher Buster Posey says he will have hip surgery Monday NBC Sports Bay Area staff Buster Posey knew he was due for season-ending hip surgery soon. Now, he knows just how soon. The Giants catcher told reporters following Friday's extra-innings loss to the Texas Rangers that he will undergo surgery on his ailing right hip Monday in Vail, Colorado. Senior director of athletic training Dave Groeschner told Posey that the surgery has a recovery time of six-to-eight months. "I think [the surgery] goes smoothly -- hopefully with no hiccups -- I'll be ready to go next Opening Day," Posey said. Dr. Marc Philippon will perform the surgery, which will repair Posey's labrum and remove bone spurs, according the catcher. He said the decision was made "a few days" ago, and San Francisco's standings position played a role in the timing. "You don't want to say you're out of it until you're out of it, but unfortunately where are, I think it makes the most sense to get this taken care of now," Posey said. The Giants ended Friday nine games back of first place in the NL West, as well as the second Wild Card spot. Posey has dealt with hip discomfort all season. He skipped the All-Star Game in Washington in order to receive a cortisone injection in his right hip, but as Giants Insider Alex Pavlovic noted Tuesday, that hasn't led to better numbers. The 31-year-old is slashing .284/.357/.382 in 2018, and all three marks are the worst of any big- league season in which he's played at least 100 games. His five homers are also a career-low, and the former MVP hasn't gone yard in just over two months. Posey said he is hopeful that surgery will allow him to rediscover his previous form. "Everything that I've researched and heard is that the outcome is generally pretty good," he said. "It can get you back to getting that range in your hip that's pretty vital for hitting and squatting." Posey told reporters that he is not sure if he will play on Saturday, his last chance to do so before flying out Sunday ahead of his surgery. NBC Sports Bay Area Giants blow six-run lead, drop homestand opener to Rangers Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Rougned Odor hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning, Robinson Chirinos drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th and the Texas Rangers rallied from six runs down to beat the 7-6 on Friday night. The Rangers trailed 6-4 and were down to their last strike when Shin-Soo Choo reached on second baseman Joe Panik’s fielding error. Odor homered off closer Will Smith in the next at- bat, sending a shot over the right field wall and into McCovey Cove. Odor’s 16th homer was his first splash hit and the second in Rangers history. Mitch Moreland had the other on June 9, 2012. Texas scored the go-ahead run off former Rangers reliever Sam Dyson (3-3). Chirinos drew a four-pitch walk that scored Jurickson Profar, who started the rally with a one-out single. Former Giants reliever Corey Gearrin (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief. He was a Giant when he collected his last win on July 1 against Arizona. San Francisco had a chance to extend a 6-4 lead in the eighth, but Gearrin escaped a based-loaded, one-out situation, striking out Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria. Giants starter Derrick Rodriguez had another solid outing. The 26-year-old left-hander and son of Hall of Famer Ivan Rodriguez struck out four and gave up two runs, three hits and three walks. Jose Leclerc pitched a scoreless 10th inning for his seventh . The Rangers trailed 6-0 going into the sixth, when Choo had a two-run single. Joey Gallo came up lame leaving the batter’s box after his broken bat single off reliever Mark Melancon scored with two outs in the eighth that made it 6-4. Gallo left the game for pinch-runner Carlos Tocci. Gallo hit his 34th home run leading off the seventh on Giants reliever Reyes Moronta’s first pitch. OLD HANDS Pudge Rodriguez was on hand to watch his son pitch, but he apparently didn’t come ready to contribute. A popup foul ball came right to Rodriguez behind home plate, but the 13-time winner let it fall through his hands. Derrick Rodriguez laughed when he realized pops had let one get away. TRAINER’S ROOM Rangers: RHP Bartolo Colon (lower back strain) was placed on the disabled list retroactive to Tuesday. ... INF Hanser Alberto was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday in a corresponding move. Giants: RHP Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder tightness), who has been on the DL since July 15, experienced soreness in his shoulder pitching on a rehab assignment game with Double-A Richmond on Wednesday, manager Bruce Bochy said. The 33-year-old was scheduled to meet with team doctors Friday evening. “A little concerned to be honest, he’s got some soreness,” Bochy said. “He’s not real close.” . RHP Casey Kelly was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento after Thursday night’s game. The Giants activated Rodriguez in a corresponding move. UP NEXT LHP Martin Perez (0-2, 6.93 ERA) will pitch for Texas on Saturday. The 27-year-old is winless in eight starts going back to April 29. Giants rookie LHP Andrew Suarez (4-9, 4.68) is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA through four starts in August. The 25-year-old is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in three interleague starts this season.