SF Giants Press Clips Saturday, March 11, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ Bumgarner, Cueto on target to open season John Shea SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Not that there was any doubt, but Madison Bumgarner will be the Opening Day starter for the fourth straight year. The Giants play the Diamondbacks in Phoenix on April 2. Johnny Cueto is in line to pitch the next game, two days later. Manager Bruce Bochy arranged his spring training rotation so that Cueto, who’ll make his first Cactus League start Saturday at Scottsdale Stadium, follows Bumgarner. Bumgarner made his fourth start Friday and gave up two unearned runs in four innings in the Giants’ 7-6 loss to Cleveland. Cueto will pitch no more than two innings Saturday. “He’s got time to get ready,” Bochy said of Cueto, who was late to training camp because he was with his ill father but threw batting practice in the Dominican Republican. He also threw 65 pitches on a back field Wednesday. Meantime, Bumgarner likes his progression. He has added an inning to every start and got a lot of work out of the stretch because the leadoff man reached base in his first two innings. “It’s good I got to get a lot of work from the stretch today,” Bumgarner said. “I got to be a little familiar with that position.” 1 Two outs into Bumgarner’s final inning, third baseman Gordon Beckham made a fielding error, and Bradley Zimmer hit a blooper to left-center that fell in front of a diving Mac Williamson . Zimmer got a run-scoring double and scored on Nellie Rodriguez ’s single. Bumgarner will bat for the first time this spring in his next start. WBC update: Mark Melancon and Jeff Samardzija will be added to the second-round player pool if Team USA advances past the opening round. The roster is chosen from the player pool, and there were no guarantees either Giants pitcher would be selected. “I would really be interested in going,” Melancon said. “I’m just very thankful the Giants support me and understand the opportunity to represent my country in a Classic that’s already exciting.” Bumgarner was asked to play in the WBC and declined. He’s not ruling out future WBCs. “I’d love to do it. It’s tough,” he said. “Obviously, our main concern is here. It’s a long year. and I think (participating in the WBC) is a little tougher for their pitchers. I mean, it’s tough on anybody, but I feel it’s an easier transition on position players.” Coach improving: One after another, players and coaches walked by Jose Alguacil in the Giants’ clubhouse to greet the first-base coach and wish him well. “I feel great. I mean it. I feel really, really good,” Alguacil said six days after he underwent surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix to fix a broken nose and close a laceration on the left side of his face. Alguacil, 44, also suffered fractures of the eye socket when hit by a ball at Surprise Stadium, the result of a check swing by Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier . Alguacil was sitting on a folding chair alongside Bochy and other coaches, including 83-year-old Joey Amalfitano . He said he never lost consciousness but is being treated for a possible concussion. Swelling is down around the redness in his left eye. He could be back on the job in a week and perhaps wear a mask. “When I went down,” Alguacil said, “that was the first thing I said: ‘Thank God it was me and 2 not Joey or Bruce.’” Alguacil is sensitive to sunlight and bright indoor lights and was to see a doctor Friday. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @JohnSheaHey Indians 7, Giants 6 Notable: Brandon Belt hit a monster home run that cleared the grassy hill in right-center. ... Jimmy Rollins hit his first homer of the spring, a two-run shot. ... The Giants had runners at the corners with no outs in the ninth inning. But Michael Morse , Kyle Blanks and Chris Marrero struck out to end the game against Indians prospect Adam Plutko . Marrero has four homers, two walk-offs. ... Mark Melancon pitched his fifth scoreless inning, but this one was rough. The Indians loaded the bases with a single, hit batsman and walk before Melancon struck out Erik Kratz looking on a 3-2 curve — “why not?” Melancon said — and Daniel Robertson was retired on a fielder’s choice. ... Conor Gillaspie was out with a sinus infection. Quotable: “A guy like that’s been around a while and works hard and knows what to do out there. It’s a whole lot easier to adjust to guys like that. It seems to be going pretty good.” — Madison Bumgarner on throwing to new backup catcher Nick Hundley Saturday’s games: Giants vs. Reds at Scottsdale Stadium, 12:05 p.m. Giants vs. Diamondbacks at Scottsdale (Talking Stick), 12:10 p.m. 3 San Francisco Chronicle Giants coach Jose Alguacil returns to clubhouse, feel “great” John Shea SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - One after another, players and coaches walked by Jose Alguacil in the Giants’ clubhouse to greet the first-base coach and wish him well. “I feel great. I mean it. I feel really, really good,” Alguacil said six days after he underwent surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix to fix a broken nose and close a laceration on the left side of his face. Alguacil, 44, also sustained fractures of the eye socket when hit by a ball at Surprise Stadium, the result of a check swing by Kansas City’s Hunter Dozier. Alguacil was sitting on a folding chair alongside manager Bruce Bochy and other coaches, including 83-year-old Joey Amalfitano. He said he never lost consciousness but is being treated for a possible concussion. Swelling is down around the redness in his left eye. He could be back on the job in a week and perhaps wear a mask. “When I went down,” Alguacil said, “that was the first thing I said: ‘Thank God it was me and not Joey or Bruce.’ ” Alguacil was hit between the eyes, and his prescription glasses caused the laceration. The glasses, he said, are “intact.” He’s sensitive to sunlight and bright indoor lights and was to see a doctor Friday. “I’ve been great,” he said. “I haven’t had any headaches or taken any medication for pain. Even on Day 1. It surprises everyone I’m doing so well to this point. I’m lucky.” 4 San Jose Mercury News Brandon Crawford sparks Team USA comeback on Colombia in WBC Daniel Mano Brandon Crawford broke up a no-hitter Friday before the United Sates rallied to beat Columbia 3-2 in a World Baseball Classic pool play game. Crawford’s two-out single in the sixth stopped Jose Quintana’s no-no. The Giants shortstop came around to score on a double by Adam Jones, who later hit a walk-off RBI single to give the Americans an opening win. Crawford’s wife, Jalynne, posted pictures of the Giants shortstop celebrating the win with her and their kids. Beside Jones and Crawford, a key player Friday for USA was Nolan Arenado. He beat the throw to first on a wild-pitch strikeout in the sixth, allowing a run to score, and caught a liner before firing to first to end Columbia’s rally in the eighth. San Jose Mercury News Melancon, Samardzija added to USA player pool for WBC’s later rounds Carl Steward SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — New Giants closer Mark Melancon has taken on a heavy workload this spring. He pitched in his sixth game on Friday and notched his sixth scoreless inning, even though he had to throw a lot of pitches to do it. “I think I’m leading the league in innings,” he said jokingly, quickly adding that he’s wanted the work. Melancon could be getting more work soon. He received a call Thursday from Joe Torre, who is serving as the general manager for U.S. team in the World Baseball Classic, asking the reliever if he’d be willing to be added to the player pool for at least the second round. Giants starter Jeff Samardzija received the same offer for the semifinals and could be a late addition as well if the U.S. team advances that far. After conferring with manager Bruce Bochy and Giants front office executives about the opportunity, Melancon gave Torre the thumbs-up, as did Samardzija. “I’d really be interested in going,” Melancon said. “What an opportunity. Obviously, I’m very thankful the Giants are on board and understand the opportunity there to be able to represent 5 my country.” Even though there is no guarantee Melancon would pitch in the second round during the San Diego regional, the likelihood is pretty strong that he would. The pitcher revealed that he’d been asked to be on the USA squad as far back as December, but declined because he’d just signed with the Giants and didn’t think the timing was right. “I want my allegiances here,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I knew the guys and they knew me. The whole program was set up to be successful for the season.” Melancon was unsure if he was going to be an alternate to the U.S. team for the second round or whether he was certain to be part of the active roster.