SF Giants Press Clips Sunday, May 21, 2017 -...

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SF Giants Press Clips

Sunday, May 21, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

Giants win 13-inning thriller on big Arroyo hit

Henry Schulman

ST. LOUIS — Over a 162-game season, not every game can be compelling. Some are so-so,

others truly dreadful.

On Saturday night, the Giants and Cardinals played a fantastic one. Nobody scored until

Christian Arroyo hit a two-run, bases-loaded double in the 13th inning on the 12th pitch of his

at-bat against lefty Kevin Siegrist. Pinch-hitter Nick Hundley added a sacrifice fly, and the Giants

held on to win 3-1 to ensure a series victory.

The Giants also won for the seventh time in eight games.

Matt Cain faces Adam Wainwright in Sunday’s finale. The forecast is sunny, good news for both

teams after another rain delay Saturday, this one for 42 minutes after the 10th inning.

Arroyo, in a 5-for-32 slump, settled it with the at-bat of his big-league career. With one out, he

fouled off five two-strike pitches, including three with a full count, before he drove the ball into

the left-center gap.

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Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford scored on Arroyo’s first extra-base hit since his three-run

double in the ninth beat the Mets in New York on May 10. Eduardo Nuñez scored on Hundley’s

sacrifice fly.

With consecutive singles, Posey, Crawford and Nuñez matched the Giants’ entire hit total from

the game’s first 12 innings.

Mark Melancon collected his second save of the series despite allowing a two-out RBI single by

Stephen Piscotty.

Starters Jeff Samardzija and Carlos Martinez pitched a throwback duel. Samardzija allowed five

hits and struck out eight in eight innings, and Josh Osich, Derek Law, Hunter Strickland and the

Giants’ defense continued to keep the Cardinals at bay.

Martinez held the Giants to two singles in his first nine-inning start in the majors.

The game spun scoreless into extra innings and remained so when a thunderstorm forced the

players off the field after Giants center fielder Denard Span ended the 10th inning with the best

of three great defensive plays.

With two outs, nobody on and Law pitching, Span outraced an Aledmys Diaz drive over his

head, caught the ball and crashed into the center-field fence with his right shoulder, just as he

did when he sprained it in Colorado and landed on the disabled list. He did not appear injured

this time.

Manager Bruce Bochy had no choice but to hit for Samardzija in the ninth inning of a scoreless

game on the road.

The Giants did not score, so Bochy sent Osich to the mound to face one hitter, left-handed Matt

Carpenter, who drove a ball over left fielder Nuñez’s head and off the wall.

The ball caromed so far toward the infield, forcing Nuñez to chase it, that Carpenter dared try

for a leadoff triple.

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But when Nuñez finally reached the ball, he threw a two-hopper to Arroyo, who tagged

Carpenter for a potential game-saving out. Law then struck out Jedd Gyorko and Yadier Molina

to send a 0-0 game into the 10th.

Crawford made one of his better catches to start the first inning. Dexter Fowler led off with a

Texas Leaguer that Crawford caught with a slide as deep into right-center field as a shortstop

ever strays.

Martinez held the Giants to singles by Joe Panik in the fourth and Nuñez in the eighth. The 25-

year-old had an edge on the gun, hitting 98 mph, but Samardzija continued to pound the zone

and mix his fastballs and offspeed pitches effectively.

Coming off his first win of the year, Samardzija established a personal best with his fourth

consecutive walk-free start. He has faced 133 hitters without a walk since the Padres’ Jabari

Blash worked one on April 28.

San Francisco Chronicle

Now healthy, Bryan Morris contributing in Giants’ bullpen

Henry Schulman

ST. LOUIS — Reliever Bryan Morris had a worse spring than he could have imagined after the

Giants invited him to try to make the club on a minor-league contract. He was sidelined by back

spasms. When those subsided, he was throwing batting practice to prepare for the Cactus

League and his right foot was broken by Juan Ciriaco’s comebacker.

When Morris’ foot healed and he went to Triple-A to pitch in rehab games, Ciriaco became a

teammate.

“When I got to Sacramento he apologized to me for 10 minutes,” Morris said. “I told him, ‘Hey, I

was the one who threw the pitch.’”

Morris might write an “all’s well that end’s well” tale for the Giants. The 30-year-old right-

hander has become an effective and trusted reliever since his April 30 promotion.

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Morris allowed five runs in two innings over his first two games, but that was understandable.

He had pitched in only five minor-league games, two at Class A San Jose and three at Triple-A

Sacramento, before the Giants brought him up to replace an ineffective Neil Ramirez.

Since May 6, Morris has pitched six times without allowing a run. He pitched three frames in

extras during the 17-inning win against the Reds on May 12 and earned victories in both recent

road comebacks by the Giants, the May 10 game at New York and Friday night’s at Busch

Stadium. He used a power sinker to retire the Cardinals in order in the eighth, striking

out Yadier Molina and Aledmys Diaz.

Morris had some good years with the Pirates and Marlins. He missed the final four months of

the 2016 season after back surgery, which allowed the Giants to swoop in and sign him to a

minor-league deal that former teammate Mark Melancon inadvertently announced during a

conference call after the closer signed.

“I did everything I could to come back at the end of last year, but it wasn’t in the cards,” Morris

said. “Fortunately for me, this opportunity came up.”

Briefly: Pitcher Matt Moore on Eduardo Nuñez’s helmet flying off his head every time he runs

the bases: “They make chin straps.” … Buster Posey’s hitless start Friday was his second in May.

… The Cubs changed their rotation for their four-game series against the Giants after a Saturday

rainout. The Giants will open the series Monday night against John Lackey, whom they were

not supposed to face, and will miss Jake Arrieta, who was supposed to pitch Thursday.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Leading off

Homer note: The Giants are the last team in the majors not to have a three-run homer. The

Rockies, surprisingly, did not have one until Friday.

— Henry Schulman

On deck

Sunday

at Cardinals

11:15 a.m. NBCSBA

Cain (3-1) vs. Wainwright (3-3)

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Monday

at Cubs

5:05 p.m. NBCSBA

Blach (1-2) vs.

Lackey (4-3)

Tuesday

at Cubs

4:05 p.m. NBCSBA

Cueto (4-3) vs. Hendricks (3-2)

Leading off



— Henry Schulman

Leading off



San Jose Mercury News

Christian Arroyo’s tenacious double sends surging Giants to 13-inning win over Cardinals

Andrew Baggarly

ST. LOUIS – Jeff Samardzija held off the Cardinals while throwing eight innings of brilliance. The

Giants defense made making one rally snuffing play after another. A passing thunderstorm

accounted for another 42-minutes of delayed gratification Saturday night.

Then it was Christian Arroyo’s turn to draw out the drama in a scoreless game that extended to

12 innings. The 21-year-old rookie worked a 12-pitch at-bat that resulted in a two-run double,

pinch hitter Nick Hundley followed with a sacrifice fly and the Giants fought for a 3-1 victory

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over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

For all their pratfalls this season, the Giants are 5-2 in extra-inning games. And every night like

this reinforces their internal belief that they have the pieces to wedge their way back into the

National League playoff picture this season.

Mark Melancon, despite a recent stay on the disabled list, pitched for a second consecutive day

and recorded a save while allowing a run as the Giants won for the seventh time in eight games.

It took Samardzija’s dominance, plenty of defensive highlights and some clever bullpen work to

advance the Giants into the 12th inning despite collecting all of two singles in the first 11.

They broke through against Cardinals left-hander Kevin Siegrist. Buster Posey, Brandon

Crawford and Eduardo Nuñez hit consecutive singles with one out. Then Arroyo flicked away six

two-strike offerings, and took two others out of the zone before getting a changeup that he

drove off the left field fence.

It was more evidence of what Giants manager Bruce Bochy described prior to the game, when

he credited Arroyo with staying even keeled despite hitting just .179 in his previous 11 games.

The game winner came long after Samardzija threw the last of his 105 pitches, but there was no

minimizing his contribution.

The Giants’ right-hander struck out eight in eight innings while extending an eyebrow-raising

streak without issuing a walk. His last free pass came on April 28. Since then, he has faced 133

batters over 34 2/3 innings, striking out 40 of them.

One more time: 40 strikeouts, no walks.

But Samardzija only has one win to show for his labor this month, and he didn’t receive a

decision Saturday night.

Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez pitched even quicker and cleaner innings while throwing

a knee-bending slider off upper-90s heat. The Giants managed just two hits in nine innings

against him.

It might not have mattered given the way Samardzija was pitching, but he might have caught a

break when the Cardinals traded Matt Adams to the Atlanta Braves for a minor leaguer prior to

the first pitch. Adams was 6 for 11 with two doubles and a homer in his career against him.

Samardzija mixed fastballs with sliders and cutters, and when he missed off the plate, they

were competitive pitches that enticed an aggressive Cardinals lineup to expand the zone.

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The Giants did the little things behind him, too. The Cardinals had runners at the corners with

two outs in the fourth inning when first baseman Brandon Belt backpedaled, allowing Jedd

Gyorko to get a running start off the bag. It was a good tradeoff. Belt was in perfect position to

field Yadier Molina’s hard grounder, and Samardzija, despite a late break, had no trouble

winning a race to cover the bag.

They set a defensive tone to start the game, when Crawford ventured into no man’s land and

caught Dexter Fowler’s blooper about as far into right-center field as a shortstop can catch a

ball.

Samardzija remained the aggressor in the late innings. He struck out Fowler on a called fastball

at the top of the zone in the sixth, then followed with a backdoor cutter that froze Stephen

Piscotty.

The bullpen only began to stir in the eighth, after Aledmys Diaz reached on a single up the

middle and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. But Samardzija sopped up the inning when Fowler

grounded out and Piscotty flied out.

But Martinez was just as good, and Molina and Posey were doing more framing than an Aaron

Brothers Art Mart.

The Giants needed to execute in the field to send the game to extra innings, as Nuñez

recovered from an inelegant attempt to catch Matt Carpenter’s double in left field and threw

him out trying for third.

One night after left-hander Steven Okert issued a damaging leadoff walk, it was left-hander

Josh Osich who replaced Samardzija to start the ninth for a one-batter assignment against

Carpenter.

Nuñez left a crime scene outline on the wall as he totally mistimed his leaping attempt. But the

ball caromed straight back toward the infield, and he was able to collect it before his two-hop

throw was close enough to third base for Arroyo to sweep a tag.

Oddly enough, Arroyo spent a half-hour on the field prior to batting practice with coaches Ron

Wotus and Jose Alguacil working on his tag positioning as he received throws at second and

third.

The Giants benefited from yet another dynamic play to advance past the 10th inning, as center

fielder Denard Span’s right shoulder absorbed a collision with the wall while hanging onto a

deep, two-out drive off the bat of Aledmys Diaz. It was the same shoulder that Span sprained

April 22 while making a wall-crashing catch at Coors Field.

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Span remained in the game and singled in the 12th inning.


Giants Notes

Andrew Baggarly

ST. LOUIS – For several seasons while Angel Pagan oscillated between the disabled list and the

active roster, the Giants posted starkly different records with and without him.

They were 306-248 when Pagan was in the lineup during his five seasons, and 123-133 when he

wasn’t. Maybe that wasn’t a reflection on Pagan so much as the Giants’ reliance on a stable

presence in the leadoff spot. Every team can use a catalyst atop the lineup. It’s particularly

important for the Giants, given the close games they play in their ballpark and their need to

score without the long ball. When you must string together hits, you can’t have a lineup of

station-to-station runners.

You could argue that the Giants’ poor production in the leadoff spot this season has hampered

the offense more than any other factor. Their 16 runs scored from the leadoff spot ranks as the

fewest in the major leagues.

You also could argue that Denard Span is the new Angel Pagan.

The Giants are 6-1 with Span in the leadoff spot since he returned from the disabled list May 11

because of a sprained right shoulder. In that time, he is 13 for 34 with a double, a triple, two

home runs and six RBIs in seven games. He hit a pair of RBI singles in Friday’s 6-5 comeback win

over the St. Louis Cardinals.

And yes, he has scored four runs in those eight games. That’s after the Giants received just a

dozen runs from the leadoff spot while winning 12 of their first 35 games.

“He’s throwing out great at-bats,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s driving the ball, and

sure, it surprised us. He only had a couple games in A-ball (on a rehab assignment).”

Span figures to factor into the remainder of this road trip because the Giants are due to face

five right-handers in the remaining six days, with the Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez up next.

—

Christian Arroyo was out early with bench coach Ron Wotus to work on his positioning while

taking throws at third and second. A few times since Arroyo’s promotion, the ball beat a runner

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to the bag but the rookie wasn’t quick enough with the tag.

Not everyone can have the reflexes of a Javier Baez. But Wotus explained that positioning can

be even more important than having quick hands. Young players are often so eager to accept a

throw that they catch it in front of the base and have to reach back. And of course, the ball

travels faster than the glove can.

It’s clear that the Giants have no hesitation putting a lot of Arroyo’s plate – something they

usually try to avoid with younger players. They’ve started him at three infield spots, and they

keep throwing him out there even though he’s hitting .179 over his last 11 games.

“He’s had his ups and downs but he’s dealt with it,” Bochy said. “He’s had his 0-fers, and he’s

dealt with it as a major leaguer should. … It separates your average players from your good

players.”

The next adjustment Arroyo must make: having more consistent at-bats against right-handed

pitchers. He’s batting .270 against lefties but just .189 against right-handers.

—

Not much new on Hunter Pence. He’s hitting off a tee and playing catch but hasn’t tested his

hamstring by running yet. Until he does that, there’s no sense guessing about when he’ll rejoin

the active roster. He’s eligible on Tuesday.

—

The Giants took the Cardinals’ slot to take batting practice on the field in the hopes of beating

the thunderstorms. Now it looks as if the weather will arrive later Saturday night. Scattered

storms should move in after 8 p.m. Central time, or roughly two hours after the first pitch –

hopefully long enough so that a delay wouldn’t knock out a starting pitcher.

The Cubs wasted no time postponing their game with Milwaukee today, which will alter their

pitching rotation for next week’s series against the Giants at Wrigley Field. The Giants now will

get John Lackey instead of Jake Arrieta.

—

Here are the lineups for the game, which will be broadcast on Fox with Dodgers announcer Joe

Davis and color man A.J. Pierzynski on the call.

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An experience hand begins to emerge in Giants bullpen

Andrew Baggarly

ST. LOUIS – In his introductory news conference after signing a $62 million contract, a sum he

commanded because of his All-Star track record as a closer, Mark Melancon stepped in front of

reporters.

And he blew it.

He dropped the news that right-hander Bryan Morris, his former bullpen mate with the

Pittsburgh Pirates, had an agreement to join him with the Giants. It was an honest mistake.

Melancon, in his excitement, didn’t realize that the contract was still pending medicals.

“We actually had an agreement before Mark signed,” Morris said. “But when he announced it,

yeah, I wasn’t expecting him to do that. I was in Arizona. I was about to take my physical.”

It was an important physical, since Morris had back surgery last June that wiped out his season.

Now almost a year removed from that procedure, followed by a freak injury this spring when he

fractured his foot, Morris is finally hitting his stride. He flashed his power sinker in the eighth

inning Friday night to hold a one-run deficit, and ended up getting the victory when the Giants

rallied in the ninth for a 6-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Melancon pitched the ninth and, in his return from the disabled list, recorded the save.

Afterwards, Melancon said that his elbow tendonitis had subsided and he felt 100 percent on

the mound. He was much more eager to talk about Morris, who is emerging as a late-inning

force in a bullpen that has been inconsistent and short on experience.

“Nasty,” Melancon said. “That’s the Bryan Morris I know, and I’ve been with him for awhile.

That power sinker is a really good pitch.”

Morris is unscored upon in his last six appearances, holding opponents to a .160 average and

striking out seven while walking one in 7 2/3 innings. He has picked up two wins over that

stretch. He also pitched three shutout innings to help the Giants prevail in their 17-inning

victory over the Cincinnati Reds last Saturday.

It’s not hard to see Morris, 30, becoming a part of the setup staff and pitching in more

leveraged situations.

“I came up a little sooner than they wanted – just three innings at Triple-A – and my first three

or four outings here, I was still building up,” Morris said. “This is basically my spring training.

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Now I’m feeling more like myself, and hopefully it continues to trend that way.”

When teams assemble their spring training clubhouses, they sign three types of non-roster

invitees. You have players that you intend to fill holes on your Triple-A roster, and only appear

in the majors as a backup to Plan B. You have your lotto-ticket players, who have shown flashes

of being a difference maker but haven’t been consistent or healthy. Then you have players that,

if you’ve evaluated them correctly, you believe will fill important roles on your club from

opening day.

The Giants had two of those latter minor league free agents in camp this spring, and although

neither made the opening day roster, both are on the team now: outfielder Justin Ruggiano and

Morris.

Morris said he had been bothered by back issues dating to 2014 and finally underwent surgery

to treat a herniated disc. He hoped to make it back by the end of last season, but that wasn’t in

the cards. So he figured he would have to sign a non-guaranteed deal.

He had some minor back discomfort in the spring and the Giants took no chances, which is why

he sat out four days and then found himself throwing batting practice on a back field as a final

test before he would return to Cactus League games.

On that back field, he threw a pitch that minor leaguer Juan Ciriaco lined off his right foot.

“When I got to Sacramento, he was apologizing for 10 minutes,” Morris said. “I told him,

`Really, it’s OK.’”

And it’s getting better all the time.

MLB.com

Arroyo’s hit gives Giants win in epic fuel

Jenifer Langosch and Nate Latsch

ST. LOUIS -- In a game where the Giants had already outlasted Carlos Martinez, rookie third

baseman Christian Arroyo capped a 12-pitch at-bat against Cardinals reliever Kevin

Siegrist with a two-run double to help San Francisco steal a 3-1, 13-inning win at Busch Stadium

on Saturday.

The Giants went 12 innings without advancing a runner into scoring position. But when they

finally did, they capitalized. A string of three successive one-out singles by San Francisco put

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Siegrist in a pickle, and he couldn't get out of it against Arroyo. The 21-year-old fouled off seven

pitches before lining a changeup off the wall to plate the game's first two runs. Arroyo, who had

never tallied a hit longer than 319 feet off a changeup, sent this one 387 feet for his first career

extra-base hit off that pitch.

Full Game Coverage

After a sacrifice fly by Nick Hundley padded the lead, closer Mark Melancon came in to collect

his second save in as many nights.

Though neither factored in the decision, Giants starter Jeff Samardzija and Martinez both

dazzled with their strongest individual performances of the season. They became the first

opposing starters to each complete eight scoreless innings in a game this season, and Martinez

went one better by finishing nine for the first time in his career. He allowed two hits.

Samardzija scattered five.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Too greedy: Some reckless baserunning from Matt Carpenter ran the Cardinals out of a

potential game-winning rally in the ninth. With Samardzija out, Carpenter lined a ball off the

left-field wall to lead off the ninth against reliever Josh Osich. He wasn't content with a standup

double, however, and tried to stretch it into a three-base hit. But Giants left fielder Eduardo

Nunez recovered in time to chase down the long carom and easily threw Carpenter out. It

marked the fourth time this season that Carpenter has been out trying to advance an extra

base.

Strong relief: Giants reliever Hunter Strickland contributed two scoreless innings and helped

push the game into the 13th by stranding a pair of runners in the 12th. Singles by Jedd

Gyorko and Greg Garcia brought Randal Grichuk up with the winning run in scoring position.

Strickland struck him out on three pitches. The Giants limited the Cardinals to 1-for-7 with a

runner in scoring position Saturday and twice stranded the go-ahead run at third.

WHAT'S NEXT

Giants: Right-hander Matt Cain (3-1, 4.04 ERA) starts the final game of the series Sunday, with

first pitch scheduled for 11:15 a.m. PT. Cain is 2-5 with a 6.19 ERA in 12 appearances against the

Cardinals and is 0-3 with a 7.62 ERA at Busch Stadium.

Cardinals: The Cardinals will close out an eight-game homestand with Sunday's 1:15 p.m. CT

game against the Giants. Adam Wainwright draws the start and will be seeking to build upon

his best performance of the season. Wainwright threw seven scoreless innings last Sunday to

earn his third straight victory.

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MLB.com

Cain looks to find road to success vs. Cardinals

Alaina Getzenberg

When the Giants and Cardinals meet Sunday in the teams' series finale, both starting pitchers

will come into the game with victories in their previous outings. For right-hander Adam

Wainwright, his ninth start of the year will be an attempt to pick up his fourth consecutive win,

while right-hander Matt Cain will be searching for his second straight win.

Cain is coming off a history-making performance against the Dodgers last Tuesday, when he

reached 2,000 innings for his career and became the 12th pitcher in Giants history to that mark.

He allowed one run on five hits and three walks in an 8-4 victory and is coming into the game

with a 4.04 ERA and 1.46 WHIP.

Full Game Coverage

He will look to make a different kind of history this weekend when he attempts to find some

success at Busch Stadium, where he is 0-3 in his career and holds a 7.62 ERA, the highest in any

ballpark where he has made more than one start. Cain has struggled on the road this season as

well and has a 7.32 ERA compared to a 1.19 ERA at AT&T Park.

Wainwright has had similar difficulties against the Giants with a 5-7 overall record and two

losses against them in 2016. He is coming off his best performance of the season in last week's

victory over Jake Arrieta and the Cubs, despite only throwing 56 of 102 pitches for strikes.

He will look to keep things moving in the right direction and improve his 5.31 ERA this season.

Wainwright's career performance in May supports him coming out strong as he has a 3.49 ERA

and is 27-14, his highest win count in any month.

Things to know about this game

• Yadier Molina will look to continue his recent offensive success and extend his 10-game

hitting streak in the matchup against the Giants. The catcher is also in the midst of a 15-game

on-base streak.

• History will be made no matter the outcome of Sunday's game. Wainwright will tie Al

Hrabosky for 11th on the Cardinals all-time games pitched list (329) with the start and will need

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just one more to tie Larry Jackson for 10th.

• Twenty-seven of the Giants' 33 home runs this season have been solo shots, including their

last 13. They are currently the only Major League team without a three-run homer this season.

MLB.com

Span’s return giving Giants a big boost

Nate Latsch

ST. LOUIS -- Denard Span had to argue his case for cutting his rehab stint in the Minors short,

but the San Francisco Giants center fielder has proven to be right.

The 33-year-old leadoff hitter has been a catalyst for the Giants' offense since his return after

missing 17 games with a sternoclavicular joint strain. Going into Saturday's game, he was hitting

.382 (13-for-34) with a double, triple, two home runs and six RBIs in seven games since coming

off the DL.

Full Game Coverage

"Really playing great ball, both sides," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "For him to just get a

couple games in A-ball, I think he surprised us all how good his timing is. He's thrown out great

at-bats, getting on base, driving the ball. He's been hitting with power, too. I'm sure the rest

probably served him well, but again you get, what, five at-bats in A-ball after an extended stay

on the DL? That's pretty impressive."

The Giants are 6-1 in Span's seven games since his return, including Friday night's 6-5, come-

from-behind win over the Cardinals where the center fielder chipped in with a pair of RBI

singles.

Span said Saturday afternoon that he's felt pretty good since he's been back.

"When I was on the DL, I took my time on the DL really serious," Span said. "I made sure I

stayed in good conditioning. I did things like standing in on bullpens to try to keep my timing."

What has Span seen from the Giants since his return?

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"We just seem to be more confident," he said. "We're more at full strength right now.

[Brandon] Crawford came back as well. You can just tell, I feel like we're more confident

knowing that everybody just about from Opening Day is in the lineup. We're just missing

[Hunter] Pence and Jarrett Parker."

The Giants have some more reinforcements coming back in the not-too-distant future,

including Pence (left hamstring strain), Conor Gillaspie (back spasms), Aaron Hill (right forearm

strain) and eventually Madison Bumgarner (bruised ribs, left shoulder AC sprain).

For now, Span and Co. are just trying to keep their recent strong stretch going.

"[Friday] night was a really good win for us," Span said. "I hope we can just turn things around

and a win like that can put us in the right direction."

MLB.com

Gearrin bucks convention with off-day wedding

Alaina Getzenberg

ST. LOUIS -- Most weddings are planned months in advance with celebrations and a

honeymoon immediately following the big day. But for Giants right-hander Cory Gearrin's

nuptials, things could not have been more different. Not only was a date selected just two

weeks prior, but the couple also made the unconventional choice to tie the knot in the middle

of the season.

Gearrin married his wife, Maddi Gearrin, on Thursday, while the rest of the Giants traveled to

St. Louis for this weekend's series. Marrying on a travel off-day was not a difficult decision for

the pair to make after just getting engaged in January.

Full Game Coverage

"You know we've got this long season, so you either have to decide to just kind of do something

quick during the year, maybe on an off-day or All-Star break, I know some guys who have done

that, or you have to wait until November," Cory Gearrin said. "We just decided we didn't want

to wait."

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The ceremony took place Thursday around 11:30 a.m. at San Francisco's City Hall with about 10

close family members in attendance. A lunch followed at one of the couple's favorite

restaurants, Slanted Door in the city's Ferry Building, a perfect fit for the couple who credits San

Francisco as being a particularly special place for them.

"We knew we wanted to get married there [in San Francisco] and waiting another seven

months for the ceremony just wasn't as important as getting married," Gearrin said. "It ended

up being perfect for us."

After taking their dog, Izzy, for a quick walk in the nearest park, which just happens to be the

outfield of AT&T Park, a rush to join the team in St. Louis followed. Their efforts were stalled by

a flight delay that didn't land the couple at their destination until 4 a.m. Friday morning, only

hours before Gearrin was due at Busch Stadium.

Dates during Spring Training were first considered for the wedding, as the couple hoped to have

the ceremony as soon as possible, but things couldn't come together. Even now that the

nuptials have finally taken place, the celebrations will continue throughout the year, including a

honeymoon and a larger party once the season ends. Plans are also in place for getting together

with family in both Atlanta and Colorado as the Giants travel later this year.

For now, the happy couple and Izzy will hope to continue celebrations with each other and a

few more "W's" on the field.

"We had kind of known for a long time that we had found our person and we wanted to be

married. I just can't imagine not being with her and I think she would say the same thing,"

Gearrin said. "Getting to travel together, be together during the season, this is a really exciting

time for us."

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MLB.com

Q&A: Krukow talks playing days, broadcasting

Tracy Ringolsby

Former Major League pitcher Mike Krukow has found joy in his post-playing career, teaming

with another former big leaguer, Duane Kuiper, on the Giants' broadcast team. They are among

the elite broadcasting duos in the game, but in recent years, Krukow has cut back on his

workload.

It's not by choice. It's out of necessity, as Krukow has inclusion body myositis, a slow-developing

weakness and wasting of the muscles most apparent in the arms and legs. It has led to his

decision to limit his broadcasting to the Giants' home games and contests against National

League West teams. But it has not impacted the passion Krukow has for the game.

Krukow was drafted by the Cubs in the eighth round of the 1973 Draft. He pitched six seasons

for the Cubs and one for the Phillies, before finishing his career with a seven-year stint with the

Giants (1983-89), winning 20 games in 1986 and helping to lead the franchise's resurgence.

After Krukow retired, he joined the Giants' broadcast team. He talked about his physical

challenges and the joy of baseball in this week's Q&A:

MLB.com: How has inclusion body myositis impacted your life?

Krukow: I don't have any strength in my legs or my arms, so it's hard to get up out of a chair.

It's hard to walk downhill. It's hard to walk. I can't walk down the dugout in a lot of ballparks.

You restrict where you can go, which it kind of cramps my style. It's a big deal going into

clubhouses and talking to people and coaches and managers. A lot of the time, I can't do it

because of this thing, but fortunately, I'm in a business that I just have to sit down and talk.

(Former Oakland Raiders owner) Al Davis had this, and he mastered it pretty well. In the end, it

was pretty ugly, but it lasted 10 years, which is kind of rough. They don't know how you get it.

There's no treatment for it. There's nothing you can take for it. There's a great deal of

discomfort at night with cramps and aches.

MLB.com: How long have you dealt with it?

Krukow: I've had this for 12 years. It's to the point now where it's debilitating. I mean, I can't go

to Wrigley Field. It's really hard for me to go to Dodger Stadium, but my schedule now is 120

games, and that includes all home games in the National League West. I don't go back east.

Back east is just a battery of cobblestone streets and uneven sidewalks. It's just not easy for me

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MLB.com: A key for you, though, is that you are able to be a part of the game from the

broadcast booth?

Krukow: The older we get, the more we need this game. The game doesn't need us. In the last

year, I was at a crossroads. I've been listening to Marty Brennaman and Keith Hernandez and

Ron Darling saying, "What, why the hell are you insisting on working this many games? You cut

it back. If you cut it back, you'll work longer. You'll be able to do it for five or six or however

many more years you can." That's what I had to do, and the Giants have been great, saying,

"We'll take what you can give us."

MLB.com: Listening to you and Duane Kuiper, it seems you are having fun, just talking about

the game.

Krukow: He's my best friend. We've been around each other since 1983. I'm pretty lucky. I was

a pitcher. He was an infielder. I don't have to know everything about everything. I think that's

the tough part of being a broadcaster, when you have to provide the whole picture. If there's

something about hitting or a play at second base or in the outfield, what do I know about that?

I can ask Kuip. It allows us to be conversational, and I think it worked out for us.

MLB.com: Did you know each other pretty well before you began broadcasting?

Krukow: I didn't like him as an opponent. ... Well, when I got to San Francisco, and we were

teammates, I realized he was a good player and even better in the clubhouse. I was a starting

pitcher, and by that time, he had some problems with his legs, he was a part-time player, so we

would spend a lot of time on the bench during the game talking about the game. It just became

a friendship. After he retired, he went right into the booth. I got to play for several years longer

and retired in 1990. That's when Joe Morgan was starting to do ESPN Sunday nights. He would

leave [from his broadcast duties with the Giants] on Saturdays to get to the ESPN game on

Sunday, and they asked me to do those games.

MLB.com: So you just grew into the job?

Krukow: I did 15 games the first year. I didn't know a thing about broadcasting. I didn't think I

was going to be able to do it all. I wound up being the luckiest guy ever to have a second career

in the game. To work every day with your best friend and talk big league ball, crazy.

MLB.com: So it wasn't your career plan to move from the field to the booth?

Krukow: Oh, my God, when I retired after 1989, (then Giants manager) Roger Craig offered me

a pitching-coach job. I had to turn it down, because my wife just had our fifth child and they

were all in diapers and I needed to be home. The transition back to the game in broadcasting

was 15 games a season at first, then 40 games, then 70 games and then all of the games. But by

then, the kids were out of diapers and were all in school. It got a little bit easier.

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MLB.com: You had a pretty good career on the field, too. What particular highlights stick out

from that career?

Krukow: The highlights for any career is when you win. I love Chicago. Chicago is where I

learned how to be a big leaguer. For the five [full] years I was there, we were below .500 four

years. There wasn't much of a team there in '81. If there wasn't a strike in '81, we would have

lost probably 120 games. During 1982, they brought in Dallas Green (to be general manager),

and then the Tribune Company bought the team, and everything turned around. My career

highlights didn't really start until we started winning, and that happened in 1982 (with the

Phillies). I was only there for that one year; it was exhilarating, so much fun because you won.

MLB.com: Then, after a year in Philadelphia, you wind up with the Giants.

Krukow: We lost 100 games in 1985, the only time in Giants history they had a 100-loss season.

Then, Roger Craig and (GM Al) Rosen came in and things turned around. What I'm most proud

of was being part of the team that brought pride back to the Bay Area for the Giants in 1986.

They brought us back last year, the whole team from 1986. They brought us back and honored

us. We're a freaking third-place team. To be remembered by a city, because we turned things

around after the 100-loss season, that's pretty remarkable. It tells you a lot of what our fan

base is all about, our organization is all about. Then, in 1987, we were in the playoffs. That's

what I am proud of, being part of that turnaround. That was fun. Winning and being part of

something that people will remember, that's the thing that you want to be as a player. You just

want to be remembered.

ESPN.com

Who would say no? Dealing the nationals a closer

David Schoenfield

It's never too early to start thinking about deals, even if major trades rarely happen before July.

Let's start with an obvious hole.

The need: A closer for the Nationals

Who would say no?

Does a trade with Kansas City make sense for the Nationals? Vote at the bottom of the page »

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The Washington Nationals need a closer. Heck, some would argue they need a whole new

bullpen. Entering Thursday, they ranked 27th in the majors in bullpen ERA, 20th in win

probability added and 16th in strikeout percentage minus walk percentage, while five different

relievers have picked up saves. It's enough to make a modern manager's head explode.

With a commanding lead in the terrible NL East, the Nationals have time to sort through the

guys on the roster. Veterans Shawn Kelley and Joe Blanton have each surrendered six home

runs in 23⅔ combined innings, and if those two don't figure things out, the Nationals will be

looking for more than just a closer. One possible addition: Erick Fedde, the 2014 first-round

pick, who has been moved to a relief role at Double-A Harrisburg.

Still, the surest move that will happen this season is the Nationals acquiring some relief help.

Let's look at some of the options:

Chicago White Sox: David Robertson

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3.21 ERA | .208/.288/.321 | 33.9% strikeout rate | 10.2% walk rate

His command has deserted him a bit the past couple of seasons, but Robertson still owns an

elite strikeout rate, and he's a proven closer with playoff experience. He is signed through 2018,

making $12 million this year and $13 million next year, so if the White Sox want a better

prospect in return, they'd probably have to include some cash to offset the salary.

Kansas City Royals: Kelvin Herrera


Herrera is off to an odd start: His strikeout rate is down 10 percent from last season, and he has

already allowed four home runs. He's averaging 97.6 mph on the fastball, so although he's no

longer hitting 100 mph as he was a few seasons ago, his velocity appears to be fine. He is

arbitration-eligible next season and becomes a free agent after 2018.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Tony Watson


The lefty was one of baseball's best setup men from 2013 to 2015 and took over as the

Pittsburgh closer last year after Mark Melancon was traded to the Nationals. But Watson hasn’t

been as dominant in 2016 and 2017: He served up 10 home runs last year, and has a poor

strikeout-to-walk ratio in '17. He’s a free agent at season's end.

San Diego Padres: Brad Hand

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Hand isn't San Diego's closer, but he has developed into one of the most dominant relievers in

the game the past couple of seasons after struggling as a starter with the Marlins. The

emergence of Jose Torres in the Padres' bullpen means they have three outstanding lefties, so

they could cash in on Hand while his stock his sky-high. He is making just $1.3 million this year

and is under team control through 2019.

Best trade match: Kansas City

I'd say Watson is out because of his so-so numbers, although the Nats could look at him as a

setup guy. Robertson's salary complicates a possible deal, and Hand -- he's the guy I'd go after --

doesn’t have that proven-closer label the Nationals likely prefer. Herrera makes sense, and

there's even the possibility of working Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain into a bigger deal.

Herrera isn't in the Aroldis Chapman-Andrew Miller class, and no, the Nationals won't trade

outfield prospect Victor Robles, one of the top prospects in the minors. Would the Nats

consider dealing Juan Soto, an 18-year-old outfielder who is hitting .360 with more walks than

strikeouts in low Class A ball? The upside on him suddenly looks very high, but flags fly forever,

and the window with Bryce Harper might just be 2017 and 2018.

The trade: Soto and a second-tier pitching prospect for Herrera and Cain. As good as Soto is,

he's also just 18 and a few years from the majors. He's probably a left fielder in the long run

since he lacks a prototypical right fielder's arm. The Nationals make a huge upgrade in center

field with Cain (who is a free agent) to replace the injured Adam Eaton and acquire Herrera for

this season and next. The Royals get a premium hitting prospect in a system that lacks one,

which they'll need as Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas hit free agency.

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