PHOENIXThe Giants are 0-3 to start a season for the firsttime in 28 years, but at least they saw something positive before the firstpitch was thrown Sunday.
Second baseman Freddy Sanchez took infield and lookednoticeably better while making throws, including double-play pivots.
Sanchez was dropping down, throwing across his body andgetting much more on his throws compared to how he looked when he tried to takeinfield three weeks ago. Hes been playing second base in minor league campgameshell play again Monday in extended springbut hasnt been tested bymany tough plays thus far.
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Sanchez told trainers and coaches that his surgicallyrepaired shoulder is finally starting to turn a corner. Maybe it was thecortisone shot he received at the end of March. Or maybe hes just finallygetting over some of the mental hurdles. Either way, its now much morerealistic for me to envision him playing second base in the major leagues againsometime soon.
If he has no setbacks, the rough plan calls for Sanchez tobegin a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Fresno by the end of theweek. The maximum length of a rehab stint for a position player is 20 days. Soits possible that Sanchez could return at the beginning of May, if not sooner.
The Giants need his right-handed bat. Or did you not notice how their offense died the moment left-hander Wade Miley entered the game?
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Its amazing that the Diamondbacks could commit five errors,fall behind 6-0 after three innings against a quality pitcher like Matt Cain andstill find a way to win the game.
San Francisco Giants
The Giants practically gave it away in the seventh. Still,all those home runs and doubles have a magical way to get you back into games.Thats what power does for you.
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On a related note, werent they once kicking around the ideaof a humidor at Chase Field?
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Bruce Bochy doesnt care to hear that the Giants have losteight consecutive to Arizona, or 10 of the last 12.
I dont get caught up in those numbers as much as we didntplay well, Bochy said. We did for three innings (Sunday). After that, wedidnt execute. Were lucky. We couldve gotten blown out.
True. On the road, the Giants lost three one-run games to avery good opponent. On paper, these losses dont look as bad as they did inperson.
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Sunday was a study in contrasts for Buster Posey. He lookedgreat while sending an opposite-field home run soaring. He aggressively slidinto second base while trying to break up a double play.
But he also looked, really, really tentative at times behindthe plate. He made three of the Giants six errors in the series. And twice, hemade the final out with the tying run on base. His at-bats definitely were notas crisp as the games dragged on.
I think its fair to assume that itll take time for Poseyto truly get back in game shape and feel comfortable behind the plate. Itsalso fair to assume that hell need plenty of days offincluding Monday atColorado.
I think I could go back out there, said Posey, whosalready been told he wont start anywhere on the field Monday. At the sametime, itll be nice to rest it as well.
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Nate Schierholtz had an interesting day. He entered as theright fielder on a double-switch in the seventh inning. But Bochy needed todouble-switch again when he summoned, Sergio Romo, his fourth reliever of theinning.
So out came Schierholtz, Melky Cabrera moved back from rightto left, Gregor Blanco shifted over from center field and Angel Pagan enteredthe game.
I didnt hear Bochys response in detail when asked aboutwhy he didnt just insert Schierholtz in the No.9 spot instead of the pitcherat the start of the inning, but I think he was planning on using a right-handedpinch hittereither Brett Pill or Ryan Theriotin the eighth.
That plan changed when he knew he needed to keep Romo in thegame. Just another thing that went wrong for the Giants in this series.