Giants optimistic they'll have Posey, Sandoval vs. Braves

Share

BOX SCORE

LOS ANGELESThe Giants have a pair of tight hamstringsattached to Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, but both All-Stars were optimisticthat they will be in the lineup Thursday when the club begins a home serieswith the Atlanta Braves.

Well see when I get to the park tomorrow and move around alittle bit, said Posey, who was scratched from Wednesdays lineup on the recommendationof trainers after his right hamstring stiffened up the previous night. Itsgotten better.

Sandoval was a little more emphatic.

Ill play, said the third baseman, who exited in the sixthinning after his left hamstring began to bark a bit.

Sandoval had missed 18 games on the disabled list afterstraining his hamstring at the end of July. Hes hitting .286 with eight RBIsin 10 games since returning from the DL.

The situation were in now, I want to play, be in thelineup and help my team win, Sandoval said.

The thought of a lineup without Sandoval, Posey and thesuspended Melky Cabrera would have been the stuff of nightmares a couple weeksago. It would seem that way still, if Angel Pagan, Marco Scutaro and JoaquinArias werent hitting everything in sight.

That was great to see, said Posey, who wouldve beenavailable to pinch hit if needed in the Giants 8-4 victory Wednesday at DodgerStadium, which completed a three-game sweep. Arias had a huge game, Pagan dida great job again of getting on base and Scutaro is on fire lately. It was areally good trip.

Posey said he felt his hamstring grab while sprinting downthe first base line in his first at-bat Tuesday. He played the remainder of thegame and was in Wednesdays initial lineup before trainers evaluated him in stresstests and advised manager Bruce Bochy to give the cleanup-hitting catcher arest.

We feel pretty good hell be able to go tomorrow, Bochysaid. Well wait till he comes in and reevaluate him and if he needs anotherday, well have to take care of him.

Matt Cain arrived at the park expecting to work with Posey,and instead found himself paired with Hector Sanchez for the first time sincespring training. It did not disrupt the right-hander in the slightest as he heldthe Dodgers to a run in seven innings.

They havent worked together in quite a while but they werein sync, Bochy said. I think Sanchy deserves a lot of credit for how Mattthrew.

Said Cain: You always want Buster back there and his bat inthe lineup, obviously. But I cant say enough about what Hector did today. Wecaught the same rhythm and it was a good night.

Contact Us