[ad_1]
SAN FRANCISCO – Bruce Bochy fell on the sword on Saturday, accusing a grand slam that caused the bulk of the damage caused by the Giants' defeat at the Yankees.
Bochy has felt stuck for too long with Derek Holland. Two days later, he played a preemptive blow with fellow veteran Jeff Samardzija. Samardzija, the league leader in two sets two years ago, had only 79 shots in five shutouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers on his comeback. It was a decidedly new moment for the Giants, who discussed at length last month the possibility of limiting the exposure of staff to training for the third time.
"Many variables came into play," Bochy said later. "For me it was obvious."
Bochy shot his shot, and the bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth proved to be one of the most fascinating sequences of the season.
Samardzija has been a workaholic throughout his career, but last spring, the Giants advised him to do harder for fewer runs. From the day that Samardzija reported, it was made clear to him that he would never approach the 200-sleeve line that has always been a reference.
But there are times when the plan is tested, and Bochy faces that in a scoreless match. Samardzija had another round in the arm but his place was due to second place in the bottom of the fifth. Initially, Steven Duggar stood in the circle of the bridge, ready to advance the hitter number 8 Gerardo Parra if he reached it. When Parra failed, Tyler Austin stepped in for Samardzija and chose right.
"It's always difficult because you feel good and want to go and do it for the team, but there are different situations and there will be a good time to do it, and just tonight was not it, "Samardzija said. "If we had a few more players to play and I had already touched the inning, we would go back for another round and if we score a few points, I'll go for another round.
"But just in a draw, in a big game after losing three (against the Yankees), we had to win, so we did everything we needed to succeed."
The proactive movement should have borne fruit. Joe Panik followed Austin's single with a walk, moving the race to second place while Samardzija stood in the dugout, hands on hips.
Yangervis Solarte unleashed a change and smoked it right, but Max Muncy made a diving shot. When Brandon Belt struck, the round was over and Bochy turned to his paddock, after getting close to an inch or two.
"It was really the gesture to take," Bochy said. "Sometimes they work, sometimes, no.You hope that if it does not work, the team will fetch everyone, and they have done it significantly."
Not right now, though.
Instead of letting Samardzija face the top of the hierarchy – and left-handed Joc Pederson and Cory Seager – a third time, Bochy turned to Tony Watson, his left-handed specialist. Watson started slowly in this role this season, and Pederson and Justin Turner were singled out. Cody Bellinger pushed a player down just ahead of Panik to give the Dodgers the lead in the lead in the sixth.
The Giants would be back, Evan Longoria's seventh-place double proved the difference in a 3-2 win. At this point, the night of Samardzija was over and, after the victory, it could be said that there remained some disappointment to have been withdrawn earlier than expected.
Samardzija was open about his aversion to some of the ways the game is now played, and the Giants are walking a tightrope. Two years ago, Samardzija could have entered the eighth. In two years, Farhan Zaidi's hand-picked manager will almost never let a starter face training for a third time.
[[[[RELATED: Beede dominates, could return to Giants on Friday]
Here in April 2019, Bochy disconnected after five hours. It did not work immediately, but the process was solid and the Giants finally won.
"That's how the chips fell today," Samardzija said. "We won the match and the boys played very hard and Longo was a big hit, so we are there and we have a chance to go out tomorrow and win a series."
[ad_2]
Source link