San Francisco Giants Three Standouts: Game 29, 3-22
The San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs matched up again on Thursday night in the penultimate game in Arizona before the Giants head back home. They played each other well, but the Giants got the last laugh with Jerry Sands lacing a seeing-eye single through the gap for a walk-off hit.
Here are three players who stood out on the day before the first getaway day of the season:
1 – Chris Stratton
Stratton continued his strong spring with another fine outing against the Cubs, going six-plus innings while allowing three runs on six hits and striking out seven.
He made a couple of mistakes through his night, including a hanging curveball that Anthony Rizzo abused for a double, but kept hitters off balance for most of his outing. The hard contact was limited (a couple of the hits he allowed could be categorized as Cactus League specials), and he had his swing-and-miss stuff. His curveball wasn’t at its sharpest, but he made up for it with a strong slider, a pitch he used to strike Kris Bryant out twice.
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With the news that Jeff Samardzija is going to miss the start of the season, Stratton is likely to be thrust into a bit of a bigger role. He could turn into the third starter until Samardzija is ready to go, and Stratton has certainly shown that he has the tools to succeed in that role. If he can put everything together and buoy the middle of the rotation for a few weeks, it would make life a lot easier for the Giants.
2 – Kelby Tomlinson
The second backup infielders job isn’t locked up yet, and Kelby Tomlinson hasn’t been able to take hold of it this spring. He had another rough day on Thursday, despite playing only three innings.
Tomlinson took over as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning following an Evan Longoria single, and was promptly picked off of first base by Cubs’ pitcher Jose Quintana. He was trying to steal second, he was just fooled by Quintana’s move and caught between steps. In the eighth inning with the score tied and runners at the corners, Tomlinson grounded into a double play to end the threat and keep the score knotted.
Josh Rutledge continues to get playing time, and has started to play more shortstop. If Tomlinson can’t put together a strong final week of Spring Training, he might find himself in Sacramento to start 2018.
3 – Chris Shaw
Shaw wasn’t involved in Thursday’s game, but he did get some excellent news. He was chosen as this year’s Barney Nugent Award winner, given to the player in big league camp for the first time that performs well and shows a great attitude on the field and in the clubhouse. This award is special because it’s voted on by teammates and coaches.
Next: Three Standouts from Game 28
Shaw hit .235 as a non-roster invitee, and showed off the power that has made him such an exciting player in the Giants’ farm system. He hit two home runs, one a massive shot that would have left any ballpark in the game, and added three doubles sprayed throughout the field. He played left field exclusively, and look quite competent doing so.
Congratulations go out to Chris Shaw!