SF Giants Press Clips Thursday, April 13, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle Giants win series as Matt Cain delivers with arm, bat Henry Schulman The clouds were heavy and the wind strong, foretelling a storm approaching from the Pacific, when Matt Cain walked to the mound for his 317th regular-season start Wednesday night. Nobody needed a literature degree from Oxford to extract a metaphor there. With Ty Blach in the dugout, Tyler Beede seemingly ready in the minors and a near-term schedule that makes the fifth spot in the rotation less necessary, it did not take a lot of mental gymnastics to envision this being Cain’s final start after 13 seasons in San Francisco. That was before Cain pitched and hit like he wants to pitch and hit some more, holding the Diamondbacks to one run, striking out six in five-plus innings and hitting the double that started the decisive rally in a 6-2 Giants victory. ALSO Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda and his wife Miriam stand below his statue that the San Francisco Giants formally dedicated at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. Giants mourn death of Mirian Cepeda, wife of Hall of Famer San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik (12) flips the ball to Brandon Crawford for a double play on a grounder by Kansas City Royals Eric Hosmer during the third inning of Game 7 of baseball's World Series Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) Giants’ Joe Panik thrilled to accept his Gold Glove — again “I thought it was just a huge outing for him and a good one to build on,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Cain will get a shot to build on it in Kansas City on Tuesday night. That was not assured before Wednesday’s series-clinching win because the Giants have off days Monday and Thursday next week. The staff easily could have skipped Cain’s spot and had Madison Bumgarner pitch instead. That would be hard to do after Cain won in April for the first time since 2012 with strikeout stuff. Bochy reiterated that Cain will get a longer leash, not just because of his resume. “I think you have to, the way he threw the ball,” Bochy said. “He had command of four pitches, a good curveball along with a changeup and fastball command. I think it’s something he’s earned.

“Look at what he’s done for us. We’ve got championships because of this guy. He’s the longest-tenured Giant. That is going to earn some guys certain things.” Cain appreciates the sentiment and said, “It’s up to me to take advantage of it, go out there with some of the knowledge I have and keep growing and growing. Today was a good day. I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out. I’ve got to think about the next start.” Asked about the notion of pitching for his job each time out, Cain said, “If I think about that, I’m in the wrong frame of mind, big-time.” The fans who braved the threat of rain showed their appreciation when Bochy came to get Cain with nobody out in the sixth, the Giants leading 3-1 and two runners on. They gave him a standing ovation. Cory Gearrin roused the crowd by striking out the side. George Kontos pitched a scoreless seventh before the Giants extended the lead on Nick Hundley’s RBI double and Jarrett Parker’s two-run triple in the bottom half. Cain allowed a “here we go again” run two batters into the game, on an A.J. Pollock triple and a David Peralta sacrifice fly. Cain then raised a stop sign. In a critical moment, Cain struck out Pollock on a curveball to end the second inning and strand Chris Owings at second base, one of six Cain strikeouts in a stretch of nine hitters. The Giants were still down 1-0 in the fifth and being one-hit by Shelby Miller (3-12 last year) when Cain slammed a fastball to the wall in left-center for a double. Cain scored the tying run standing on Denard Span’s line single to center. Third-base coach Phil Nevin did not hesitate to send Cain. Pollock seemed a bit stunned and sent a weak throw that was cut off after he double-clutched. Brandon Belt, hitless in 15 at-bats, walked, sending Span into position to score on Hunter Pence’s single for a 2-1 Giants lead. Conor Gillaspie got the two-out hit to score Belt for the final run the Giants would need. SF Chronicle Giants’ Posey needs a vacation — month at 1st base maybe Scott Osler Is it time for the Giants to put the best catcher in baseball out to pasture? That question reared its ugly head in the first inning of the Giants’ home opener Monday. One misguided missile, a 94 mph heater that clunked Buster Posey in the batting helmet, created a cloud over his future and the future of the Giants, short-term and long-term. Am I being too dire? Hyperventilating over a minor headache? The Giants and Posey might say yes, but what do you expect ’em to say? That the sky is falling?

Posey is on the seven-day disabled list with “concussion symptoms.” Wednesday, manager Bruce Bochy used the word “foggy” to describe Posey. That’s a good word for San Francisco’s atmosphere, a bad word for your catcher’s brain. If Posey comes off the DL on Tuesday, the first day he’s eligible to do so, he could the designated hitter in a two-game series at Kansas City, a likely scenario. What then? If Posey feels good and gets medical clearance, should the Giants slap him back behind the plate? I say no. Officially, Posey has only concussion symptoms. But if this was your kid and the doctor said he/she had “concussion symptoms,” you’d say, “Is that like broken-leg symptoms?” MORE Giants' Buster Posey goes down after being hit by a pitch by Arizona's Taijuan Walker in the first inning, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in their home opener against the at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Mon. April 10, 2017. 10 major-league careers altered by a pitch to the head Giants' Buster Posey goes down after being hit by a pitch by Arizona's Taijuan Walker in the first inning, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in their home opener against the at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Mon. April 10, 2017. Giants’ Buster Posey on DL: ‘There’s been some lingering Giants' Buster Posey flinches before being hit iby a pitch by Arizona's Taijuan Walker in the first inning, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in their home opener against the at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Mon. April 10, 2017. Buster Posey beanball: The story behind the photo For at least a couple of weeks after he returns, the Giants should treat Buster Ballgame like what he is, a human Ming vase, breakable and irreplaceable. That might be a smart option now even if Posey had not been plunked. Left field has been a black hole for the Giants, offensively. Move Brandon Belt to left, put Posey at first, let Nick Hundley handle the dish. Instant offensive upgrade. Put me in charge and, once Posey is cleared for action, I would give him a month’s vacation at first base. There’s a lot we don’t know about concussions, or concussion syndromes, but it seems that recovering from a head blow is like getting over a heartache — there’s no shortcut. Am I saying the Giants should baby Buster? If you want to call it that. I know this: The Giants are in the same situation they were in in 2010, ’12 and ’14 — wherever they go this season, Posey will lead ’em there. No Buster, no red-white-blue bunting. This isn’t 1950, or even 2000, back in the days before concussions were invented. It was easy then. You got your bell rung, you snorted some smelling salts, laughed it off and went back to work. A couple of clicks on YouTube and you can survey Posey’s greatest hits, mostly foul tips that slam into his mask like Mike Tyson punches. Most resulted in standing eight-counts, but a couple shelved him.

Now there’s the beaning, and you know what the medical scientists say about cumulative effects of blows to the head. And you know that there’s no way to prevent foul tips to the mask. For Posey and the Giants, the timing is bad. Not that there is a good time for concussion symptoms. Posey and the Giants finally had quieted the armchair managers demanding that Posey be moved to first base full time, to extend his career and keep him fresher for hitting. Posey made it clear he is The Catcher. The organization, from Bochy up, made it clear that it seconds that emotion. Posey is in catching for the long haul. Before February’s FanFest, he was asked about the offseason and he mentioned that he had done some baseball work. “I try to change and get better each year,” Posey said. “I like to pay attention to guys who do things well.” What did he work on this past offseason? “The biggest thing the past few years, oddly enough, is my throwing mechanics,” Posey said. “Making sure my shoulders are in a certain position, it kind of gives me a little bit more consistency throwing the ball to second base, get better backspin and consistency.” Doesn’t sound like a catcher looking to phase himself out of catching. Eventually, Posey will get out of the squat for good. First base is the first option, but I asked Bochy on Wednesday if third base, or even left field, could be an option down the road. Bochy said no, that first base is the only other full-time position the club has ever considered for Posey, and that it is not considering such a move now. The Giants can’t. They are a pitching-centric team, and the pitchers love them some Buster. It’s no different now than it was in the 2010 World Series, when rookie hurler Madison Bumgarner said of his rookie batterymate, “I just threw whatever Buster put down.” Posey was on the field before Wednesday night’s game, receiving his first Gold Glove. There could be a few more of those in his future, but that future is now cloudy. SF Chronicle Giants mourn death of Mirian Cepeda, wife of Hall of Famer Henry Schulman The Giants held a moment of silence before Wednesday night’s game in honor of Mirian Ortiz Cepeda — the wife of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda — who died Wednesday morning at 62. The cause was complications from pneumonia, Giants spokeswoman Staci Slaughter said. Orlando and Mirian Cepeda had been married for 26 years. Mrs. Cepeda was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx.

She had been hospitalized over the past week in Fairfield, near the Cepedas’ home in Solano County. A formal Giants statement said Mrs. Cepeda was “known for her vivacious spirit who brought joy to her family and to all of us who had the honor to know her. She will be deeply missed by the entire Giants family.” Besides her husband, Mrs. Cepeda is survived by her son, Hector; stepsons Orlando Jr., Malcolm, Ali and Carl; their wives; and eight grandchildren. SF Chronicle Giants’ Joe Panik thrilled to accept his Gold Glove — again Henry Schulman Gold Glove awards first are presented to players at a winter dinner in New York. Then the trophies are crated and shipped to the teams for another ceremony during the first week of home games. Joe Panik had a different approach at this year’s dinner: He grabbed the hardware, stuck it in his car and drove off. “Listen,” he told organizers, “I’m taking this home with me. I live an hour away. I want it now. I want to enjoy it at home.” Panik received the trophy again in a pregame ceremony Wednesday, along with fellow first-time Gold Glover Buster Posey, and Brandon Crawford, who won his third in a row. Panik’s win was a surprise because he started only 118 games. It also seemed like Colorado second baseman DJ LeMahieu, the 2014 winner, might wrest it back from Miami’s Dee Gordon, who won in 2015, then missed half of 2016 on a steroid suspension. Instead, Panik became the fifth National League second baseman in five years to win. ALSO Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda and his wife Miriam stand below his statue that the San Francisco Giants formally dedicated at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. Giants mourn death of Mirian Cepeda, wife of Hall of Famer Giants' Buster Posey goes down after being hit by a pitch by Arizona's Taijuan Walker in the first inning, as the San Francisco Giants take on the Arizona Diamondbacks in their home opener against the at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif. on Mon. April 10, 2017. Giants’ Buster Posey on DL: ‘There’s been some lingering Panik said Wednesday that he believes his defense has improved every year, the more he has worked with infield coach Ron Wotus and with increasing experience at second base after moving from shortstop, his original position. He also credits Crawford and Brandon Belt being on either side of him. “They kind of push you,” Panik said. “They’re very good defensively and you want to live up to that. You don’t want to be the weak link in the infield.”

Posey better: Manager Bruce Bochy said head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner reported Posey feeling better than he did Tuesday in the wake of Monday’s beaning. Posey joined Crawford and Panik on the field for the ceremony. Posey watched Tuesday night’s game from the dugout, a good sign because the lights and noise did not worsen his concussion symptoms. Posey is eligible to return from the seven-day concussion list in Kansas City on Tuesday. Upton official: Melvin Upton Jr. passed his physical and reported to extended spring training in Arizona. The Giants do not have a timetable for the outfielder’s promotion from there to Triple-A Sacramento. Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. On deck Thursday vs. Rockies 7:15 p.m. NBCSBA Gray (0-0) vs. Bumgarner (0-1) Friday vs. Rockies 7:15 p.m. Channel: 11 Anderson (1-1) vs. Cueto (2-0) Saturday vs. Rockies 1:05 p.m. NBCSBA Chatwood (0-2) vs. Moore (1-1) Leading off Mane event: Jon Gray, the Rockies’ starter Thursday night, cut off 8 inches of hair this week to donate to children with cancer.

SF Chronicle Giants need to fix outfield, but how? When? Plus lineups Henry Schulman No, the Giants' outfield situation is not sustainable. You know it. The team knows it. No club can have three outfielders hitting .059, .071 and .080, not when the other two outfielders need days off, not when the team's best hitter is on the disabled list for who knows how long. The question is, how long can and should the Giants wait before they act? And no, it's not as simple as "do something now!" For one thing, no team wants to overreact after nine games. My longtime readers and followers know that I divide a 162-game baseball season into nine "innings" of 18 games apiece. Thus, we just completed the top of the first. For another thing, the Giants need to consider roster implications and who they have that is better. Some background . . . The Giants have done an excellent job identifying minor-league free agents and discarded major-leaguers (Gregor Blanco, Ryan Vogelsong, just to name two). They also have a lot of money invested in their rotation, first base, shortstop, right field, center field and closer, with more to come when they extend Madison Bumgarner and try to re-sign Johnny Cueto when he opts out after the year. Furthermore, the Giants' payroll puts them in the luxury tax (regardless of numbers you see on some websites that do not understand how big-league payrolls work). This management believes you cannot spend your way at every position to build a team, that some spots need to be filled from within the farm system. The Giants wanted to see if Jarrett Parker and a right-handed platoon mate were the answer before discarding Parker without seeing if they had another Adam Duvall in their midst. (Scream all you want about how rich the owners are and how AT&T Park is a gold mine. Every team sets a payroll budget. The GMs job is to meet it. The owners' stock portfolios and country-club memberships are not part of the conversation.) The problem is, the plan looks good on paper if everything goes right, but not when things go wrong, and things always go wrong. It has not taken long to see the problem, particularly in the outfield. Denard Span got hurt in Game 1 and the Giants spent the next four days with an outfield of Hunter Pence plus three guys who entered the season with a 516 major-league at-bats combined. With Buster Posey out of the lineup and regulars Denard Span and Brandon Crawford resting against a left-hander Tuesday night, the Giants showed just how vulnerable they can be when they need to start two of those three less-experienced outfielders.

Gorkys Hernandez is here mainly to catch the ball when Span does not play. Notwithstanding his Tuesday night whiff of a Jake Lamb drive that resulted in three Arizona runs, he's done that well. But it's tough to stick a sub.-100 hitter at leadoff, and Bochy seems committed to batting Eduardo Nuñez sixth. Chris Marrero is here because he hit a lot of home runs in spring training (and probably because Michael Morse got hurt, to be honest). Parker is here for the aforementioned reasons. Individually, one can justify each man's presence. Collectively that is harder to do, especially with Posey out and the stated need to get Span and Pence days off . So, what can the Giants do? For starters they can give these guys a little more than nine games before casting anyone adrift. In a world of overreaction, sometimes staying the course can pay off. And that’s what manager Bruce Bochy plans to do. “It’s still early,” he said before Wednesday night’s game. “We’re going with the guys we have. I know they haven’t gotten off to a great start but we’re staying behind them.” They can start toying with position moves, having Aaron Hill start more games in left, or even move Nuñez there and have Aaron Hill and Conor Gillaspie play third base. But Bochy wants to keep his best defense on the field and believes that is with Nuñez at third base. They can turn toward the minors for other solutions, but there they are hobbled as well. Although Mac Williamson and Michael Morse are progressing from leg injuries, neither has played a game in extended spring training, much less Sacramento. Justin Ruggiano did not show anything in spring training to suggest he would be an improvement over the outfielders they took north. Jae-Gyun Hwang still needs to learn the position. The Giants in the past week signed seasoned outfielders Drew Stubbs and Melvin Upton Jr. Upton's deal was finalized Wednesday and he reported to extended spring. He has not played since the later days of spring training. Thus, the Giants have no timetable for his promotion to Sacramento. They want to see him play first. The Giants could bring Kelby Tomlinson back as an infield-outfield swingman. I'm sure the Giants are considering any and all of theses possibilities for down the road. That is what GM Bobby Evans and Bochy do during the many hours the club is not playing. They talk and see if they can find a way to improve the club. They do have the same problem that existed in the bullpen last year: a lack of flexibility because the players involved have no minor-league options. The Giants would have to expose Hernandez or Marrero to waivers to send them down, and while you might not see that as a problem, the Giants have to consider what happens if one of them leaves the organization and his replacement(s) fail.

A need-for-need trade is possible, though rare in April, and no, the Giants have no interest in bringing back Angel Pagan, who seems to have a dollar figure in his mind that no team has found palatable. The guess here is we will see Upton sooner than later unless one of the backup outfielders turns a corner offensively. Upton obviously is a flawed player. The Blue Jays did not consider him one of their best five outfielders out of camp and he had to take a minor-league contract with San Francisco. But he has experience, can play center, and still possesses speed and power potential. Until then, just remember, we're only starting the "bottom of the first." Players can and do get better. Remember, the Giants have three wins, and Hernandez had four RBIs in one of them. Wednesday's game: As for Wednesday night, Matt Cain gives it another go in what could be his final start for a while, because two days off next week give the Giants the flexibility to skip him. Nuñez gets a night off and Gillaspie gets his first start. If it doesn't rain, that is. San Jose Mercury News Matt Cain shines like new as Giants take a series from Diamondbacks Andrew Baggarly SAN FRANCISCO – The storm system pushed to the doorstep of AT&T Park Wednesday night, but the skies remained clear and dry when Matt Cain walked off the mound to a standing ovation. Who truly knows what the weather will bring? Cain could find himself skipped in the rotation later this season, shuttled in and out or replaced by a younger model. Any start could be the last for the longest tenured Giant, one of the most accomplished pitchers in the franchise’s San Francisco era. Like the storm, Tyler Beede is coming. So perhaps there was something extra behind those cheers that Cain received when he took his town sheriff turn off the mound and toward the dugout with the Giants leading 3-1 in the sixth inning. Cain doubled to start a three-run fifth and Jarrett Parker found his release in the form of a two-run triple through the rain in a three-run seventh as the Giants took a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants took two of three from the NL West leaders – their first series win in three tries – and after a challenging first road trip, their record stands at 4-6. They’ll try to climb from there as they throw the top of their rotation against the Colorado Rockies. Cain no longer sits at the top of that rotation. He is merely trying to keep a place there. His next turn falls on a day off. Bruce Bochy said Cain would not be skipped. The right-hander will take the ball Tuesday at Kansas City. When a manager has a predilection for loyalty, he doesn’t need to see much to be convinced.

“Well, I think it’s something he’s earned,” Bochy said. “You look at what he’s done for us. We’ve got some championships because of this guy. Some guys earn certain things. “I go back to Barry Zito. He had his ups and downs, but we stayed with him, and he helped us win a World Series (in 2012), with those starts at St. Louis and then against Detroit. I feel the same about Matty. I think we all do. He’s well liked. He’s a Giant. He’s a big part of our success. He deserves a longer look.” As Cain walked off the mound, there was an audible appreciation that went beyond his performance, in which he overcame a tight strike zone to hold the Arizona Diamondbacks to a run on five hits in six innings. Even those fans who want to put Cain out to pasture had to savor another opportunity to celebrate the pitcher who authored the only perfect game in franchise history, formed an essential part of two World Series-winning rotations and quietly shined for years while riding in Tim Lincecum’s sidecar. “There’s nothing better than to be able to hear that from the fans,” Cain said. “It’s greatly appreciated.” Cain even helped himself avoid a ritual Caining – one of those 26 starts mostly from his youth when he lost despite giving up two runs or fewer. His double in the fifth inning started the Giants’ three run rally against right-hander Shelby Miller. Cain swiveled his hips, swung his bat like a Big Bertha and sweet-spotted a 94 mph fastball, placing it on the fairway so well it split the outfielders in left-center. Then Cain and new third base coach Phil Nevin conspired to score from second base on Denard Span’s single to center. The Giants added from there. Brandon Belt walked, Hunter Pence took a broomstick swing at an outside pitch and poked it to right field for an RBI single, and Conor Gillaspie, making his first start of the season, singled to left to plate another run. With the rain moving in, the game became official the moment the Giants took the lead. It didn’t start out with such promise. Cain’s first pitch of the night resulted in a triple, along with an audible groan as fans settled into their seats. A.J. Pollock scored on a sacrifice fly. For those susceptible to confirmation bias, that was enough. With days off Monday and next Thursday, it appeared automatic that the Giants would skip Cain at least once – especially since starting Madison Bumgarner Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium would line up the ace to take the mound April 24 when the Dodgers arrive to begin a four-game series here. Cain wasn’t sure how to answer a question about pitching for his job, saying, “If I’m thinking about that, I’m in the wrong frame of mind, big time.”

Instead, he might have changed minds among the coaching staff and front office. His fastball touched 92 mph as he pitched around an error in the second inning, he struck out Paul Goldschmdit in the third and bottled up a Diamondbacks offense that has proven tough to tame thus far. Over one three-inning stretch, he retired nine of 10 batters and struck out six of them. Bochy came out to collect the baseball in the sixth, after Jake Lamb threaded a double and Yasmany Tomas walked. “Really, really nice moment there,” Bochy said of the ovation for Cain. “I know Matty’s been through a lot. He’s really battling to get back on track. The first game was so-so, and tonight was a lot better. There was life on the fastball, he had good secondary pitches and he got us going with his double. “It’s a great night for Matty and it’s great to see how the fans got behind him and were excited for him.” Cory Gearrin ensured the moment would not be washed away. His sinker, designed for double-play grounders, showed sharper teeth. He struck out the side. “It’s nice to be back in San Francisco where the ball can sink and move a little bit,” Gearrin said. “I’m healthy and I’m feeling great. As a bullpen, it’s exciting to see Cain go out there and really set the tone for us.” George Kontos took over in the seventh as the rain arrived and blew sideways at times, and he weathered it well in a scoreless inning. If Gearrin and Kontos benefited from stomach-settling performances to establish themselves, then Parker’s night had to feel especially soothing. He crushed a two-run triple that carried through the weather and off the top of the center field wall to key a three-run seventh inning. Giants left fielders had combined for three total bases all season after Parker had singled through an infield shift an inning earlier. Then Parker matched that total with one swing in the seventh. “Good for Park because I think he’s been pressing a little bit,” Bochy said. “Against the wind, I mean, that ball was crushed. It’s tough for these kids. They all want to get off to a good start.” Catcher Nick Hundley hit a ball even harder in the three-run rally. He ripped an outside fastball to right field and straight through a flag-whipping wind, and the ball hit off the bricks for an RBI double. In calmer conditions, it likely would’ve been an ultra-rare opposite-field home run by a right-handed hitter – a good sign, perhaps, that Hundley’s skills will translate well here, especially while Buster Posey is on the 7-day concussion list. Posey could rejoin the team as early as Tuesday. Somebody has to catch the longest tenured Giant. San Jose Mercury News Giants notes: Could Bochy solve his left field conundrum and Buster Posey’s concussion risk with one move? Andrew Baggarly

SAN FRANCISCO – The Giants might have gotten off to a disappointing start, and Buster Posey will be lost for at least a week, but they are hardly a team in crisis. With a victory here at AT&T Park Wednesday night, they’d take a series from the NL West-leading Diamondbacks. They would have a perfectly lukewarm 4-6 record to begin the season. And they would reset their rotation with Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto and Matt Moore ready to take on the Colorado Rockies this weekend. When you have a dependable rotation, hope is always right around the corner. These first nine games have exposed some deep flaws, though. If you’re concerned about the outfield, well, take comfort in the knowledge that the front office and coaching staff are not populated by idiots. They have to be concerned as well that Gorkys Hernandez, Jarrett Parker and Chris Marrero are 4 for 56 with 22 strikeouts. Hernandez wasn’t able to haul in a tough but catchable drive that went for a three-run triple in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss. For now, Giants manager Bruce Bochy is staying behind his guys. That is what you expect a manager to do right up to the moment before a team makes a change. Bochy said there haven’t been discussions about moving Brandon Belt or Eduardo Nuñez to left field to fill the void there and open up a spot for Conor Gillaspie or Posey at first base. “It’s still early,” Bochy said. “The guys we have, I know they haven’t gotten off to a great start. But we’re staying behind them now. With power guys like Marrero and Parker, you hate to have a small sample size and stop playing them.” If Parker and Marrero aren’t doing anything by the time Posey is ready, though, it makes too much sense to move Belt to left field. That way, you keep Posey out of harm’s way from a foul tip to the mask as he comes back from the concussion DL. Posey is eligible on Tuesday when the Giants begin an interleague series at Kansas City, and if he plays, he’ll likely be the designated hitter. After that, the Giants go to Colorado. Nick Hundley knows the Rockies lineup very well after playing with those guys last year. It sure would make sense to have Posey play first base in that series and keep Hundley behind the plate. Then again, we’ve seen enough of these concussions to know there’s no use playing to a script. — So what will the Giants do about their outfield? They can’t just hide Parker, Marrero and Hernandez on their roster. One of them will play on a given day, and Hunter Pence and Denard Span will need their days off as well. Ideally, the Giants wanted to shield Span from a decent amount of left-handed pitching. It’s not as if the front office didn’t make other moves this offseason to find right-handed complements. But Marrero was the only one to show something this spring. Justin Ruggiano, coming off shoulder

surgery, did not have a good camp. And Michael Morse, everyone’s favorite fantasy camper, hurt his hamstring. Mac Williamson reinjured his quadriceps, too. Bochy acknowledged he is intrigued by Melvin Upton Jr., who offers right-handed power and the ability to play center field. Upton reported to extended spring camp after signing his contract Wednesday morning. “I talked to some people who saw him in the spring and he had a good spring training,” Bochy said of Upton Jr., who didn’t make the Blue Jays roster and was released. “He’s definitely worth taking a look at, and see if he can help us.” — For those Giants fans who are complaining the team didn’t do enough to bring in right-handed hitters … guess what? Dodgers fans have been complaining about the same thing for two seasons. And one of the players the Dodgers got to hit lefties, Franklin Gutierrez, is already on the disabled list. (See? A little understanding can bring everyone together. Giants fans and Dodgers fans, living together. Mass hysteria.) — Bochy agreed with my suggestion that it was a good sign that Posey was able to watch Tuesday’s game from the dugout. “I told him I dealt with (a concussion) one time, and watching TV or noise would bother you,” Bochy said. “He seemed to be doing fine watching the game.” Bochy said Posey reported feeling better Wednesday. And it’s a good thing noise doesn’t bother him. He’ll hear some cheers when he receives his Gold Glove in a pregame ceremony, along with Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik. — No matter what Matt Cain does in his start Wednesday night against Arizona, it’s an obvious move to skip the No.5 starter the next turn through the rotation. The Giants have days off Monday and Thursday. They could skip ahead and Bumgarner and Cueto Wednesday and Thursday at Kansas City (tons of intrigue for both guys at Kauffman Stadium, no?), and then pitch Cain or someone else in the April 23 series finale at Colorado. Then they’d be all lined up for Bumgarner, Cueto and Moore against the Dodgers to start the four-game rivalry series on the next homestand. They could even wedge in Ty Blach in front of Jeff Samardzija if they wanted to get one more lefty in the series. Bochy acknowledged he needed to do more to ensure that Blach could remain stretched enough to start. The Giants have made it pretty clear that they expect Blach to work out of the rotation on at least an occasional basis this season.

Also … Tyler Beede is coming soon. No matter what they do in the rotation, I fully expect they’ll find a way to get Steven Okert back on the team when the Dodgers arrive. They’ll need as many lefties as they can get for that series. — Here are the probable starters we definitely know about, with the Rockies coming to town. And Wednesday night’s lineups follow. It’s Nuñez’s turn to get a day off, and Gillaspie makes his first start of the season. Thursday: LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 3.00) vs. RHP Jon Gray (0-0, 5.79), 7:15 p.m. NBCSBA Friday: RHP Johnny Cueto (2-0, 4.50) vs. LHP Tyler Anderson (1-1, 8.44), 7:15 p.m. NBC Bay Area Saturday: LHP Matt Moore (1-1, 2.70) vs. RHP Tyler Chatwood (0-2, 6.35), 1:05 p.m. NBCSBA Sunday: April 16 RHP Jeff Samardzija (0-2, 6.75) vs. RHP Antonio Senzatela (1-0, 1.50), 1:05 p.m. NBCSBA San Jose Mercury News Wife of Giants’ Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda dies of pneumonia Jimmy Durkin Mirian Ortiz Cepeda, the wife of Giants’ Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, died on Wednesday morning at 62 due to complications from pneumonia, the team announced in a statement. “Mirian was known for her vivacious spirit who brought joy to her family and to all of us who had the honor to know her,” the team’s statement said. “She will be deeply missed by the entire Giants family.” Mirian Ortiz Cepeda, who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, N.Y., is survived by her husband Orlando, son Hector, stepsons Orlando Jr., Carl (Charmaine), Malcolm (Elizabeth) and Ali (Camille) along with their eight grandchildren. The Giants plan to observe a moment of silence in Mirian’s memory before Wednesday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. San Jose Mercury News Mike Krukow: Samardzija ‘got it done right’ when drilling Goldschmidt Jimmy Durkin It’s not hard to figure how what was going on when Giants starter Jeff Samardzija sent a fastball to the backside of Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Paul Goldschmidt. That’s how baseball tradition goes. When Buster Posey got drilled in the head Monday by the D-backs’ Taijuan Walker, intentional or not, pay back was going to come at some point. While both manager Bruce Bochy and Samardzija stayed mum on the topic after Tuesday night’s game, broadcaster Mike Krukow was more open when he joined KNBR on Wednesday morning.

“It how you deal with it,” Krukow said of Samardzija drilling Goldschmidt, Arizona’s best player. “You cannot allow your opponents to hit you, and when you get a head shot, whether it was intentional or not, it doesn’t matter. It happened, and not only that it took down your best guy, and put him on the shelf for at least a week. All those things are things that cannot happen. And it’s been a part of the game for a long time.” “I’m from that generation, you got one of ours, we got one of yours. Simple. You get it done, it’s over, and they got it done. And Samardzija, to his credit, he got it done right. It was below the belt. He put a bruise on Goldschmidt’s butt, it’ll sit there and it’ll be a little soft advertisement for the team for a couple weeks, depending on how good of a bruiser he is. It’s just a little reminder that this is how the game is played, and you move on. I hope there’s no repercussions in regards to the league office fining Samardzija because that always frosts me when it happens, but it’s done, it’s over. And it was done right and it was done in a professional way.” MLB.com Victory has Cain pointed in right direction Barry M. Bloom SAN FRANCISCO -- Matt Cain earned a stay of demotion on Wednesday night in a 6-2 win over the D-backs at AT&T Park, but at this stage of his career, there's no doubt he's going from game to game. Manager Bruce Bochy admitted there have been ongoing discussions about what the Giants plan to do with the fifth spot in their rotation, but as long as Cain is competitive, he'll remain in that role. Cain pitched into the sixth inning, allowing one run on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts to win his first game since Aug. 6. Despite it all -- despite the recent seasons filled with arm injuries and disappointment -- he said he doesn't feel like he's pitching to save his job. "If I'm thinking about that, I'm in the wrong frame of mind, big time," Cain said. There's no one more to loyal to the guys who won for him than Bochy. Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey are the only players left who played for all three World Series-winning teams in every even year from 2010-14. Cain, in his 14th season, has the longest tenure of all of them, coming up in 2005 near the end of the Barry Bonds era. That means a lot to the man most people simply call "Boch," who gave a lot of rope to Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum and Jake Peavy before those pitchers reached the end of the line. "I think it's something that he's earned," Bochy said about Cain. "Look at what he's done for us. We have those championships because of this guy. He's the longest-tenured Giant, and some guys earn a certain thing. I'll go back to Barry Zito. He had his ups and downs, and we stayed with him and he helped us win a World Series there [in 2012]. San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy praises veteran starter Matt Cain following the team's 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks "I feel the same about Matty. I think we all do. We all pull for him. He's very well liked and been a big part of our success. You give guys like that a longer leash. They've earned it."

Part of it is that San Francisco still owes Cain $27.5 million at the back end of his six-year, $127.5 million contract -- $20 million for this year and at least a $7.5 million buyout on next year's $21 million club option. So Cain is going to go out there as long as he's ambulatory. The 32-year-old right-hander hasn't pitched a full season since 2013. The litany of injuries have included right forearm issues, a pulled hamstring and elbow inflammation that led to bone chips removed via surgery -- and the list seems to go on and on. Cain has made 51 starts since all the problems began, and he missed the entire postseason run to the Giants' most recent World Series victory over the Royals in 2014. Bochy hasn't given Cain a leash -- he's given him an endless extension cord. Cain said he feels healthy now. That was evident on Wednesday night, because the velocity of his fastball at times got up into the low 90s. But when asked if he remembered the last time he pitched without pain, Cain said, "I don't know. I couldn't tell you." Perhaps that tells you everything. "There always seems to be little things here and there," Cain said. "I'm just glad to be able to pitch every fifth day and work on some things in between starts. That's been nice. It's nice to go out there and just focus on the game without worrying if your body is going to keep going." It's no wonder then that San Francisco's brain trust has been mulling over options, working under the assumption that each start by Cain could be his last. After a four-game home series beginning Thursday night against the Rockies, the Giants have days off wedged around a two-game series in Kansas City on Tuesday and Wednesday. That gives Bochy a chance to drop his fifth starter for a turn and then reset afterward with an eye on a four-game series at home against the National League West-rival Dodgers on April 24-27. The Dodgers are a .217 hitting team against left-handers, .264 against right-handers. So it would behoove Bochy to line up left-handers Bumgarner, Matt Moore and rookie Ty Blach that week against Los Angeles. The Giants are pondering that possibility against their longtime rivals. "It's tough to move your rotation around, but we've talked a lot about that," Bochy said. "You can move it around a little here or there, yeah, you have that kind of flexibility." When asked whether that flexibility includes moving Blach into a spot start, Bochy added, "Yeah, sure it is. We have that sort of flexibility with Ty. He's accustomed to it. Last September was an invaluable experience for him, learning to pitch out of the 'pen and getting a spot start here or there. So we're keeping that door open." When that door swings wide open is primarily up to Cain. And for now, Bochy said, the stay remains in place, and Cain is next up to start again against the Royals on Tuesday night.

MLB.com Gearrin bails out Cain with stellar relief Alex Espinoza SAN FRANCISCO -- Right-handed reliever Cory Gearrin defused a potentially toxic situation for the Giants during Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, striking out the side in the sixth inning to preserve a strong start by Matt Cain. After Cain gave up a leadoff double and a walk to begin the frame, Gearrin was summoned from the bullpen to protect a two-run lead. He rose to the occasion by striking out Brandon Drury, Chris Owings and Jeff Mathis back-to-back-to-back to end the frame. "That's pretty impressive what he did tonight," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "First and second, nobody out, you're hoping for a ground ball, but he ends up striking out the side. Sure, that was his best outing [this year]. Been using him for a hitter or two, but three guys, three strikeouts -- doesn't get better than that." Cain was happy with Gearrin's ability to close the door on the D-backs when it looked like they were threatening. It helped the starter pick up his first win since Aug. 6. "That was a huge moment in the game," Cain said, "Cory coming in and bailing me out that sixth inning." Following Gearrin's shutdown performance, George Kontos also retired Arizona slugger Paul Goldschmidt to end the seventh and strand a runner on second, before Derek Law gave up a run in the eighth and Hunter Strickland wrapped up the victory. It was a welcome sight for the Giants, who entered the contest with a 5.85 bullpen ERA, ranking 23rd in MLB. "Bullpen pitched great," Gearrin said. "I felt like everybody really went out there and threw well. It was exciting. We hung in." The 30-year-old Gearrin has been a bright spot for Bochy so far, tossing three scoreless frames across four outings to start this season. "I feel good. I feel healthy," Gearrin said. "Just keep going out there and doing what I'm doing. It's nice to be back in San Francisco where the ball can sink and move a little bit out of Arizona. I think everybody's really getting in a good flow and being home, being in front of our home crowd, it has a big impact. It matters to us." MLB.com Bumgarner gets series opener vs. Rockies Thomas Harding Rockies right-hander Jon Gray is a different kind of guy, and not just because his haircuts are events that folks watch live on the internet. This is a guy who actually prefers pitching at Coors Field to pitching at San Francisco's AT&T Park, where the Giants have pitched their way to three World Series titles since 2010.

Gray will pitch at AT&T Park -- and face one the sport's true aces, Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner -- on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game set. In two starts there, Gray is 0-1 with a 2.92 ERA with eight strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. "It's about night and day compared to [Coors]," Gray said. "The toughest thing for me is to locate my fastball. I actually get a lot of movement there, so I have to be really precise where I start my pitch. It's something different. I don't really like it; here, I can be more about power. "I just like, know, where it's going to go. But Milwaukee was the same way [he fanned seven in the first four innings, but struggled and didn't record an out in the fifth]. It's no big deal. I'll make an adjustment." Of course, Bumgarner is excelling everywhere, even though his luck has been nonexistent. He held the D-backs to six hits and three runs in seven innings on Opening Day, but had a no-decision in a Giants' loss. At San Diego on Saturday, he fanned 11 in eight innings and gave up one run, but was saddled with the loss in a 2-1 Giants defeat. Three things to know: • What makes Bumgarner so difficult? Part of it is it seems he's practically in the batter's face. According to Statcast, among pitchers who threw a minimum of 500 pitches last year, he had 6.7 feet of extension when his fastball leaves his hand. So on average, 60 feet, 6 inches from rubber to plate becomes a little less than 53 feet. • Gray may still be trying to find his groove with his slider. He has generated swings and misses on only four of 35 (11.4 percent) thus far. In 2016, Gray's 24.4 percent swinging-strike rate on sliders was seventh-highest of 55 pitchers (minimum 500 thrown), trailing the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Miller. • Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is the man Giants fans hate to see. In 32 games at AT&T Park, Arenado has a .303 batting average with eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 135 plate appearances. MLB.com (Cut 4) Jarrett Parker found the solution to his hitting slump: Hanging out with Barry Bonds Chris Landers Entering play on Wednesday night, Giants left fielder Jarrett Parker was just 1-for-14 to start the 2017 season -- no reason to hit the panic button just yet considering the small sample size, but still a cause for concern. So, before San Francisco's game against the D-backs, Parker decided to get some advice ... from another Giants left fielder you may have heard of: Yes, Parker and Barry Lamar Bonds were spotted hanging out during batting practice. And while we can't know for sure what the two discussed, what we do know is this: Just a little while later, Parker went 2-for-3 with a two-run triple as the Giants topped Arizona, 6-2. Coincidence? Some innocuous hitting tips? Evidence of a Vulcan mind meld that will turn Parker into an unstoppable slugging machine? We're just asking questions here.

MLB.com Cain earns victory with strong arm, key hit Alex Espinoza and Steve Gilbert SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants right-hander Matt Cain played a starring role in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the D-backs, tossing five-plus strong innings and sparking a three-run rally with his bat. Cain struggled with his command early, giving up a first-inning run on A.J. Pollock's leadoff triple and David Peralta's sacrifice fly, but he settled down after that, giving up five hits and walking three while striking out six. He also set the tone for San Francisco's big bottom of the fifth inning, when he hit a stand-up double and came around to score the Giants' first run of the night. It marked Cain's first win since Aug. 6, and the fans let him hear it with a standing ovation as he walked off the mound. "There's nothing better than to be able to have that," Cain said. "For the fans, that's greatly appreciated." Denard Span lines a ball up the middle that allows Matt Cain to score from second base, tying the game at 1 in the bottom of the 5th inning Cain, once San Francisco's ace, is doing his part to hold on to the No. 5 spot in the rotation after being bumped to the bullpen to wrap up 2016. Following Wednesday's contest, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Cain will make his next scheduled start Tuesday in Kansas City. "Really, really nice moment there," Bochy said. "I know Matty's been through a lot. He's really been battling to get on track." Later in the fifth, the Giants took the lead with an RBI single from Hunter Pence and padded it with another from Conor Gillaspie off Arizona starter Shelby Miller. San Francisco tacked on three more runs in the seventh before the D-backs scored a run in the eighth. Hunter Pence hits a sharp line drive to right field which allows Denard Span to score from second, giving the Giants a 2-1 lead in the 5th With the victory, the Giants (4-6) avoided losing their first three series of a season for the first time since 2007 while denying Arizona (7-3) its second 8-2 start in franchise history. "We had some runners in scoring position. I know there were a couple of moments where we had a little pressure put on them," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "Sometimes you have to give the opposition some credit. They made pitches when they had to and got some big outs at the right time." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Striking out the side: After Cain gave up a leadoff single and subsequent walk in the sixth, Bochy called on Cory Gearrin to come in and stem the tide. The right-hander answered the call in spectacular fashion, getting three straight strikeouts to strand two runners and get his team back in the dugout. "Going into the situation," Gearrin said, "you just want to get out of it without any damage. That's what we did tonight. Bullpen pitched great."

Put 'em away: The Giants broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, highlighted by a two-run triple from Jarrett Parker. Two batters after Nick Hundley stretched the lead to 4-1 with a booming RBI double off the right-field wall, Parker laced a triple off the wall in center to drive home Hundley and Joe Panik. "Good for Park," Bochy said. "I think he's been pressing a little bit. He had a nice night. Had a couple of hits beating the shift and he hit that one against the wind. That ball was crushed." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to nine games, which is tied with Washington's Daniel Murphy for the best current streak in MLB. WHAT'S NEXT D-backs: The D-backs will take Thursday off before opening a four-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Zack Greinke will start Friday night's 7:10 p.m. MST game against former teammate and good friend Clayton Kershaw. Giants: The Giants are set to face the Rockies for the first time this season when they open the series Thursday night (7:15 p.m. PT) at AT&T Park. Ace Madison Bumgarner will take the hill following Saturday's impressive performance, when he hurled MLB's first complete game of 2017 but took the decision in a 2-1 loss to San Diego. NBC Sports Bay Area New Season Means New Victory Playlist For Crawford, Giants Alex Pavlovic SAN FRANCISCO — In 2013, Brandon Crawford spent most of his time hitting eighth. The next year, he moved up a spot, and by 2015 he was a regular in the six-spot. Last year Crawford made 65 starts hitting fifth, his home this season, except on days when the man who used to hit in front of the pitcher will bat cleanup. It’s been a steady rise, and over time Crawford has added Gold Glove winner, Silver Slugger, All-Star, MVP candidate and Team USA shortstop to his resume. One role hasn’t changed, however. When the Giants win a game, Crawford quickly transitions into clubhouse DJ for the fifth consecutive year. When Crawford first took over the speakers — “Nobody else would,” he explained — he leaned over an old clubhouse computer after wins and pulled the victory soundtrack’s songs up on YouTube. These days, he has a carefully curated playlist on his phone. It’s hooked up to clubhouse speakers after every win, at home and on the road. Crawford and BP pitcher/replay specialist Chad Chop spent a couple of weeks discussing options before gathering at Crawford’s home for “Hooks and Hoops 2.0.” The summit, started in 2016, is exactly what it sounds like.

“We shoot jumpers and pick the victory songs,” Chop said. Every song on the five-track playlist has a purpose. The 2017 version kicks off with Icona Pop’s “I Love It.” “It’s upbeat,” Crawford said. “That’s why it’s first. Everyone is coming into the clubhouse, having a good time. It’s a good high-five song.” As players start to take their jerseys off and head to the weight room or kitchen, they hear “Big Rings” by Drake and Future, one of Chop’s suggestions. Next is a mainstay: “Bounce It” by Juicy J. The song has been on every one of Crawford’s victory soundtracks and is usually the one playing when the starting pitcher begins addressing the media, which, to the amusement of players, can make for some awkward background audio for cameras and recorders. “Aside from the lyrical genius of Juice J,” Crawford said, smiling, “It’s just a good win song.” “Bounce It” has played after hundreds of Giants wins at this point, and it’s not going anywhere. This year’s cleanup hitter is a familiar one, too: “The Humpty Dance” by Digital Underground, which was one of Javier Lopez’s warm-up songs. “We put on ‘Big Rings’ which was a song Javi liked and we started thinking about Javi and thought this was a good song, a fun old song, and a good tribute to him,” Crawford said. “It’s a song that gives you a good feeling after you win.” That’s the simple goal of all the playlists. The fifth and final song this year is literally "Good Feeling" by Flo Rida. Last year’s victory soundtrack was made up of “Bounce It,” Steve Aoki’s “Delirious,” Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta,” Pit Bull’s “My House,” and — naturally — DJ Khaled’s “All I Do Is Win.” It played from April all the way through Game 3 of the NLDS. The DJ work isn’t just saved for after the game, either. Crawford took over the BP playlists last spring and he’s back for a second season. Before games, he'll take requests from teammates, some of them surprising (Ryan Vogelsong was partial to "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea. "He loved that song. I don't know what it was," Crawford said last season). He even snuck his music into a late-September game in 2015, when he changed the walk-up songs for every teammate. Buster Posey walked up to “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae),” several players got 90s boy band hits, and George Kontos took the mound to Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy.” As he made his first push for MVP votes last summer, Crawford spent some down time working on a another walk-up playlist to spring on teammates during the final home game. He scrapped his carefully-crafted plans because the second wild card spot came down to the final weekend against the Dodgers and it wasn’t appropriate. There are many reasons why a team wants to wrap up a postseason spot well before the final weekend. Add this one to the top of your list. NBC Sports Bay Area Cain Goes Five Strong, Solidifies Hold On Rotation Spot Alex Pavlovic

SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain has tried not to think about his tenuous hold on a rotation spot, and the organization would never come out publicly and say a pitcher is out there on a start-by-start basis. But there was no hiding the fact that the Giants have for weeks pinpointed next week as a potentially big one for the back of the rotation. Cain’s spot could have been skipped, and had he gotten off to an awful start this month, that could have been the first of many changes. Instead, Cain will start Tuesday in Kansas City, manager Bruce Bochy said. That was solidified with five sharp innings in a 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks. “I think you have to (change your thinking), the way he threw the ball,” Bochy said. “His command, he had four pitches going tonight, he had a good curveball along with the changeup and the fastball command. If you look at his last few games, here he gives up a run but he just bowed his neck and went out there and pitched very well. He found a way to get it done. “I thought that was just a huge outing for him and a good one to build on.” Cain scattered five hits and walked three. All six of his strikeouts came during a dominant 10-batter stretch after a shaky first inning. After two years of barely contributing at the plate, Cain got the Giants going with a double off Shelby Miller. He raced home from second on Denard Span’s hard single to center. Cain started to run out of gas in the sixth, but when he put the first two on, Cory Gearrin entered and struck out three straight. For the bullpen, this night meant just a tad bit more than your average April win. Cain has greeted every one of these guys, whether they’re coming in as free agents or coming up as rookies. “It was awesome,” Gearrin said. “He did everything tonight that you can do. He’s hitting doubles in the gap and pitching outstanding. It’s fun for us as a bullpen to come off of that. He really set the tone tonight.” Cain’s final line was not dominant, but it was plenty for a fifth starter. In this rotation, that’s all the Giants are asking of Cain. They need Ty Blach in their bullpen and they need Tyler Beede to get some more seasoning, and Bochy believes that Cain’s continued presence in the rotation can pay big dividends down the line. On Wednesday, he compared him to Barry Zito. “This is something that he’s earned when you look at what he’s done for us,” Bochy said. “We’ve got some championships because of this guy. I’m going back to Barry Zito and he had his ups and downs. We stayed with him and he helped win us a World Series with those starts in St. Louis and Detroit. I feel the same way about Matty." --- The bullpen struck out six in four innings, and nobody was sharper than Gearrin. He was very, very happy to be back in San Francisco, where the thick air allows him to shape the ball in ways that simply aren’t possible in Arizona. Gearrin threw one two-seamer that moved so much it was categorized as a slider by Pitch F/X. --- On a normal night, Nick Hundley’s seventh-inning blast to right would have been the rare right-handed homer into the arcade. On a normal night, Jarrett Parker’s shot might have cleared the kale out there in center field. They settled for a double and triple, respectively. Bochy was especially enthused by Parker’s swing, the best one he’s taken all season.

“Good for Park,” he said. “I think he’s been pressing a little bit. Against the wind, that ball was crushed. Hopefully that gets his confidence back. It’s tough for these kids. When the season starts, there’s more attention to the numbers and guys can press a little bit.” --- If you missed the pre-game show, Tim Flannery and Matt Williams had one of the best inside-baseball conversations you’ll see on TV while talking about signs at third base. You can watch the whole thing here. NBC Sports Bay Area Down On The Farm: Christian Arroyo Off To Scorching Start In Sacramento Dalton Johnson The Sacramento River Cats’ season started off wet and delayed. Instead of enjoying Opening Day like the rest of the minor leagues on April 6, the River Cats had to wait two more days to take the field due to rain. Once Sacramento’s season started, top offensive prospect Christian Arroyo appeared to be in midseason form. Arroyo, 21, is off to the hottest start on the team in his first Triple-A stint through five games. So far, Arroyo has a .421 batting average, .450 on-base percentage and .579 slugging percentage. On Tuesday, Arroyo led the River Cats to a comeback 8-7 win in 11 innings over the Salt Lake Bees. After reaching on a walk and scoring the first run of the game in the top of the first inning, Arroyo used his bat to come through in the seventh inning with the River Cats down 5-2. Arroyo launched a double over the left fielder’s head, scoring speedsters Wynton Bernard and Kelby Tomlinson, which cut the deficit to one run. Sacramento sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh and scored five runs. Jae-Gyun Hwang came across for the winning run in the 11th inning after leading off with an opposite field triple. Arroyo finished the game going 2-for-5 with a double, walk, two runs and two RBI. The youngest player on the team now leads the River Cats in batting average, hits (8), runs (5), doubles (3), and total bases (11). Arroyo is also one of only four players to have taken the field in all five games this season. Around The Horn — In five games, Arroyo has played shortstop three times and third base twice. He has not committed an error yet this season. — Tyler Beede, the Giants’ top pitching prospect, put in an impressive Triple-A debut for the River Cats. Beede tossed six innings on April 9 in Sacramento’s 5-1 win over the Tacoma Rainiers. He gave up five hits to no walks and struck out three while only allowing one run. — Some familiar faces who have seen time in the big leagues are putting up solid numbers for the River Cats. At the plate, infielder Kelby Tomlinson has played in three games and is slashing .364/.500/.364 with two walks and a stolen base. On the mound, Josh Osich is yet to allow a run in three innings out of the bullpen. He has also struck out four and recorded two saves.

— Another familiar face for Giants fans: Chris Heston. The River Cats faced Heston, who is pitching in Triple-A for the Mariners’ affiliate, on April 8. He allowed three runs over five innings and struck out nine in a no decision. — The Giants’ top catching prospect, Aramis Garcia, is crushing the ball at Advanced Single-A for the San Jose Giants. Garcia has a slash line of .423/.464/.692 with two home runs and 10 RBI in five games. Santa Rosa Press Democrat Matt Cain rediscovers form in Giants' 6-2 win Michael Wagaman (AP) SAN FRANCISCO — Matt Cain allowed one run over five-plus innings for his first win since last August, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Wednesday night. Denard Span had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth off Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller (1-1). Jarrett Parker added a two-run triple to help San Francisco win a series for the first time this season. Cain (1-0) overcame a shaky start after allowing a run in the first inning and retired 10 of 11 during one stretch. The former Giants ace struck out six and walked three before leaving after giving up a leadoff double and a walk to open the sixth. Cory Gearin replaced Cain and struck out three straight batters to end the inning. Cain also helped himself at the plate when he doubled and scored on Span’s single in the fifth. Jake Lamb went 3 for 4 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to nine games for Arizona. SKIDDING STOP In addition to driving in Arizona’s first run, right fielder David Peralta made a key play in the fourth when he caught Joe Panik’s fly ball while skidding along the edge of the warning track. Peralta was attempting to stop after drifting back on the outfield grass but couldn’t keep his feet still. He caught the ball and held on, then glanced over his shoulder at the skid marks before jogging off the field. CEPEDA’S WIFE HONORED The Giants observed a moment of silence before the game in memory of Mirian Cepeda, the wife of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. Mirian Cepeda, 62, died earlier in the day due to complications from pneumonia. “(She) brought joy to her family and to all of us who had the honor to know her,” the team said in a statement. “She will be deeply missed by the entire Giants family.” TRAINER’S ROOM Giants: One day after getting four hits, including three infield singles, Eduardo Nunez was given a planned night off ... Veteran outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. was signed to a minor league contract and will work out in Arizona at extended spring training.

UP NEXT Diamondbacks: Head to Los Angeles where RHP Zack Greinke (1-0) will square off against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Friday in the first matchup between the two former teammates and Cy Young Award winners. Giants: Madison Bumgarner (0-1) faces Colorado on Thursday. The left-hander is 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts against the Rockies at AT&T Park. Sacramento Bee Matt Cain shines like new as Giants take a series from Diamondbacks Andrew Baggarly SAN FRANCISCO The storm system pushed to the doorstep of AT&T Park Wednesday night, but the skies remained clear and dry when Matt Cain walked off the mound to a standing ovation. Who truly knows what the weather will bring? Cain could find himself skipped in the rotation next time, ultimately replaced by a younger model, or both. Any start could be the last for the longest tenured Giant, one of the most accomplished pitchers in the franchise's San Francisco era. Like the storm, Tyler Beede is coming. So perhaps there was something extra behind those cheers that Cain received when he took his town sheriff turn off the mound and toward the dugout with the Giants leading 3-1 in the sixth inning. Cain doubled to start a three-run fifth inning and Jarrett Parker found his release in the form of a two-run triple through the rain in a three-run seventh inning as the Giants took a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Giants took two of three from the NL West leaders – their first series win in three tries – and after a challenging first road trip, their record stands at 4-6. They'll try to climb from there as they throw the top of their rotation against the Colorado Rockies. Cain no longer sits at the top of that rotation. He is merely trying to keep a place there. As he walked off the mound, there was an audible appreciation that went beyond Cain's performance, in which he overcame a tight strike zone to hold the Diamondbacks to a run on five hits in six innings. Even those fans who want to put Cain out to pasture had to savor another opportunity to celebrate the pitcher who authored the only perfect game in franchise history, formed an essential part of two World Series-winning rotations and quietly shined for years while riding in Tim Lincecum's sidecar. Cain even helped himself avoid a ritual Caining – one of those 26 starts mostly from his youth when he lost despite giving up two runs or fewer. His double in the fifth inning started the Giants' three-run rally against right-hander Shelby Miller. Cain swiveled his hips, swung his bat like a Big Bertha and sweet-spotted a 94 mph fastball, placing it on the fairway so well it split the outfielders in left-center.

Then Cain and new third base coach Phil Nevin conspired to score from second base on Denard Span's single to center. The Giants added from there. Brandon Belt walked, Hunter Pence took a broomstick swing at an outside pitch and poked it to right field for an RBI single, and Conor Gillaspie, making his first start of the season, singled to left to plate another run. With the rain moving in, the game became official the moment the Giants took the lead. It didn't start out with such promise. Cain's first pitch of the night resulted in a triple, along with an audible groan as fans settled into their seats. A.J. Pollock scored on a sacrifice fly. For those susceptible to confirmation bias, that was enough. Cain's next turn in the rotation falls on a day off. It already appeared automatic that the Giants would skip him, or worse. And they still might. But Cain gave the coaching staff and front office more data points to consider. His fastball touched 92 mph as he pitched around an error in the second inning, he struck out Paul Goldschmdit in the third and bottled up a Diamondbacks offense that has proved tough to tame thus far. Over one three-inning stretch, he retired nine of 10 batters and struck out six of them. He needed help after Jake Lamb threaded a double, Yasmany Tomas walked and Bruce Bochy came out to collect the baseball in the sixth. Right-hander Cory Gearrin's sinker, designed for double-play grounders, showed sharper teeth. He struck out the side. George Kontos took over in the seventh as the rain arrived and blew sideways at times, and he weathered it well in a scoreless inning. If Gearrin and Kontos benefited from stomach-settling performances to establish themselves, then Parker's night had to feel especially soothing. He crushed a two-run triple that carried through the weather and off the top of the center field wall to key a three-run seventh inning. Giants left fielders had combined for three total bases all season after Parker had singled through an infield shift an inning earlier. Then Parker matched that total with one swing in the seventh. Catcher Nick Hundley hit a ball even harder in the three-run rally. He ripped an outside fastball to right field and straight through a flag-whipping wind, and the ball hit off the bricks for an RBI double. In calmer conditions, it likely would've been an ultra-rare opposite-field home run by a right-handed hitter – a good sign, perhaps, that Hundley's skills will translate well here, especially while Buster Posey is on the 7-day concussion list. SF Examiner Cain pitches in on the mound and at the plate in Giants’ win Karl Buscheck

AT&T Park — When A.J. Pollock sent Matt Cain’s second pitch of the night sailing deep into center field — just beyond the reach of a diving Denard Span — it did not appear the San Francisco Giants’ besmirched fifth starter would be long for the game. Pollock trotted home one batter later as David Peralta lofted a towering sacrifice fly out to center, but that would be all the damage Cain would allow in the club’s 6-1 win on Wednesday night. Cain, who worked five-plus frames of one-run ball — striking out six and scattering five hits — retired 11 of 12 after his wobbly first and even sparked the Giants’ three-run bottom of the fifth. Leading off the inning, Cain launched a double into center field — the team’s first hit since Span had started the night with a two-base hit of his own. Span singled home the starter before Hunter Pence poked an RBI single to right and Conor Gillaspie knocked a two-out running-scoring hit up the middle. Half an inning later, Bochy lifted Cain after the veteran allowed a leadoff double to Jake Lamb and issued walk to Yasmany Tomas to open the sixth. Cory Gearrin entered and proceeded to strike out the side while stranding the pair of D-backs, but not before the crowd at AT&T Park serenaded Cain with a rarely-heard standing ovation. “*That was a+ really, really nice moment there,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “Matty’s been through a lot. He’s really been battling to get on track.” For Cain, who spent the final six weeks of 2016 injured and banished to the bullpen, the outing against the D-backs marked his most effective start since Aug. 6 when he flung five-shutout innings against the Washington Nationals. Bochy confirmed that Cain, who had been in danger of being skipped the next time through the rotation, will take the mound on Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals. “Just a great night for Matty,” Bochy said. “And it was good to see how the fans were just behind him and excited for him with that great outing.” Gearrin’s shutdown sixth, which ended with the right-hander howling as he stormed off the mound, began a collective four-inning, one-run effort of the relief staff. Parker wakes up On the day the club officially inked Melvin Upton to a minor league pact, Jarrett Parker enjoyed his best game of the young season, singling past the shift in the sixth and connecting on a two-run triple an inning later. “The ball was crushed,” Bochy said of Parker’s three-base hit. “It was probably about a foot or two from going out in center field, but hopefully that gets his confidence back.” Parker had collected just one hit — a single — in six games entering the night.

SF Examiner Bochy on Upton: ‘He’s definitely worth taking a look at’ Jacob C. Palmer AT&T PARK — The San Francisco Giants bolstered their suspect outfield on Wednesday, officially signing Melvin Upton to a minor league deal. Released by the Toronto Blue Jays on April 2, Upton reported to the club’s headquarters in Arizona to take part in extended spring training. After hitting 20 home runs and stealing 27 bags while splitting 2016 between the San Diego Padres and the Jays, Upton is expected to join the Giants’ Triple-A squad in a few days and then could arrive at AT&T Park shortly after that. “I don’t know him, just playing against him, he’s a good athlete, can run, play left and centerfield — and I’m sure right field,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s got some pop. He’s had some good years offensively.” Bochy said he received positive reports on Upton’s Grapefruit League performance for the Blue Jays. “I talked to people who saw him in spring and they said he had a pretty good spring training,” Bochy added. “He’s a guy with a lot of experience and he’s definitely worth taking a look at to see if he can help us.” With Jarrett Parker, Chris Marrero and Gorkys Hernandez all struggling in the opening weeks of the season, Upton joins the club’s cache of minor-league outfield insurance that also includes Drew Stubbs and Michael Morse. Even with the addition of Upton, Bochy insisted that he still has confidence in his in-house options, brushing aside the idea of shifting Eduardo Núñez to left and putting Conor Gillaspie at third base. “It’s still early and the guys that we have, I know they haven’t gotten off to a great start for them, but we’re staying behind them,” Bochy said. “You hate to have such a small sample size and then stop playing them,” the manager said. “So, they’re still going to be in the mix.” Bochy on Posey: ‘He’s feeling better’ Bochy didn’t have a chance to check in with Buster Posey, who’s dealing with concussion symptoms, before Wednesday’s game, but the manager did get an update from trainer Dave Groeschner. “*Groeschner+ says he’s feeling better,” Bochy said. “So that’s good and doing just fine right now.” Asked if Posey’s head injury would lead to dialogue about moving the catcher from behind the plate to first base — or even left field or third — Bochy shot down the idea. “I’d say if he moved somewhere — and I don’t plan on doing it — but if you’re asking me if he moved, it would probably be to first base more than third or left field,” Bochy said.

ESPN Is Madison Bumgarner the Mike Trout of slugging pitchers? Jeff Sullivan Most of the time, a pitcher's plate appearances are best ignored. They happen because the rules in the National League say so, and it's something we all tolerate. While it's fun to think about Bartolo Colon hitting because those opportunities are of such visual pleasure, it's fun to think about Madison Bumgarner hitting because he's good at it. He's very good at it, at least relative to what you'd expect of someone listed in every box score with a "P" next to his name. Bumgarner is such a good hitter for a pitcher that you can actually leave out those last three words -- for a pitcher -- and not be exaggerating. Why does Bumgarner the hitter get so much coverage? You could ask: Why does Mike Trout get so much coverage? The answers are the same. Trout is the best player in the game. Bumgarner is the best hitting pitcher in the game. Madison Bumgarner, in fact, could be described as the Mike Trout of hitting pitchers. Although Bumgarner is just 27 years old, he's the active leader in pitcher home runs with 16. On Opening Day, Bumgarner went deep twice, hitting one of those home runs 111 miles per hour, according to the ESPN Home Run Tracker. That's the 15th-fastest home run of the young season. It's faster than any home run Mookie Betts has hit so far in his career. It's faster than any Joey Votto home run over the past two-plus years. Bumgarner has hit for real power because he has real power. During his entire major league career, Bumgarner the hitter has not been good. Maybe you know the stat wRC+. Maybe you don't know that one, but you do know OPS+. The idea is the same: 100 is average, better than that is better than average, etc. Bumgarner has a career wRC+ of 53, meaning he has been 47 percent worse than the average hitter. Still good for a pitcher, but not good-good. This is where we have to make a call: When did Bumgarner turn good? The answer seems to be 2014. Through 2013, Bumgarner slugged .192. Since 2014, he has slugged .453. What we need now is an explanation. Do you see what happened? Most visibly, Bumgarner added an aggressive leg kick. Bumgarner worked to improve his timing going into 2014, and the results were immediate. I've talked myself into it then: Bumgarner became Bumgarner a little more than three years ago. So let's advance to some math. Since 2014, Mike Trout leads everyone in Wins Above Replacement (WAR), at about 27, according to FanGraphs. WAR is one of those numbers that tries to combine everything. Now, in the same time span, 375 players have accumulated at least 500 plate appearances. For each of them, I calculated WAR per 600 PA, to put everyone over a common denominator. Trout still leads, of course, at +7.7. Second place is all the way down at +6.7.

It should be immediately clear that Trout is exceptional. Yet as another way to show this, we can use something called a z-score. For this, we consider the average number for everyone, and the standard deviation. In WAR/600, Trout is a full 3.4 standard deviations higher than the average. Here are the top five players, since the start of 2014: Batters: WAR Vs. WAR/Z-Score PLAYER WAR/600 WAR/600, Z Mike Trout 7.7 3.4 Corey Seager 6.7 2.8 Josh Donaldson 6.6 2.8 Kris Bryant 6.6 2.7 A.J. Pollock 6.1 2.5 No surprises. Maybe Pollock is a surprise? No big surprises. All right, keep that 3.4 in mind. Over the same span, 118 pitchers have had at least 50 plate appearances. Bumgarner has cruised well beyond that, with 262. As you've already deduced, Bumgarner has been the best pitcher-hitter. For this, we'll run the same kind of analysis, but for wRC+ instead of WAR, because we're just focusing on the offensive threat. Here are the five best hitting pitchers: Pitchers: WRC+ Vs. WRC+/Z-Score PITCHER WRC+ WRC+, Z Madison Bumgarner 102 3.3 Noah Syndergaard 69 2.4 Patrick Corbin 52 1.9 Tyson Ross 50 1.9 Travis Wood 50 1.9 Trout has been 3.4 standard deviations better than the average position player. As a hitter, Bumgarner has been 3.3 standard deviations better than the average pitcher. If you want to be really precise, Trout's at 3.41, and Bumgarner's at 3.34. The difference is negligible: Bumgarner has been the Trout of the group. Over this time period, Bumgarner has about the same wRC+ as Xander Bogaerts. Syndergaard is tied with Gordon Beckham and Corbin is tied with Nick Ahmed. The other good offensive pitchers have hit like bad hitters. Bumgarner has hit like a fine hitter, which is why his offensive WAR since 2014 is 3.8. The next-best mark for a pitcher is 1.7. Bumgarner adds real wins through his work at the plate. And he's already, you know, an ace at the main part of his job. Sam Miller recently asked, how good a hitter is Bumgarner, really? It's a fair question, given that he's a pitcher and his numbers are so absurd. It's difficult to buy Bumgarner as a true league-average hitter, because being a league-average hitter is so hard. On the other hand, the numbers are the numbers, right? With the help of Baseball Savant, I've put together something experimental. We've got exit-velocity and launch-angle information going back to the start of 2015. So for all hitters since 2015, I looked at average exit velocity, average launch angle and swinging-strike rate. For any hitter, these are three core skills. Using more standard deviations and z-scores, I found Bumgarner's most comparable 10 hitters. Don't worry too much about the math. Just consider the table.

Hitters Most Comparable To Bumgarner PLAYER EV LA SWS% WRC+ PA Madison Bumgarner 90.9 12.9 18.7% 97 184 Jesus Montero 91.9 13.4 17.1% 81 116 Jake Arrieta 87.9 12.4 18.7% 48 155 Jimmy Paredes 90.9 8.7 19.6% 86 551 Yasmany Tomas 90.9 10.5 15.9% 101 1009 Joey Gallo 92.0 13.1 22.1% 70 172 Steven Moya 93.6 14.9 18.6% 95 125 Khris Davis 92.0 13.9 15.8% 125 1075 Ryan Howard 92.0 16.4 17.3% 89 865 Steven Souza Jr. 89.9 12.3 14.7% 101 920 Chris Herrmann 89.2 13.0 14.9% 85 285 Bumgarner isn't being compared here to the elites. Simply put, he swings and misses too often. There's even another pitcher in here -- Jake Arrieta. But the average wRC+ is 89. The median is also 89. Khris Davis is probably the best hitter on the Oakland A's right now. And this list includes a good number of powerful types. If you're wondering about Bumgarner's so-called "true-talent wRC+," something around 90 wouldn't be a bad guess. And he has come in at 102. That's within a reasonable margin of error. For a hitter, Bumgarner isn't a good hitter. Much of his power is offset by his strikeouts. However, for a hitter, he's something like an average hitter, and that's truly remarkable, because he's really a pitcher and you know pitchers can't hit. You already knew that Bumgarner was exceptional. But he really is sort of the Mike Trout of hitting pitchers. And so every five games, the NL Giants are armed with an AL lineup. Having to bat a pitcher isn't always a drag. ESPN Cain ends drought in Giants' 6-2 win over Diamondbacks Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO -- After nearly five years, Matt Cain finally ended his April drought. Cain allowed one run over five-plus innings in his first victory since last August, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Wednesday night for their first series win of the season. It was far from a vintage performance by Cain, but considering the way the past few years have gone, the Giants and their former ace will take it. "He just bowed his neck and went out there and pitched very well," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "That was just a huge outing for him and a good one to build on." Cain had not won in April since 2012 -- a span of 19 starts -- before beating the Diamondbacks for the 15th time in his career.

"I could tell that my stuff was moving good," Cain said. "Even in the first inning it was just a little off the plate and guys were being patient. I had to show those guys that I was going to be able to throw strikes and get them swinging a little bit." Denard Span had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth off Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller (1-1). Jarrett Parker added a two-run triple for San Francisco. Cain (1-0) overcame a shaky start after allowing a run in the first inning and retired 10 of 11 during one stretch. The right-hander struck out six and walked three before leaving after giving up a leadoff double and a walk to open the sixth. Cory Gearin struck out three straight batters to end the inning. "That was the big turning point in the game," Cain said. "That was huge, Cory coming in and bailing me out." Cain also helped himself at the plate when he doubled and scored on Span's single in the fifth. Jake Lamb went 3 for 4 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to nine games for Arizona. The Diamondbacks were attempting to match their 8-2 start from 2008 but lost to San Francisco for the third time in seven games. Miller allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. "This loss is definitely on me because I was in a groove and felt really good and just kind of gave it away," Miller said. "At the end of the day, I just didn't make quality pitches. It got away from me." GOLDEN BOYS Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Joe Panik received their 2016 Gold Gloves during a pregame ceremony. It was Crawford's second Gold Glove and the first for Posey and Panik. SKIDDING STOP In addition to driving in Arizona's first run, right fielder David Peralta made a key play in the fourth when he caught Panik's fly ball while skidding along the edge of the warning track. Peralta was attempting to stop after drifting back on the outfield grass but couldn't keep his feet still. He caught the ball and held on, then glanced over his shoulder at the skid marks before jogging off the field. CEPEDA'S WIFE HONORED The Giants observed a moment of silence before the game in memory of Mirian Cepeda, the wife of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda. Mirian Cepeda, 62, died earlier in the day due to complications from pneumonia. "(She) brought joy to her family and to all of us who had the honor to know her," the team said in a statement. "She will be deeply missed by the entire Giants family."

TRAINER'S ROOM Giants: One day after getting four hits, including three infield singles, Eduardo Nunez was given a planned night off. ... Veteran outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. was signed to a minor league contract and will work out in Arizona at extended spring training. UP NEXT Diamondbacks: Head to Los Angeles where RHP Zack Greinke (1-0) will square off against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Friday in the first matchup between the two former teammates and Cy Young Award winners. Giants: Madison Bumgarner (0-1) faces Colorado on Thursday. The left-hander is 7-1 with a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts against the Rockies at AT&T Park. Fox Sports Bumgarner seeks first win as Giants host Rockies (Apr 13, 2017) AP Stats SAN FRANCISCO — Madison Bumgarner will be out to put an end to his worst start in six years Thursday night when he takes the mound for the opener of the San Francisco Giants’ four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Bumgarner’s counterpart, Rockies right-hander Jon Gray, would love to turn things around as well. Bumgarner (0-1) was more successful with his hitting than his pitching in his first two starts of the season. His two home runs on Opening Day at Arizona are two more than the number of wins he has accrued in two starts. The two-game winless streak to open the season is Bumgarner’s first since 2011, when he went 0-6 in his first eight starts. The left-hander hasn’t pitched poorly — just poorly enough to lose by one run in each. He takes a 3.00 ERA to the mound Thursday. The Giants were just 1-5 after Bumgarner’s 2-1 loss to San Diego on Saturday. The former World Series MVP expressed optimism after the game; and, sure enough, his mates rebounded with three wins in four games, including a 2-1 series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. “It looks bad when it happens that way,” Bumgarner said in San Diego. “But pick a year and you won’t find one when we didn’t go 1-5 (at some point). I’d rather start out struggling and finish good than the other way around. “We’re the San Francisco Giants. That’s all the optimism we need. I know what kind of organization I work for and what their goals are.”

The Rockies arrive in San Francisco having taken the opposite path as the Giants. They started 5-1 before losing three of four. Gray (0-0) pitched twice during the 5-1 start. He hasn’t lost despite an ERA (5.79) nearly twice that of Bumgarner. And while his rival Thursday night is coming off a complete-game effort, Gray has yet to get out of the sixth inning. Yet the Rockies have won both his games, 7-5 at Milwaukee and 4-2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 25-year-old has faced the Giants just twice in his career, both times at AT&T Park. He has gone winless in those games (0-1) despite pitching well (2.92 ERA). The Rockies are coming off a 6-0 defeat at the hands of San Diego in their season finale Wednesday. It marked Colorado’s first shutout loss at home in the past 121 games. “We will get it going,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “This group is too talented to stay mired in a slump.” That said, the Rockies haven’t had much success against Bumgarner in their head-to-heads. He has gone 12-6 with a 2.99 ERA against Colorado in 25 career starts. While a Bumgarner start against the Rockies means must-see duels with powerful Nolan Arenado, the Colorado player with the most success in his career against the Giants ace is Carlos Gonzalez. In a lefty-on-lefty matchup, Gonzalez has belted five career home runs against Bumgarner. No other player has more than three. Fox Sports D-backs strike first for once but cannot hold off Giants AP SAN FRANCISCO — After nearly five years, Matt Cain finally ended his April drought. Cain allowed one run over five-plus innings in his first victory since last August, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Wednesday night for their first series win of the season. It was far from a vintage performance by Cain, but considering the way the past few years have gone, the Giants and their former ace will take it. “He just bowed his neck and went out there and pitched very well,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “That was just a huge outing for him and a good one to build on.” Cain had not won in April since 2012 — a span of 19 starts — before beating the Diamondbacks for the 15th time in his career.

“I could tell that my stuff was moving good,” Cain said. “Even in the first inning it was just a little off the plate and guys were being patient. I had to show those guys that I was going to be able to throw strikes and get them swinging a little bit.” Denard Span had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth off Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller (1-1). Jarrett Parker added a two-run triple for San Francisco. Cain (1-0) overcame a shaky start after allowing a run in the first inning and retired 10 of 11 during one stretch. The right-hander struck out six and walked three before leaving after giving up a leadoff double and a walk to open the sixth. Cory Gearin struck out three straight batters to end the inning. “That was the big turning point in the game,” Cain said. “That was huge, Cory coming in and bailing me out.” Cain also helped himself at the plate when he doubled and scored on Span’s single in the fifth. Jake Lamb went 3 for 4 with a walk to extend his hitting streak to nine games for Arizona. The Diamondbacks were attempting to match their 8-2 start from 2008 but lost to San Francisco for the third time in seven games. Miller allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts and two walks. “This loss is definitely on me because I was in a groove and felt really good and just kind of gave it away,” Miller said. “At the end of the day, I just didn’t make quality pitches. It got away from me.” SKIDDING STOP In addition to driving in Arizona’s first run, right fielder David Peralta made a key play in the fourth when he caught Joe Panik’s fly ball while skidding along the edge of the warning track. Peralta was attempting to stop after drifting back on the outfield grass but couldn’t keep his feet still. He caught the ball and held on, then glanced over his shoulder at the skid marks before jogging off the field. UP NEXT Diamondbacks head to Los Angeles where RHP Zack Greinke (1-0) will square off against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Friday in the first matchup between the two former teammates and Cy Young Award winners. USA Today Matt Cain bests Shelby Miller on 'Reclamation Project Night' Jorge L. Ortiz SAN FRANCISCO — Promoting a game as “Reclamation Project Night’’ likely wouldn’t sell many tickets, not to mention that figuring out the matching giveaway could prove a challenge.

So the San Francisco Giants instead paid tribute to their three Gold Glove winners from last season, Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik, presenting fans with yellow foam gloves before Wednesday’s game. On the field, though, the focus was on two former All-Star pitchers trying to regain their form as fifth starters. The Giants’ Matt Cain outperformed Shelby Miller of the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving up a run in five innings and contributing a rally-starting double to notch his first April victory since 2012 as San Francisco prevailed 6-2. Their outings provided a reminder that, even in a division with such big-name starters as Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner and Zack Greinke, lesser lights could wind up having a major impact on the race. And it wasn’t only at AT&T Park. In Chicago, the Cubs were handed their gaudy championship rings at Wrigley Field, then were easily handled by Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who threw six sparkling innings in a 2-0 victory. Cain wasn’t quite as sharp, but a sellout crowd that remembers him as one of the pillars of three World Series-winning teams gave him a hearty ovation as he left ahead 3-1 in the sixth. “He’s really been battling to get untracked,’’ manager Bruce Bochy said. “His first game he was so-so, but I thought his stuff was OK tonight. Life on the fastball, the command, the secondary pitches, plus he helped himself. He got us going there with that double. It was a great night for Matty.’’ After giving up a triple to the game’s first batter and a subsequent run on a sacrifice fly, Cain found success relying on his curveball and changeup, striking out six as he notched a win for the first time since Aug. 6. Such performances have been a rarity for Cain, who battled injuries and ineffectiveness the last four seasons in going 16-29 with a 4.64 ERA. Cain, who is earning $21 million this year, made the Giants’ rotation despite a spring training ERA of 7.82, then allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first start. He didn’t seem likely to retain his rotation spot into May, but Wednesday’s solid start and his history with the team — he’s the longest-tenured Giant — have earned him extra opportunities. “It’s up to me to be able to take advantage of it, to go out there and use some of the knowledge I’ve had over the years,’’ said Cain, in his 13th year in the majors at 32. “Today was a good day, but I’m not sitting there saying, ‘All right, we’ve got it all figured out.’’’ He did solve Miller, sparking an offense missing cleanup hitter Buster Posey, who was hit in the head by a pitch on Monday and put on the seven-day concussion list the next day. Miller had retired eight of last nine batters he faced while preserving a 1-0 lead when he gave up a ringing double to Cain with one out in the fifth. It was only the Giants’ second hit of the game, and it

seemed to shake Miller’s concentration. He proceeded to give up three singles and a walk to the next five batters, as San Francisco took command with a three-run outburst. “This loss is definitely on me because I was in a groove and felt really good and just kind of gave it away right there,’’ Miller said. While not enduring a terrible start — Miller’s line of three earned runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings was identical to his first appearance of the season — the hard-throwing right-hander remains a mystery. At times in the spring and in the early part of the season, he has shown improvement from last year’s disaster, but not enough to validate the investment the team made to acquire him. Determined to surge into contention under the management of Tony La Russa and Dave Stewart, the Diamondbacks traded outfielder Ender Inciarte and two high-level prospects – including No. 1 overall pick Dansby Swanson – for Miller in December 2015. He was supposed to be the stellar No. 2 in the rotation who complemented newly signed ace Zack Greinke. It didn’t work out that way last year, when Miller went 3-12 with a 6.15 ERA and was demoted to the minors to address issues both mental and mechanical. He did throw 11 innings of scoreless ball over his last two starts, and pitching coach Mike Butcher believes the offseason work Miller put in to adjust his delivery and mind-set will pay off. “A lot of people were writing about or talking about, ‘What happened? What’s wrong with Shelby Miller?’’’ Butcher said before the game. “Nothing’s wrong with Shelby Miller. Everybody who’s played this game knows this is a tough game. He had a little speed bump last year. He’s in a really good place right now, mentally, physically, emotionally.’’ The results have not been overwhelmingly positive so far, but much like the Giants with Cain, the Diamondbacks will settle for small steps as long as they’re going in the right direction. Minor League Ball MLB Rookie Profile: Ty Blach, LHP, San Francisco Giants John Sickels Let’s turn out gaze to the San Francisco Giants and rookie left-hander Ty Blach. Blach ranked fourth on the 2017 San Francisco Giants Top 20 prospects list with the following commentary: 4) Ty Blach, LHP, Grade B-/B: Age 26, posted 3.43 ERA with 113/38 K/BB in 163 innings in Triple-A, 147 hits; 1.06 ERA in 17 major league innings with 10/5 K/BB; fifth round pick in 2012 from Creighton University in Omaha; velocity has picked up a hair since college and sits in low-90s now, mixes in slider, change-up, curve; stuff similar to Andrew Suarez and overall approach is comparable though I think Blach throws slightly harder; Blach is two years older but has a better track record of durability. ETA 2017. With two solid Triple-A seasons under his belt, Blach has nothing left to prove in the minors. He performed well in brief action with the Giants last year and continued to show good control in 2017

spring training, pitching 21 innings with a 13/2 K/BB and 4.22 ERA. During the regular season so far he’s pitched two relief innings over three games, giving up two hits, two walks, and three runs. That’s not a great beginning for ‘17 but the Giants still see Blach as a key member of the staff according to Andrew Baggarly at the San Jose Mercury News, manager Bruce Bochy commenting that they need to keep the lefty stretched out enough so he’s able to start games. Overall there’s no major change in Blach’s profile from last fall: he’s a classic finesse southpaw with 88-92 MPH fastball, a traditional assortment of secondary pitches, and a track record of success in the high minors. If he happens to get lost in the shuffle with the Giants, another club could certainly target him for a trade. Fansided (Rox Pile) Colorado Rockies vs. San Francisco Giants: Live Stream, Preview, Start Time, and More Kevin Henry Having dropped three of their last four outings, including a shutout loss to San Diego on Wednesday afternoon, Colorado (6-4) is looking to right the ship against a San Francisco team that has struggled to a 4-6 start in their first 10 games. A portion of that can be attributed to a Giants bullpen that has once again struggled early, going 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA out of the gate. Part of the bullpen struggles goes toward San Francisco’s big offseason signing in Mark Melancon, a reliever the Rockies were linked to in the offseason as well. After starting the season off with a rough outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Melancon has settled down. Still, he’s allowed six hits in his 2.2 innings of work and opponents are hitting .462 against him. Rockies fans will likely see a familiar face behind the plate for the Giants for the majority of the series. Nick Hundley has taken over catching duties for San Francisco while Buster Posey is on the disabled list with a concussion after taking a fastball to the head in San Francisco’s home opener. Here’s a look at how the series is shaping up at AT&T Park… Probable Pitching Matchups Thursday at 8:15 pm MT Colorado’s Jon Gray (0-0, 5.79 ERA) vs. San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner (0-1, 3.00 ERA) Friday at 8:15 pm MT Colorado’s Tyler Anderson (1-1, 8.44 ERA) vs. San Francisco’s Johnny Cueto (2-0, 4.50 ERA) Saturday at 2:05 pm MT Colorado’s Tyler Chatwood (0-2, 6.35 ERA) vs. San Francisco’s Matt Moore (1-1, 2.70 ERA) Sunday at 2:05 pm MT

Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela (1-0, 1.50 ERA) vs. San Francisco’s Jeff Samardzija (0-2, 6.75 ERA) How to watch or listen Colorado TV: Root Sports Rocky Mountain San Francisco TV: NBC Bay Area Colorado Radio: KOA San Francisco Radio: KXZM-FM or KNBR-AM Note: Games are also streaming on MLB.TV SF Gate Giants win series as Matt Cain delivers with arm, bat Henry Schulman The clouds were heavy and the wind strong, foretelling a storm approaching from the Pacific, when Matt Cain walked to the mound for his 317th regular-season start Wednesday night. Nobody needed a literature degree from Oxford to extract a metaphor there. With Ty Blach in the dugout, Tyler Beede seemingly ready in the minors and a near-term schedule that makes the fifth spot in the rotation less necessary, it did not take a lot of mental gymnastics to envision this being Cain’s final start after 13 seasons in San Francisco. That was before Cain pitched and hit like he wants to pitch and hit some more, holding the Diamondbacks to one run, striking out six in five-plus innings and hitting the double that started the decisive rally in a 6-2 Giants victory. “I thought it was just a huge outing for him and a good one to build on,” manager Bruce Bochy said. Cain will get a shot to build on it in Kansas City on Tuesday night. That was not assured before Wednesday’s series-clinching win because the Giants have off days Monday and Thursday next week. The staff easily could have skipped Cain’s spot and had Madison Bumgarner pitch instead. That would be hard to do after Cain won in April for the first time since 2012 with strikeout stuff. Bochy reiterated that Cain will get a longer leash, not just because of his resume. “I think you have to, the way he threw the ball,” Bochy said. “He had command of four pitches, a good curveball along with a changeup and fastball command. I think it’s something he’s earned. “Look at what he’s done for us. We’ve got championships because of this guy. He’s the longest-tenured Giant. That is going to earn some guys certain things.” Cain appreciates the sentiment and said, “It’s up to me to take advantage of it, go out there with some of the knowledge I have and keep growing and growing. Today was a good day. I’m not saying I’ve got it all figured out. I’ve got to think about the next start.”

Asked about the notion of pitching for his job each time out, Cain said, “If I think about that, I’m in the wrong frame of mind, big-time.” The fans who braved the threat of rain showed their appreciation when Bochy came to get Cain with nobody out in the sixth, the Giants leading 3-1 and two runners on. They gave him a standing ovation. Cory Gearrin roused the crowd by striking out the side. George Kontos pitched a scoreless seventh before the Giants extended the lead on Nick Hundley’s RBI double and Jarrett Parker’s two-run triple in the bottom half. Cain allowed a “here we go again” run two batters into the game, on an A.J. Pollock triple and a David Peralta sacrifice fly. Cain then raised a stop sign. In a critical moment, Cain struck out Pollock on a curveball to end the second inning and strand Chris Owings at second base, one of six Cain strikeouts in a stretch of nine hitters. The Giants were still down 1-0 in the fifth and being one-hit by Shelby Miller (3-12 last year) when Cain slammed a fastball to the wall in left-center for a double. Cain scored the tying run standing on Denard Span’s line single to center. Third-base coach Phil Nevin did not hesitate to send Cain. Pollock seemed a bit stunned and sent a weak throw that was cut off after he double-clutched. Brandon Belt, hitless in 15 at-bats, walked, sending Span into position to score on Hunter Pence’s single for a 2-1 Giants lead. Conor Gillaspie got the two-out hit to score Belt for the final run the Giants would need. Fansided (Around the Foghorn) San Francisco Giants: Early Look At Top Prospects Chris Estrada This ranking was based on MLB.com top 30 prospects for the San Francisco Giants entering the 2017 season. We wanted to get an early look at where these players are to begin the year and just how far away they are from reaching the Majors. All five of these players have the ability to make it to the Giants in San Francisco it is just a matter of when. Tyler Beede and Christian Arroyo lead this young group of prospects in hopes of reaching the MLB one day. For fans that are wondering if there are any outfield prospects, there are two on this top five list. The Giants have a lot of talent in their farm system it is just a matter of how fast they develop into major league ball players. We’re going to take a look at these top five prospects throughout the year and give you a look at how they’re performing. Here is your first look at how these young studs are progressing early in the 2017 season. No.5 Chris Shaw

Chris Shaw is the number 5 prospect of the San Francisco Giants to begin the season. Currently playing in Double-A with the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The Giants’ shaky start to the season has had fans already thinking about future trades for later in the season. Shaw arguably has the best bat in the system and that makes him a possible trade target. In fact, last year he almost was traded. Early reports had Shaw being traded along with Matt Duffy and prospect Lucius Fox in this trade. After the trade was finalized, it turned out a different player was involved and Chris Shaw remained a Giant. I couldn’t have been happier. Last year, in his first full season, between single-A and double-A, he had 21 home runs with 85 RBI over 132 games. Shaw has the power to break through into the majors. It remains to be seen if it will indeed be with the Giants because his biggest road block is that he is a first baseman. He has college experience playing in the outfield but his defense is not the greatest which is why the Giants have him playing first base. However, it seems the Giants really like Chris Shaw and are trying to find ways to include him in their future plans. He is 5-22 for a .227 average to begin the season with one home run. Due to the lack of depth for left field, the Giants are also trying out Shaw in left field with him having two of his six starts there. This will be something to keep an eye on throughout the season. No. 4 Steven Duggar You want outfielders? Well the Giants have them they are just not major league ready. Duggar was drafted in 2015 and this season is his second full minor league season. good news about Duggar? all he has done is hit, hit, and hit. Like Chris Shaw, Duggar spent the 2016 season with both Single-A and Double-A. He has the chance to be the answer the Giants are looking for when it comes to left field. In 130 games last year, Duggar hit for a .302 batting average and had 10 home runs with 54 RBI. 2017 has gotten off to to a rough start. Duggar is currently not on a roster as he seems to be injured to begin the year. No.3 Bryan Reynolds The Giants’ first pick in the 2016 draft. He was drafted in the second round out of Vanderbilt. In his final season, Reynolds hit 13 home runs (3rd in the SEC), while posting a .332 batting average. The Giants hoped that power would carry over and so far, it has. Reynolds signed a couple weeks after the draft and was sent to play for the Salem- Kaiser Volcanoes the short-season affiliate of the Giants and then ended the season playing 16 games with the Augusta GreenJackets. in his short stint in rookie-ball Bryan Reynolds had a .313/.363/.484 with 6 HR and 38 RBI over 56 games. To begin the 2017 season, Reynolds was promoted to San Jose. So far he is hitting .308 in the first six games of the season. It will still be a few years for Bryan Reynolds to develop but if he can, he will be on the fast track to the majors. No.2 Christian Arroyo The kid we have all been waiting for. Is 2017 the year for Christian Arroyo? It has started out that way. This season, he was promoted to triple-A for the first time to play with the Sacramento River Cats. His

bat has not cooled off one bit since spring training. He has a six-game hitting streak to begin the season with 10 hits in 24 at-bats for a good .417 batting average. Can he play left field? During spring training the Giants did discuss the idea of Arroyo playing left field but came to realize he is the third baseman of the future and he should just focus on that position. Due to the signing of Jae- Gyun Hwang in the offseason, Arroyo is currently playing shortstop for the River Cats. This shows the Giants are trying to solve their big league questions of third base and left field with players from their own farm system rather than trying to complete a trade. As much as we want Arroyo in the big leagues we have to remember that he is still only 21 years old and his time will come. If he continues to hit for average, You can expect to see Arroyo at AT&T Park sometime by the summer. No. 1 Tyler Beede That jersey looks good on Tyler Beede. The number one prospect most likely will break into the majors at some point this season. He is the future of this pitching staff. Giants fans got their first taste of Beede in the last exhibition game of spring training against the Oakland Athletics. He pitched well and efficient only allowing two runs to score and getting five strikeouts over four innings of work. He performed just as well in his triple-A debut. In his lone start of the year the 23-year-old gave up only 1 run over six innings of work while striking out three and walking none. He picked up right where he left off to end the 2016 season. In his last six starts of the 2016 season, Beede only allowed seven runs and had 45 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. Beede seems to have taken the next step in getting ready for the major leagues. The fifth starter spot will always be a question mark based on Matt Cain‘s performance throughout the year. It would take a lot for both Blach and Cain to surrender that role, but Beede is next in line Fansided (Around the Foghorn) San Francisco Giants win Series with Diamondbacks: Five things to take away Daniel Sperry Opening Day’s loss gave fans flashbacks that they probably didn’t want. The San Francisco Giants bullpen brutally blew it in 2016 fashion. However, they’ve been pretty solid after that game. So time to relax. The Giants came into this home series. After that start, if you had been able to see into the future up to Buster Posey getting hit on the head, most Giants fans would’ve figured they got swept. After all, the Diamondbacks swept the Cleveland Indians in Arizona right after they took three of four against the Giants. This Diamondbacks team is pretty decent. They’re going to be taking wins off top NL teams all year long. However, the Giants are still an overall better team. We saw that through this series. They did everything right in their home opener. They struggled in their game the other night, but what do you expect when Aaron Hill is batting leadoff? And then last night, we saw the type of team you’ll see for most of this season. Last night, the Giants 6-2 win was an emphatic statement. Not only did they say, “we’re built to overcome the absence of Posey in our lineup” they also showed the fanbase that they can win when

Matt Cain is on the mound. It looked a little ugly early, but then as Cain got his butt back into gear, the Giants offense did as well. Then throw in the bullpen only allowing one run over four innings and getting out of serious jams when needed. Last night’s win was a statement, but here are five key take aways from this series. The Giants bullpen will be fine. While their ERA looks sort of bad at 5.75, it’s also bloated. If you take a look at some of the advanced pitching metrics, their FIP is sitting at 2.98. The FIP basically shows their ERA if it counted for only what pitchers had control of, hence the name, Fielding Independent Pitching. By the end of the season, those usually even out and become normal, especially if you are a good pen. Besides, if we know anything about statistics, 10 games out of 162 isn’t a good enough sample size. Matt Cain isn’t complete crap. Giants’ twitter would have had you believe that Matt Cain wasn’t any good anymore, and a waste of money, should be DFA’d, etc. etc. etc. Well Cain only gave up one run in his five innings. Yes, he’s not the old Horse. The old Cain would’ve probably gone the distance. But that’s just not who he is anymore. The Giants showed they can win, against a good opponent, with him on the mound. That should bode well for the rest of 2017. The Giants won a series in which Johnny Cueto, or Madison Bumgarner did not pitch. That’s big. Especially for the confidence of the backend of the rotation. Granted Moore is probably at a different level compared to Cain and Samardzija. However, for all that was made about the back end of the rotation, it showed its mettle this series. The Giants still need a long-term, or at least MLB Starter level solution in left field. They can’t keep rolling out fourth outfielders and expect them to give them the production they need. Jarrett Parker get’s hot and stays that way through the season? Cool. History hasn’t shown that as a possibility, so we’ll see if last night’s breakout sticks. Nick Hundley was the best signing of the offseason. Hundley played really well the last two games, compiling four hits, including his break the game open double last night. Hundley has also provided solid defense and pitch calling behind the plate. This doesn’t show that they are totally ok without Buster Posey. However, it shows they can survive at least this week without him. Hundley is a proven big leaguer, and someone who you know exactly what you’ll get when he steps in.