Giants’ Strickland has surgery, Bochy talks perception of ‘intent’

SAN FRANCISCO — Hunter Strickland had surgery to repair a broken right pinkie, which was termed successful by Bruce Bochy on Wednesday, but the San Francisco Giants manager said he has still not talked to his closer about the loss of emotional control, which cost the team one of its most important pitchers.

“I have not seen Hunter, to be honest,” Bochy said before the Giants closed out a three-game series against the Miami Marlins at AT&T Park. “I do think he’s coming in today. I’ll get a chance to talk to him ... but the surgery went well ... without talking to him, I know how remorseful he is about what’s happened.

“You guys saw his tweet and it’s sincere. I know (general manager) Bobby Evans has talked to him and (trainer) Dave Groeschner. Heat of the moment got him.”

Strickland, who posted a lengthy apology on social media Tuesday night, is expected to miss six to eight weeks. He broke his pinkie finger after punching a door following a blown save in Monday night’s 5-4 loss to Miami.

Bochy said there’s a fine line between being emotional and crossing the line and hurting the team. He acknowledged that Strickland crossed that line He also believes emotion is a big part of his game and remembers one of his pitchers whose tantrums resulted in fixtures being torn from walls.

“Some guys are yellers, screamers, some guys kick stuff,” Bochy said. “Unfortunately he decided to hit something with his hand. I had a pitcher, Kevin Brown, that remodeled bathrooms. That was his deal. You couldn’t stop him. That’s what made him good, too. But I don’t know what park in the National League that he didn’t remodel.”

The Strickland episode was preceded by a brief exchange between the pitcher and Miami outfielder Lewis Brinson after Bochy removed his pitcher from the game.

Strickland had thrown an inside pitch to Brinson during his at-bat, and then gave up a hit. Brinson flipped his bat, and television cameras caught Giants players, including Madison Bumgarner and Mark Melancon, chirping at Brinson from the dugout rail.

So when Brinson was hit the following night by rookie Dereck Rodriguez, Miami manager Don Mattingly assumed his player was being thrown at. Rodriguez received a warning, so when Miami pitcher Dan Straily later hit Buster Posey, both Mattingly and Straily were ejected.

Afterward, Mattingly told reporters he didn’t think either team was throwing at hitters. Bochy, speaking in general terms, seemed to indicate there was some intent going on and referred to having two of his players — third baseman Evan Longoria and shortstop Kelby Tomlinson — being hit by Miami pitchers.