Giants lose SS Crawford
LOS ANGELES – Days after losing third baseman Evan Longoria to a fractured pinky, the Giants are preparing to play without another infielder.
Shortstop Brandon Crawford will miss a handful of games this week, but his upcoming absence is an occasion worth celebrating.
Crawford and his wife Jalynne will welcome their fourth child to the family this week, so the Giants will place the three-time Gold Glover on the paternity list Monday.
Manager Bruce Bochy said the club has not finalized plans to add Crawford’s temporary replacement, but infielder Kelby Tomlinson will likely be promoted from Triple-a Sacramento.
Crawford will likely miss around three-to-four days and the Giants will likely divide playing time between Tomlinson and utility infielder Alen Hanson depending on matchups.
The Giants can expect their shortstop to return to action sometime during a four-game set with the San Diego Padres next weekend, but their starting third baseman will be out much longer.
Longoria met with Dr. Steven Shin in Los Angeles on Saturday and Shin will perform surgery on Longoria’s fractured fifth metacarpal on Tuesday.
“The reason why we’re opting for the surgery is kind of just to pin that bone together and hopefully we’ll start working toward getting the strength back and recovering as soon as possible,” Longoria said.
The 32-year-old infielder said his recovery process is expected to take between six-to-eight weeks, but Longoria is hopeful he’ll rejoin the Giants shortly after the All-star break in July.
His streak of playing in at least 156 games per year will come to an end after five seasons, but Longoria said he’s determined to hasten his rehab process and return to his starting role as soon as he’s healed.
“It sucks, yesterday I was going crazy,” Longoria said. “Sitting around watching the game, I don’t really know what to do yet. I think I’m going to try to keep doing as much as I can.”
One day after making a mess of Shinnecock Hills, which nearly was unplayable in the third round Saturday afternoon, the USGA presented the world’s greatest golfers with a setup that rewarded good shots, and the result was a barrage of birdies that made for an entertaining finish.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, starting tied for 23rd six shots behind the leaders, had the crowd roaring as he made eight birdies on his way to a 7-under 63 that tied the U.S. Open scoring record and enabled him to post a 2-over 282. Then, Fleetwood watched for two hours as defending champion Brooks Koepka, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Masters champ Patrick Reed and Tony Finau fought hard to beat the leader in the clubhouse.
Koepka was the only man who could do it, one-putting five times in a gritty show on the back nine on his way to a 2-under par 68 that put him at 1-over 281, one stroke ahead of Fleetwood. Koepka became the first repeat winner of the U.S. Open since Curtis Strange in 1988-89, and Strange witnessed it as the Fox Sports commentator who walked the course with Koepka.
“Man, it feels good to hold that thing again,” Koepka said as he hefted the trophy on the 18th green. “It really, really was testing this week to be honest with you.”
Some said Koepka’s four-shot win last year at Erin Hills set up perfectly for him because it was a bomber’s paradise. But Shinnecock Hills was a true U.S. Open course that tested every club in his bag, and that’s what made his repeat so special.
“I knew it was going to be that much more difficult,” Koepka said. “It’s much more gratifying the second time . . . Shinnecock plays incredibly tough. You knew even par was going to be a really good score. It turned out it was almost impossible.”
Koepka’s finishing bogey meant everyone was over par. Johnson finished alone in third at 70-283 behind Fleetwood. Reed was solo fourth at 68-284, and Finau double-bogeyed the last to finish fifth at 72-285. After recording only three sub-par rounds Saturday, the field produced 15 red numbers in the final round.
It was obvious early birdies actually were possible after the USGA put enough water on the greens overnight to soften them. Rickie Fowler went out in the third group and shot a 65 that was an 18-stroke improvement over his third round, and Fleetwood warmed up with a threeunder front nine.
U.S. OPEN / 14