Giants young and old contribute to walkoff win over the Cubs
San Francisco Giants’ Alen Hanson rounds the bases and scores as Chicago Cubs third baseman David Bote signals for a throw to the plateafter an error on a throw to first in a pick-off attempt in the fifth inning of their MLB game at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Monday.
Each time they step on the field, the Giants are showing their age.
On some days that’s a scary thought for a club with a band of 30-something position players, but on others, it’s a reminder that a farm system that wasn’t supposed to produce much of a crop has provided the club with something to chew on.
While some are nearing the end of their careers and others are at the very beginning, third baseman Pablo Sandoval is reviving his. The 31-year-old was the hero Monday as his walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th plated Andrew Mccutchen to send the Giants home with a 2-1 series opening win over the Chicago Cubs.
Sandoval showed up to San Francisco last summer looking for one final chance to play again after washing out with the Boston Red Sox. Now, he’s providing a spark for a Giants club that continues to benefit from his endless energy and enthusiasm.
The aging veterans and bright young talents both made the news Monday, as manager Bruce Bochy announced catcher Buster Posey will miss next week’s Allstar Game to deal with a nagging hip injury while a pair of 25-yearolds kept things interesting against the Chicago Cubs.
Posey was selected to his sixth All-star Game, but he won’t be traveling to Washington, D.C.
Instead, the Giants catcher will stay at home and receive a cortisone shot in his right hip after Sunday’s game to heal an injury that he’s dealt with for much of the season.
At 31, Posey is showing the normal signs of wear and tear for a player at his position. But the 25-year-old left-hander he threw down signs for looks fresh and ready for a bigger stage.
Rookie Andrew Suárez continued an impressive streak Monday, recording his sixth straight start in which he’s allowed two runs or fewer. Suárez didn’t have excellent command against the Cubs, but he battled through six innings of one-run ball that turned eventful thanks to the player with the fastest legs behind him.
All but one position player from the Giants’ Opening Day lineup is at least 30 years old, and the only regular still in his twenties is second baseman Joe Panik, who’s on the disabled list with a groin injury.
Panik’s replacement, Alen Hanson, is 25 and could double as a track star.
With the Giants trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Hanson blended heads-up base running and electrifying speed with a handful of defensive miscues by the Cubs.
GIANTS / 10