Sandoval lifts Giants; A’s win on Lowrie walk-off
CHICAGO — The modern way of saying it: The ball left the bat with a 105-mph exit velocity and 28-degree launch angle and traveled 413 feet.
The old-school way of saying it: Dang, that went far.
The ball Pablo Sandoval hit in the Giants’ 9-2 victory over the White Sox on Friday night ended the franchise’s longest hitless streak since 1900, 39 at-bats, and the desperate third baseman made sure to send it where no defender could stop it. Over the right-field wall for a threerun home run.
“You have to come in every day and be positive,” Sandoval said. “One of those balls is going to fall one day. You’re not going to go 0-for-100.”
If Sandoval is hitting himself out of the Giants’ 2018 plans, he still has a flair for the dramatic. The slump ended with a mighty fourth-inning swing that provided the game’s first runs and a lead the Giants held.
“There are a lot of ways to break out of it,” said Matt Moore, who pitched 62⁄3 innings in his first start since Aug. 29. “But that’s probably the best one right there.”
Sandoval’s 0-for-39 dropped his average as a Giant to .186, beneath the .212 mark he had with the Red Sox before they dumped him, despite his $95 million contract. His righthanded at-bats have been far worse than from the left side, but a right-handed swing Friday produced another run. His fly to the warning track in the sixth capped a two-run rally.
“I’m sure it’s tough for him to go through that,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Sandoval, who had the longest skid by a Giants non-pitcher in the modern era (which began in 1900) and was without a hit since his his fifth-inning single on Aug. 25 at Arizona. “He’s probably aware of some of the comments being made. He’s a pro. I’m sure he went through a lot in Boston, so he’s got thick skin. He can handle it.”
Bochy took part of the blame for the o-fer, saying he should have rested Sandoval more. “It might’ve caught up with him, but tonight the bat was quicker,” Bochy said. “Through all this, he’s played a really good third base for us.”
Brandon Crawford had three of the Giants’ eight hits, Denard Span homered and Joe Panik went 1-for-4 after collecting a team-record 12 hits in the threegame Colorado series.
Buster Posey (designated hitter) played for the first time since taking a foul tip off his right hand Tuesday and appeared to have stolen home in the sixth inning. The Giants had a first-and third situation, and Crawford broke from first on a 3-2 pitch to Hunter Pence. It was called a ball (even though it was in the strike zone), but catcher Kevan Smith threw to second, prompting Posey to break toward the plate.
Because Pence drew a walk, there was no play at second. Posey scored the run, but the official scorer ruled it a fielder’s choice, not a steal.
That didn’t go over well among Posey’s teammates and coaches. Giants officials were looking into requesting the call be changed to a steal.
“What are you going to do? It’s not that big of a deal,” Posey said. “The fact we won the game is what matters. Would I have liked to have a steal of home? Of course. I asked (Shawon) Dunston if he ever had one, and he said no. I thought I had one. I guess not.”
White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito was pulled after the pitch and had words for umpire Gabe Morales, who ejected him even though he was out of the game. Chicago manager Rick Renteria got ejected, too.
The interleague series on Chicago’s south side could help determine the top draft picks in