April showers bring Kershaw to AT&T
Clayton Kershaw misses the Giants about once every Halley’s Comet, and this weekend looks no different.
Kershaw was not supposed to pitch in the three-game series at AT&T Park, but manager Dave Roberts told Los Angeles reporters Wednesday that he will have Kershaw make his 42nd career start Sunday, on normal rest.
Roberts suspects that Friday night’s series opener will be rained out, a strong possibility with an atmospheric river aimed at San Francisco, and did not want to push Kershaw back even further.
“We want to make sure that Clayton pitches,” Roberts said.
The Giants have just begun talking about contingencies for Friday because the forecasts often change and they rarely get rained out, just five times in 18-plus seasons at AT&T Park and none since 2006.
Manager Bruce Bochy said he has not even broached the topic with his coaching staff. The Giants do not have many options for this weekend with a four-man staff. Johnny Cueto started Wednesday and cannot return before Monday.
Kershaw has started the season 0-2 despite allowing three runs in 12 innings, including Joe Panik’s solo homer to beat him Opening Day.
The Dodgers list Kenta Maeda and Rich Hill for the Friday and Saturday games but had Maeda available in the bullpen Wednesday in Arizona, anticipating a Friday rainout. Ichiro starts: During batting practice, Barry Bonds shared a hug with Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro is 44 and started in left field Wednesday, going 0-for-3. Bonds wanted to play at 44 but nobody signed him.
“He looks exactly the same as when he broke in as a young guy,” Bochy said of Suzuki. “It’s one of the impressive things in the game. Same with (Bartolo) Colon pitching at his age. I think it’s pretty cool when that happens.”
Colon is also 44. Briefly: Justin O’Conner ,a nonroster catcher who was in spring camp with the Giants, was suspended 50 games for violating the minor-league policy on drugs of abuse. He is a free agent who would serve the suspension when signed by another team. … The last time before Wednesday the Giants hit three homers in an inning at home, in 2007, Bengie Molina had two of them; Rich Aurilia had the other. Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.