Belt in hospital, might undergo appendectomy
This is the 2018 Giants in a nutshell, only now the health concern goes beyond a limb or a finger.
After playing two innings in Friday night’s 4-0 victory over the Phillies at AT&T Park, first baseman Brandon Belt was rushed to a hospital to be evaluated for appendicitis.
If that diagnosis was confirmed, requiring emergency surgery, Belt will be headed for the disabled list. When Andres Torres had an appendectomy in September 2010, he returned in 13 days, and that was considered quick.
Manager Bruce Bochy said Belt was not feeling well before the game but tried to play through his symptoms. After he struck out in his first at-bat, and played another inning in the field, they worsened, and head athletic trainer Dave Groeschner told Bochy, “We’ve got to get him out of there and get him evaluated.”
The immediate concern is Belt’s well-being. Appendicitis can be dangerous. Then comes the team’s.
Second baseman Joe Panik returned from his sprained left thumb and had an immediate impact Friday, reaching base his first four times. The Giants finally had their entire lineup on the field — for two innings — before their best player exited.
“He’s been swinging the bat as well as anybody in the National League,” Panik said of Belt. “You never want to take that bat out of the lineup and that glove out of the field. Hopefully he’ll bounce back quickly and have the year we know he can have.”
With Belt out, Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey can play first base. Sandoval became the only extra infielder when the Giants optioned Kelby Tomlinson to the minors in the afternoon to clear a roster spot for Panik. The Giants could bring Tomlinson back Saturday.
The Belt news followed one of the Giants’ best-played games of the year, against the team that swept them in a four-game series in Philadelphia.
The Chris Stratton who flashed a 2.32 ERA in his first five starts, before his paternity leave, returned. Stratton allowed four hits, walked one and struck out seven in six shutout innings.
He routinely threw strike one and finished Phillies hitters with a curveball that had vanished as he forged an 8.00 ERA over his past six starts.
Stratton sounded like he was making an Oscars acceptance speech as he credited Posey and Nick Hundley, pitching coaches Curt Young and Matt Herges, and bullpen catchers Taira Uematsu and Eli Whiteside for advice that got him back to form.
“I found my curveball in Colorado, which is a weird place to find it,” Stratton said.
Stratton is 7-3 because he has been blessed with run support, and it happened quickly in the opener of a six-game homestand. Panik hit leadoff and drew a first-inning walk from Nick Pivetta, then scored on a twoout single by Evan Longoria through a vacated right side. Panik also hit a two-out RBI single an inning later to cash in another leadoff walk, to Mac Williamson.
Brandon Crawford and Andrew McCutchen scored the final two runs after gift extrabase hits courtesy of a befuddled Philly outfield. Gorkys Hernandez singled Crawford home. McCutchen scored on a wild pitch.
Panik said the first of his two walks let him breathe after he faced a big-league pitcher for the first time in five weeks.
“When you come back, sometimes you’re a little anxious,” he said. “After I walked in the first inning it settled everything down and I got into the flow of the game.”
Tony Watson, Sam Dyson and Hunter Strickland completed the staff ’s fifth shutout of the season.