Sanchez sharp on back field

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Aaron Sanchez thought he might be pitching in the Giants’ game against Arizona at Talking Stick on Sunday. Instead, he was throwing three simulated innings at Scottsdale Stadium while his teammates were busing across town.

“I just had a really weird time when I first got here. I was waiting on some tests. I wasn’t really around,” Sanchez said. “By no means am I behind, but other people had already gotten into games . ... Then they put me on the backfield.

“I’m just going off the schedule. I thought today I was supposed to be in the game. So I’m overguessing when I’m going to be in games and just letting them handle what what they’re going to do, and just be ready to go, really.”

Sanchez, signed to a oneyear freeagent deal as spring training was beginning, looked good while facing a handful of hitters, especially the first two innings, when he didn’t allow a hit and struck out two. The third inning, after a slightly longer wait, he gave up a walk and two hits, including an RBI single by LaMonte Wade Jr.

“That was the first time I’ve been out of the stretch in a really long time,” Sanchez said. “Going 30 on Wade and then getting back to 32, I think that was definitely huge strides for me . ... Staminawise, I felt fine, I felt like I could go another four or five innings.”

Manager Gabe Kapler said Sanchez was throwing 9294 mph. Sanchez said he was happy with his breaking stuff after making an adjustment to make sure his curveball was staying in the zone and not sweeping its way out of it.

“I have tendency to pull it more across the zone instead of landing it in the zone,” Sanchez said. “Just release point on that pitch is all that is. More having hitters in there and feeling that again. So today was pluses across the board for me.”

Sanchez, 28, is contending for one of the final rotation spots, with Logan Webb the likely other top option; Webb has been sharp in three spring outings. Sanchez was an AllStar with the Blue Jays in 2016, when his 3.00 ERA led the American League.

“As far as I’m concerned, I’ve been ready to go for a while,” Sanchez said.

Kapler said Sanchez will pitch in a game in his next outing.

⏩ When he is at his best, reliever Reyes Moronta is throwing his fastball in the mid to upper 90s. That wasn’t the case in his first spring appearance when the righthander, coming off 2019 shoulder surgery, was more around the 92 mph mark.

Moronta said that the lowerthanusual velocity wasn’t a concern. He was focused more on getting back on the mound after a year and a half.

“I’m happy with the outing,” Moronta said of his scoreless inning against Cleveland on Saturday, which included a strikeout. “I know that the velocity is not where I want it to be, but we have to keep in mind that I haven’t pitched in over 18 months. Eventually, the speed is going to get to where it’s supposed to be.”

The Giants would like Moronta to drop some weight from his 5foot10 frame, and he’s down 9 pounds this spring, to 256.

⏩ Mike Yastrzemski hit his first homer of the spring, a twoout, tworun shot to right in the fifth in the Giants’ 63 win.

⏩ Evan Longoria is 5for11 after two more hits Sunday.

⏩ Conner Menez started and allowed one hit, one walk and struck out three in 22⁄3 innings; he has a 3.86 ERA in three spring outings. The lefty said he’s throwing his fastball only 50% of the time, which is helping both his velocity and his results.