Holland savors support from fans
Gets ovation after first start since racist jokes
SAN FRANCISCO >> After a week of public apologies, Derek Holland finally got to let his left arm do the talking.
Holland capped off a tumultuous week in which he stirred up racial controversy by returning to the diamond
Sunday and putting together one of his best performances of the season in a
3-1 Giants win over the Texas Rangers at AT&T
Park.
When Holland
(7-8) walked off the mound with one out in the seventh, he received a standing ovation from the crowd at China Basin.
“With the stuff that happened off the field, that meant a lot to me,” Holland said. “Hopefully, with my apology to them, they have my back and understand that (racist jokes) were not the intentions. But to have that ovation, that felt really good, and I appreciate them for doing that.”
The veteran left-hander out-dueled Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo (7-3), who’s tied for the most wins in the majors (7) since June 23, giving up just one earned run off three hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings pitched.
The stingy outing came just four days after Holland came under fire after performing an Asian caricature alongside Giants massage therapist Haro Ogawa on
MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk.” During the interview, Holland made a string of racially insensitive jokes at the expense of Ogawa, who appeared to be playing along with the skit. Holland later apologized, acknowledging that his attempt at humor “crossed the line” and was personally “embarrassing.”
He didn’t give his formersquad anything to laugh about during his start Sunday either.
Holland’s lone blemish came in the third when he walked Rougned Odor with two outs and allowed him to score by coughing up a double to Elvis Andrus.
The veteran left-hander got himself into trouble in the seventh, giving up backto-back singles to Joey Gallo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, but reliever Tony Watson got him out of the jam by striking out Robinson Chirinos and thwarting Odor’s attempt at a bunt single.
The win was particularly gratifying for Holland, coming against the team he pitched with during his first eight Major League seasons, including 2014 and 2015 when he nearly had his career derailed by injuries to his left knee and left shoulder.
With a 2.22 ERA over his last 48 2/3 innings pitched, Holland is convinced that his career is in the process of being reborn with the Giants.
“That was one of the (teams) that let me go as if they didn’t see me continuing,” Holland said. “I wanted to be able to show that I could still pitch.”
Holland took extra pleasure in retiring future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre twice.
“I walked him, but when I got him out we did get to exchange
words and have fun with that,” Holland said. “That’s what the game’s all about.”
The Giants allowed Holland to pitch with a lead by scoring in the opening frame for the third game of the weekend set. Evan Longoria got the Giants on the scoreboard by smacking a triple into triples’ alley with two outs and scoring on Brandon Belt’s RBI single.
Steven Duggar did the rest of the damage in the fourth, bringing in Hunter Pence and Nick Hundley by keeping a two-out rally alive with a triple into the rightcenter gap. Duggar was surprised that he got something to hit with the pitcher on deck.
“I knew with Holland behind me that I would have to really just hunt a certain pitch,” Duggar said. “I thought that they were going to selectively pitch around me.”
Duggar, who’s likely to receive a heavy workload in the Giants outfield as the team plays out a string over the last 30 games, is heating up at a good time, collecting five hits in his last 12 at bats. Manager Bruce Bochy thinks Duggar’s skillset is similar to those of Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco, which could allow him to thrive in the spacious outfield at AT&T Park.
“This is a great park for him,” the Giants skipper said. “He hits it in the gap, it’s probably going to be a triple with his speed, and with the range that he has, he’s going to cut off a lot of doubles and triples.
“He’s a guy who should have a nice career here.”
Like Holland, the bullpen also put a miserable week behind them Sunday.
The Giants relievers spoiled a stellar start from Dereck Rodriguez Friday, surrendering a game-tying home run with two outs in the ninth inning.
On Saturday, they allowed the Rangers to put the tying run on second in the ninth after inheriting a 5-0 lead in the eighth, inspiring Bochy to proclaim that “torture is back” on a day when the franchise celebrated the 2010 World Series champions who helped coin the term.
But this time around, Watson, Reyes Moronta and Mark Melancon pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Melancon earned his second save in as many days, putting himself in position to regain the Giants closer duties.
“More than anything, he’s just healthier. Arm is bouncing back well,” Bochy said. “He feels more like himself when he was going good.”
• The Giants officially placed Buster Posey on the 10-day disabled list with right-hip impingement Sunday, recalling catching prospect Aramis Garcia from Triple-A Sacramento.
• Jeff Samardzija will receive a second opinion on his right-shoulder issue from Dr. McAdams at Stanford Wednesday.
Samardzija, who’s on the disabled list for a third time this season, met with a doctor Friday after experiencing soreness in his shoulder following a four-inning rehabilitation start with Double-A Richmond Wednesday.