Standout Slater leaves with hip injury
Rookie left fielder Austin Slater, one of the Giants’ few bright lights, was headed for an MRI exam after he left Sunday’s game with tightness in his right hip flexor. Manager Bruce Bochy was not able to say how much time Slater will miss.
Slater went 0-for-2, lowering his average to .324, before departing. He also made two excellent catches in a row in the second inning to spare Matt Moore even more earned runs.
The other rookie in the lineup, third baseman Ryder Jones, went hitless in two at-bats before he left in a double-switch. He is 0-for-6 in two games. Progress report: Madison Bumgarner pitched three hitless, shutout innings in an Arizona rookie-league game Sunday night, his first competition since his April 20 dirt-bike accident. He also has taken another big step: He is hitting baseballs off a tee.
“Whether it’s hitting or pitching, he’s intent on getting things right,” “Bochy said. Hitting woes: The Giants managed one run in 52⁄3 innings Sunday against Rafael Montero, who carried a 6.49 ERA into the game.
Buster Posey got both RBIs in the 8-2 loss, but he had a frustrating day anyway.
He crushed a ball with one out and the bases loaded in the third but settled for a sacrifice fly when Jay Bruce caught it at the warning track in right. With two on and nobody out in the sixth, Bochy sent the runners to avoid a double play and Posey hit into one anyway with a popup to first baseman Lucas Duda, who doubled Joe Panik off second base.
Posey batted with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth and hit a slow roller to short. Conor Gillaspie scored, but Posey was thrown out.
The Giants had first-andthird with two outs after Posey’s sacrifice fly. With Brandon Belt batting, the inning ended with Hunter Pence thrown out trying to steal second. Bochy said he had no issue with Pence running because Montero is slow to the plate. Briefly: Hunter Strickland returned from his suspension and pitched the ninth inning. He allowed a Curtis Granderson homer and hit Wilmer Flores. Josh Osich preceded Strickland and allowed a tworun Bruce homer. … Bryan Stow visited before the game. The Giants fan severely injured from a beating in a Dodgers Stadium parking lot in 2011 can walk now with aid of a brace.