Brewers 6, Giants 5: ‘Hitting coach’ Sandoval makes big impact for S.F.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Pablo Sandoval and Steven Duggar, a stalwart of the Giants past and one of their top hopes for tomorrow, were working in the cage when Sandoval noticed Duggar drifting when he swung. The timing of his leg lift body positioning was off, so Sandoval suggested a corrective drill. Duggar said he felt better immediately. In the second inning of the Giants’ Cactus League opener Friday, a 6-5 loss to the Brewers, Duggar ripped a two-strike, two-out slider into the right-field corner to drive in two to cap a four-run rally.
Four innings later, Sandoval blasted a homer over the berm in right-center onto the concourse, concluding a good day for master
and pupil.
Duggar has been floored by the unsolicited help from older players, including fellow outfielders Gregor Blanco and Austin Jackson, who theoretically are competing with Duggar for 2018 playing time and, in Blanco’s case, a job.
Enthusiasm and camaraderie are expected in a spring camp. The Giants have demonstrated it in many little ways.
“Pablo has been incredible,” Duggar said. “Gregor has been amazing. Jackson has been tremendously helpful. There’s an open dialogue. It’s been special. They’re great teammates and even better people.”
Another competition began with both players excelling. Ty Blach pitched two shutout innings to start. Left-handed prospect Andrew Suarez was equally impressive in the two shutout innings that followed. He struck out the side in the third, including major-leaguers Jonathan Villar and Eric Thames, then got bighitting third baseman Travis Shaw to ground into a double play in the fourth.
The pitchers remain far ahead of the hitters, so Suarez’s poise was the bigger deal than his stats.
Last spring, he pitched twice in the Cactus League and allowed three runs. He overthrew and was wild. On Friday, the 25-year-old made sure his first pitch was a strike, and threw more of them to the regulars in Milwaukee’s lineup.
“I was in the bullpen seeing the lineup out there and hearing the names,” Suarez said. “It was great I got to face a lot of their guys.”
Remembering Parkland: The Giants and Brewers wore caps bearing the initials of Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 students and faculty died in a Valentine’s Day shooting rampage. A moment of silence for the victims was held before the anthem.
The commemoration hit home for each of the Giants’ first two pitchers. Blach’s Denver-area grade school went into lockdown after the nearby Columbine shooting in 1999. Suarez grew up in Miami and played high school summer ball with a Stoneman Douglas student.
“I was glad to wear the cap and represent South Florida,” Suarez said. Blach, who was 8 when Columbine happened, said Friday’s moment of silence hit close to home.
“Seeing all the shootings these days is tough,” Blach said. “I hope everyone in the world can find some peace and become better people for each other.”
Briefly: Right fielder Andrew McCutchen was the only regular to start and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. Sure enough, the ball found him at his new position on the game’s first play, a Villar flare over second baseman Miguel Gomez. McCutchen charged and caught the wind-blown ball. … Hunter Pence was supposed to play but tweaked his neck. He is expected to play Sunday. Ryder Jones also was going to start but injured his right hamstring Thursday and was sent for an MRI exam. … After his homer in Game 1, off prospect Radhames Liz, Sandoval said, “I’m not going to lie to you. It felt good.”