Injury overshadows the dueling aces
Crawford collides with Hernandez and exits in the fifth of comeback victory
LOS ANGELES >> Five Giants infielders have missed a combined 141 games due to injury this season, but none are as valuable to the club as Gold Glove shortstop Brandon Crawford.
After a frightening collision down the left field line involving Crawford and left fielder Gorkys Hernández, they became far less concerned with the result of an eventual 5-2 win over the Dodgers as their attention turned to Crawford’s health.
Though the Giants can’t lose Crawford if they hope to stay alive in the National League West, they couldn’t
lose Monday’s game either.
Pinch hitter Nick Hundley made sure they didn’t.
Down to their last out in the bottom of the ninth, Hundley stepped up with the bases loaded and ripped a go-ahead two-run single off reliever Scott Alexander to stun the Dodgers and help the Giants pull within 5.0 games in the National League West.
“I know he’s trying to get ahead with the bases loaded and the tying run at third,”
Hundley said. “You’re afforded the luxury of being aggressive in that spot.”
After Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw stifled the Giants over eight innings of one-run ball, Hundley’s first-pitch, two-run single keyed a four-run ninth inning outburst that sent Dodger Stadium erupting in boos.
“I’m pumped for Hundo man,” rookie Steven Duggar said. “That was sick. That was awesome.”
The Giants entered the ninth inning just 2-51 in games they trailed after the eighth inning, but Hundley’s heroics coupled with an RBI from Hernández and an error by first baseman Max Muncy led to a stunning rally.
“Of course Hundley, it doesn’t get more clutch than that,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He’s gotten some huge hits for us this year and he came through at the right time.”
That rally left the Giants optimistic about their chances of competing in their division, but they’ll need Crawford to achieve that mission.
While pursuing a Kershaw RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday, Crawford’s head crashed into Hernández’s left knee on a play that sent members of the Giants’ training staff racing toward shallow left field.
Crawford initially stayed in the game to hit, but he was replaced by infielder Alen Hanson in the bottom of the fifth.
“It rattled him pretty good and for precautionary reasons, he came out,” Bochy said. “He’s in concussion protocol but he feels pretty good so we’re hoping for the best tomorrow.”
Due to injuries that wiped out key members of their starting rotation and infield, the Giants haven’t played a single game this season with the healthy 25man roster they envisioned heading into the final week of spring training.
Johnny Cueto’s seasonending Tommy John surgery ensured the Giants’ front office it won’t have the chance to see the team they built at full-strength this year, but club executives were desperately hoping to play out the final seven weeks of the season without losing any additional core players.
Crawford is the third Giants’ major league player to enter concussion protocol in the last two weeks, as Hundley and Buster Posey passed all tests and avoided disabled list stints after being evaluated for symptoms.
Kershaw’s looping double that fell between Crawford and Hernández led to the first run of the game for the Dodgers as catcher Austin
Barnes scored from first after reaching on a two-out single. Los Angeles struck again in the bottom of the fifth as third baseman Justin Turner launched a long home run into the left field bleachers to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0.
The collision took the spotlight off a highly anticipated pitching matchup between Kershaw and Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, who met for the 11th time in their major league careers.
No active pitchers have faced each other head-tohead more often than the left-handed rivals, who split their first 10 meetings. While Kershaw and Bumgarner were impressive on the mound Monday, they also recorded hits off of one another that sparked rallies for their respective clubs.
In the top of the sixth, Bumgarner laced a single past Turner that allowed Duggar to advance to third base. Duggar later scored on a groundout by Andrew McCutchen.
Should Crawford need to miss more than a handful of games, he would become the sixth different Giants infielder to hit the disabled list this season.
Hanson is a defensive liability while fellow utility player Chase d’Arnaud, who started at second base Monday, has played just 56 games at short in his career. A potential trip to the disabled list for Crawford would likely compel the Giants to promote shortstop Kelby Tomlinson from Triple-A Sacramento.
BELT TO REJOIN GIANTS THIS WEEK >> Bochy said first baseman Brandon Belt (hyperextended knee) could rejoin the Giants as soon as today.
Belt went 1-for-3 with a double for Triple-A Sacramento Monday and has missed the last 17 games due to injury. Belt is one of three starting infielders who has missed at least a month of time this year, as he was also sidelined 13 games in June after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
Shortly after Belt returned from surgery, third baseman Evan Longoria suffered a fractured hand that landed him on the disabled list for 34 games. Hanson (18 games), Joe Panik (48 games) and Pablo Sandoval (12 games) have also missed time due to injury this season. SAMARDZIJA THROWS SIMULATED GAME >> Starter Jeff Samardzija (shoulder inflammation) threw 30 pitches in a simulated game at Dodger Stadium Monday and could begin a rehab assignment within the next week. Samardzija was placed on the disabled list for the third time this season July 15 and has not pitched during the second half of the season.