© Stan Szeto | USA Today
OAKLAND – Following last night’s 11-inning walk-off win by the Oakland A’s, Giants manager Bruce Bochy is working in rest for much of his lineup. Bochy had to tap into his bullpen in the fifth inning following a nightmare, four-walk inning from starter Madison Bumgarner. In total, the Giants utilized six relievers over the course of seven innings.
Both Sam Dyson – who relieved Bumgarner and allowed just one run in a bases-loaded, no-out situation – and Reyes Moronta – who forced a game-saving double play in the bottom of the ninth inning – pitched two innings for the Giants last night. Bochy said he will not use Moronta, and hopes to avoid using Dyson in the final game of the Bay Bridge Series between the Giants and the A’s.
“Moronta, he’s the one guy that’s carried a pretty big load in the last couple (games),” Bochy said. “Dyson is probably at the back end of the line today. I think the rest of the (relievers) could help out. (Ty) Blach’s our long guy.”
Bochy also commended Dyson’s effort to keep the Giants to within two runs of the A’s on Saturday.
“A great job,” Bochy said. “Sammy came in a role that’s a little earlier than what he’s accustomed to. But we needed some help there and he got the big double play to keep it within range, a couple runs there. Then he goes out and gives us another inning, which, he’s kind of been a one-inning guy, but he’s gone a couple (innings) for us a couple times and I thought he did a real nice job to hold them at bay there to give us a chance to come back.”
After the bullpen-heavy night, Bochy said he hopes for a deep-inning performance from starter Johnny Cueto.
“I think he’s made quite a bit of progress,” Bochy said. “You look from his first start back to the last one, that was better. And that’s what we’re hoping continues. Just keep improving, making progress with the command and stuff and the length that he can give us. So hopefully that will happen today. I think it’s fair to say both bullpens got used quite a bit last night, so we’re hoping that we’ll get a quality start out of him.”
The Giants will hope to bolster that pitching core with a swift return from Jeff Samardzija, who took a bullpen session before the game today. Samardzija was placed on the 10-day disabled list July 15 with right shoulder inflammation and received an MRI and plasma-rich platelet (PRP) shot the following day.
“I thought (the bullpen session) went well,” Bochy said. “We’ll see how he comes out of it. I could tell that PRP shot helped. He’s getting through it very nicely. So we’ll see how he feels later on.”
Bochy made a handful of changes to the lineup before the game. Chase d’Arnaud will start at third base in place of Pablo Sandoval, Austin Slater will replace Steven Duggar in left field with Gorkys Hernandez moving to center, and Kelby Tomlinson will replace Alen Hanson at second base. Nick Hundley will take Buster Posey’s place behind the plate, while Posey will replace Hunter Pence as the Giants’ designated hitter.
On the offensive end, the Giants are still targeting a return for third baseman Evan Longoria as early as next week. Longoria will continue his rehab with the Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats today with his first nine-inning game since receiving surgery on his fractured left hand in June. Bochy said he is not yet sure whether Longoria will travel with the team next week in Seattle.
“Right now, that has not been determined,” Bochy said. “There’s no reason for that unless we’re going to activate him. But you never know with him.”
Second baseman Joe Panik is also poised to begin his rehab process imminently.
“He’s actually sprinting today,” Bochy said. “He’s running bases, so he’s got to check his box off, do the turns and then we can keep ramping this up. And like I said, middle of next week, he can start his rehab.”