Giants sharpen workouts as intrasquad matchups take flight at Oracle Park

Competition has begun to heat up at Oracle Park. For the past few workouts, the Giants have held simulated games with different groups of hitters and pitchers each day.

Saturday was something a little different. Home runs by Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence got things started early on, as the game eventually ended with a walk-off single in the seventh inning.

Instead of a simulated game, the Giants held a 6 1/2-inning intrasquad game Saturday. Two teams faced off in what would be the first game-like action the team has experienced in months.

With Buster Posey choosing to opt-out of the 2020 season, the backup catcher competition has now shifted gears to the starting catcher competition, as well as the backup. Non-roster invitee Chadwick Tromp impressed with the bat, as he battles for the backup catcher position.

Hitters faired better against Giants pitching today than they have in days past. We saw a couple of loud home runs, one from each team, and some big extra base-hits.

Pitchers

Orange Team

• Logan Webb: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K
• Shaun Anderson: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 Ks
• Sam Coonrod: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K
• Tyler Rogers: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K

Black Team

• Andrew Triggs: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 Ks
• Wandy Peralta: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 K
• Rico Garcia: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 K
• Trevor Gott: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 K

Hitters

Black Team

• Yolmer Sanchez: 1-2, 1B, BB
• Brandon Crawford: 2-3, 1B, RBI
• Evan Longoria: 1-3, 1B
• Hunter Pence: 1-3, HR, RBI
• Joey Bart: 0-2, BB
• Darin Ruf: 0-3
• Austin Slater: 1-2, BB
• Joe McCarthy: 1-3, 1B, RBI
• Steven Duggar: 1-2, 2B
• Chadwick Tromp: 1-2, 3B, RBI

Orange Team

• Mike Yastrzemski: 1-2 1B, BB
• Donovan Solano: 1-3, 2B
• Alex Dickerson: 0-3
• Pablo Sandoval: 1-2, HR, 2 RBIs
• Wilmer Flores: 1-2, 2B, RBI
• Mauricio Dubon: 1-2, 1B
• Tyler Heineman: 0-2
• Zach Green: 0-2
• Joey Rickard: 0-2
• Rob Brantley: 2-2

Giants manager Gabe Kapler was pleased with what he saw Saturday, especially from some of his pitchers:

“[Logan] Webb looked great again. His fastball has a lot of life, and he’s able to throw all of his pitches for strikes. Rico Garcia stood out today, his stuff is where it was at its best in our earlier camp. I was just really pleased with the effort across the board.”

Notes

• Soon after the players and the owners came to an agreement to begin the season, the Giants were in the news for a possible acquisition of a former rival. Yasiel Puig has been linked to the Giants for months, but it sounds like those rumors have stopped for the time being.

• In Saturday’s intrasquad game, the Giants simulated the new extra-inning scenario, putting a runner on second base to begin an extra inning. Something that will be implemented in 2020, and possible negotiated into the next Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2021.
  
  In that inning, Joey Bart was the runner on second, because he was the last batter to record an out. The opposing Giants squad worked around the automatic runner in scoring position with a great defensive play by Wilmer Flores on a ground ball to the right side, throwing out Bart at third base. The new rule will certainly keep teams on their toes in extra innings.