photo by eastbaytimes.com 2017 file photo: San Francisco Giants reliever Mark Melancon gets ready to deal as he prepares for 2018 in the hopes for a better season than last year

On the Giants podcast with questions for Michael:

1 Giants pitcher Mark Melancon says he’s feeling better and is confident he can finish games. Do you think he has it in the tank to have a better year this year?

2 The ninth inning is on the line. Giants manager Bruce Bochy is confident that Melancon, who signed with the Giants for $62 million for four years and finished with a 4.50 ERA last season, can do the job this season.

3 Melancon, who had pronator surgery, says he looks forward to returning to the mound in 2018 and wants to put 2017 in the rearview mirror.

4 Giants catcher Hector Sanchez is trying to land a roster spot, but with some of the National League’s top catching talent of Buster Posey, Nick Hundley, and Trevor Brown. it looks to be San Francisco’s top three catchers going into 2018, and Sanchez short of hitting like Lou Gehrig, this spring looks to be headed for a whole lot of Sacramento.

5 The flu has been an epidemic for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had 20 players affected and had to say away from the clubhouse. The Giants more fortunate just to have outfielder Hunter Pence out with the sickness and is expected back soon. Michael says that the epidemic has hit it’s peak and should be tapering off in the coming weeks.

Michael Duca does the Giants podcast each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com