Category: San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants podcast with Michael Duca: Belt, Posey expected back in the lineup tonight in Arizona

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Photo credit: @mercnews

On the Giants podcast with Michael:

#1 Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he kept first baseman Brandon Belt out of the lineup due to his inflamed knee Bochy says Belt is listed as day-to-day.

#2 Belt has had two knee surgeries. He went 0-3 with a walk on Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Did his 0-for-3 have something to do with his knee being inflamed?

#3 The bobblehead for Pablo Sandoval reads “Let Pablo pitch” but someday the bobblehead for Giants pitcher Shaun Anderson will read “Let Shaun hit” because two hits in his first MLB game and some solid hitting would make only teammate Madison Bumgarner proud.

#4 Buster Posey is expected to be in the lineup on Friday night to open up the series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was out with a concussion for seven days. How cautious will the Giants and Posey be about his return?

#5 Giants pitcher Johnny Cueto is doing a 40-pitch bullpen session as he catches up with the team in Arizona. Bochy said he’s not sure if Cueto will be back this season after having Tommy John surgery, but he wants to see how and where Cueto is at in these bullpen sessions.

Join Miguel for the Giants podcasts each Friday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Giants head down to the desert to take on the D-backs

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Photo credit: @SFGiants

By Jeremy Harness

For what it’s worth, the Giants have won two of their last three games, and they will take that bit of momentum with them as they head to Arizona.

There they will play a three-game weekend series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, which starts Friday night at Chase Field.

While the Diamondbacks are in the middle of the pack, the Giants now sit in the National League West cellar, two games behind the four-place Colorado Rockies, as well as 9 ½ games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the division’s top spot.

The Giants will attempt to make up some ground in the division starting Friday night, as another guy trying to get things back on track, Jeff Samardzija (2-1, 3.51 ERA), takes the hill against Arizona righty Merrill Kelly (3-4, 4.70 ERA).

Samardzija appeared to be on the right path after shutting out the Dodgers over five solid innings while giving up only a pair of hits on Apr. 29. However, since then, he has had a pair of subpar outings – both against the Cincinnati Reds – giving up four runs and three runs over five and four innings, respectively.

Meanwhile, he gave up a season-high three home runs in a no-decision effort at Cincinnati on May 5.

Kelly has lost his last two outings, but his most recent defeat was more of a hard-luck one than anything else. He went seven strong and gave up three runs in a 6-4 loss to the Atlanta Braves last Saturday. It was major bounce-back from his previous start, during which he was bombed by the Tampa Bay Rays, giving up seven runs and going only four runs.

Madison Bumgarner (2-4, 4.04 ERA) is another looking to get some kind of consistency, and he will go on Saturday opposite Diamondbacks righty Zack Godley (1-3, 7.65 ERA).

He has gone seven innings twice – his season debut March 28 and then on Apr. 13 – but has not gone past six since, and he has yet to string together solid outings. Meanwhile, Godley has gone between starting and going to the bullpen, even picking up a save last Wednesday against Tampa Bay. In his previous outing on Tuesday, he went two innings and gave up three runs on three hits in a loss to Pittsburgh.

Oakland A’s podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: A’s look to improve on their road record; play in Detroit tonight

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Photo credit: @NBCSAthletics

On the A’s podcast with Jerry:

#1 The Oakland A’s enjoyed a rare Wednesday off and are ready to open a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at Comerica Park.

#2 The A’s are struggling on the road with a 5-15 record and the A’s were 1-8 on their last nine game trip.

#3 The A’s lost the first two games of this trip to Seattle by one-run games 6-5 and 4-3.

#4 A day gives a team a lot to think about. What are some of the things that the A’s need to consider in trying to make this a good road trip the rest of the way?

#5 The A’s will be starting Chris Bassitt (1-1, 2.55 ERA) for the Tigers Spencer Turnbull (2-2, 2.42 ERA). Talk a little about this match up and the job Bassitt has done for the A’s.

Jerry does the A’s podcasts each Thursday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

A Debut For Two: Jackson, Anderson grab the headlines in the Giants’ 4-3 win over the Blue Jays

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO — Five innings pitched, three runs allowed, two of them earned, and a no decision on a dreary afternoon at Oracle Park. May not sound like much, but the dueling debuts put forth by Shaun Anderson and Edwin Jackson on Tuesday were accompanied with quite a bit of notoriety.

For Jackson, his first appearance for the visiting Blue Jays marked the 14th different major league team he’s played for–in 17 seasons–a big league record laced with nomadic perseverance.

For Anderson, his major league debut came with a statistical oddity, and a promise that if he keeps doing what he’s doing–unlike Jackson–he’ll stay right where he is–with the Giants–as long as professionally possible.

“He’s in the rotation right now,” said manager Bruce Bochy, in an agreeable mindset after Brandon Crawford’s solo shot broke a sixth inning tie and propelled the Giants to a 4-3 win.

Anderson made his no-decision memorable by getting his first two big league hits, striking out five, and committing an error. Definitely a statistical mixed bag, but a first, at least since Boo Ferris scared Red Sox fans with a similar line in his 1945 major league debut.

“He looked good out there,” said teammate Aramis Garcia. “A little debut magic.”

Anderson was acquired from Boston in the Eduardo Nunez trade in 2017, and the 24-year old elevated himself to the status of the organization’s top pitching prospect in the season plus since the deal. With Derek Holland demoted, Dereck Rodriguez and Tyler Beede optioned, Anderson got the nod after posting a 2-1 record in seven starts with the River Cats.

Anderson allowed an RBI double to Freddy Galvez in the first, but settled enough to give his club a shot at a win, despite uncorking a run scoring wild pitch in the third, and an errant pickoff throw in the fifth that contributed to the Blue Jays’ third run.

The rookie literally turned heads with his borrowed bat, smashing a double off the wall in his first at-bat, and a single through the infield in his second.

Garcia did his part, backing his familiar battery mate from Sacramento with a calming influence behind the plate, as well as his first home run of the season in the second. Garcia’s shot gave the Giants a 3-1 lead after two innings.

Jackson was acquired by the Jays from Oakland last week. He was obstensibly out of baseball prior to that after giving the A’s a meaningful contribution in their ride to the playoffs in 2018. Without the velocity on his pitches that he once had, Jackson showed why he continues to get opportunities by keeping the Jays within reach for five frames despite Garcia’s homer and Pablo Sandoval’s RBI double. 

“I’m not one to give in,” Jackson said. “I feel like out of those 14 teams, some have been situations that would probably make people want to go home and quit and cry.”

“For me, the tougher it gets, the harder I work to prove that I can get outs in the major leagues.”

The Giants have Thursday off before starting a weekend series against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Jeff Samardzija gets the starting nod in the opener.

‘Bulldog’ top pitching prospect Shaun Anderson shines on mound, at plate in MLB debut

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By Ben Leonard

SAN FRANCISCO — With his shoulder-length blonde hair, deeply Florida-tanned skin and surfer-esque stoicism off the field, Giants’ top pitching prospect Shaun Anderson doesn’t scream “bulldog.”

In a 4-3 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in his major league debut, Anderson brought bite both on the mound and at the plate, giving up just two hits in five innings and slamming a double off the wall. Aramis Garcia, who caught for most of Anderson’s innings in Triple-A Sacramento and was behind the plate Wednesday, knew he was a “bulldog” on the mound, but didn’t think he had chops at the plate.

“In Richmond, we thought he was going to hurt himself because of how hard he was swinging out there,” said Garcia, who hit with Anderson in the offseason.

Anderson roped the double and later a single in his two at-bats, while holding Toronto (17-25) to just two earned runs and striking out five in the Giants’ (18-24) win. The Giants’ No. 4 overall prospect flashed a fastball that topped out around 95 mph that helped keep Toronto off the board. After allowing a run in the first, Anderson settled in, giving up just a run off a wild pitch and another unearned run following an error and another wild pitch.

“That’s a pretty nice debut, to get a couple hits to go with that,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He did his job. Nice job to give us a chance to win the game.”

As his swing has apparently evolved, Anderson has evolved into a starting pitcher from his college days at the University of Florida, where he was a reliever on an elite pitching staff. In his final season in Gainesville, Anderson gave up just six runs in just over 45 innings while tying a Florida record for saves in a season.

Five other Gators from that team were taken in the top 10 rounds of the 2016 MLB Draft, when Anderson was taken in the third round by the Boston Red Sox. Anderson found his way to the Giants’ organization in a July 2017 trade that sent infielder Eduardo Nunez to Boston.

Anderson excelled in the Giants’ farm system in 2018, posting a 3.69 ERA in 25 games, all but one of them starts. He continued to pitch well in Triple-A Sacramento this year, striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings to the tune of a 4.11 ERA—better than average for the hitter-friendly league.

But just a few months ago, the Giants weren’t sure if Anderson was a reliever or a starter. Right now, it’s pretty clear: Anderson is in the rotation, as Bochy said after the game.

Anderson boasts a biting changeup, curveball and a slider that he can throw two different ways—one that breaks down and one that breaks more like a traditional slider. He relied on his slider as a reliever at Florida and had to learn to use his fastball more in the transition to professional baseball.

Anderson showed some areas for improvement, including a curveball that got roped one of the two times he threw it, two wild pitches and a pickoff attempt to first that left a runner on third.

“That’s on me. That’s something I need to limit,” Anderson said of the wild pitches and the pickoff try. “Limiting those mistakes could have helped me win.”

Overall, Garcia thought Anderson did a good job staying composed in his debut, especially for a pitcher that tends to get pretty amped up for starts, Garcia said. He’s a starter with a reliever’s mentality, he added.

“He was pretty composed. It was good to see,” Garcia said. “He’s a bulldog out there. He’s not afraid. He’ll challenge anyone. He’s not afraid to go after guys.”

Having Garcia behind the dish put Anderson at ease.  

“It was a good thing from a comfort standpoint. I didn’t shake a whole lot because I trust him and he trusts me,” Anderson said. “It gave me confidence out there on the mound.”

Anderson isn’t by any means a phenom or a highly-touted prospect—he is ranked No. 4 overall in the Giants’ farm system, and you won’t find him on any top-100 prospect lists.

He may not be the answer to the struggling Giants’ woes, but for now, he appears ready to make an impact at the big league level. Nothing seemed to phase him: not wild pitches, errors in the field behind him nor phenom Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went hitless.

“I tried to keep my expectations level. Just wanted to do what I could to keep the team in the game and get off on a good streak,” Anderson said. “I felt pretty calm for most of the game.”

Giants’ top pitching prospect to make debut Wednesday against Blue Jays

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mercurynews.com photo: San Francisco Giants starter Shaun Anderson had quiet a Major League debut with two hits and fine start against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park in San Francisco.

By Ben Leonard

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ flurry of May roster moves has continued, but their most recent call-up may be the most significant yet.

After 35 May roster moves before Wednesday, struggling San Francisco (17-24) has called up its top pitching prospect, 24-year old right-hander Shaun Anderson, to make his major league debut against the Toronto Blue Jays (17-24) Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. at Oracle Park. Anderson will try to stabilize his slot in a Giants’ rotation that has struggled mightily outside of veterans Madison Bumgarner and Jeff Samardzija.

“He’s a guy that’s throwing as well as anybody” in Triple-A, manager Bruce Bochy said, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. “So that’s why he’s here.”

Starter Tyler Beede was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento in a corresponding move. Beede gave up 10 earned runs in his last three outings, lasting just 6.2 innings. Anderson will fill struggling starter Dereck Rodriguez’s slot in the rotation after he was also optioned to Sacramento May 11.

Anderson hails from the University of Florida, where he was a lockdown closer and then was drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft. The Giants acquired Anderson in a 2017 trade deadline deal that sent infielder Eduardo Nunez to Boston.

Anderson isn’t by any means a blue-chip prospect, but he has pitched solidly in just over three years in the minor leagues.

Anderson posted a 3.45 ERA in Double-A Richmond for the Giants in 2018 before posting a 4.18 ERA to finish the season for Triple-A Sacramento. He has kept that up this year in Sacramento, posting a 4.11 ERA with a 3.55 FIP and striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings.

Anderson will face veteran right-hander Edwin Jackson, who will make his Blue Jays debut Wednesday. When he throws his first pitch for Toronto, Jackson will have pitched for a record 14 major league teams. Jackson was acquired from the Oakland Athletics for cash after posting a 3.33 ERA in 2019.

Rain is expected in the forecast Wednesday during and prior to the contest. Grounds crews covered the field with a tarp and worked on the field Wednesday morning. NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic reported that the Giants say there is a window to play the game, with the heaviest rain set to come more than four hours after the scheduled first pitch. 

LINEUPS: 

BLUE JAYS:

Brandon Drury, 2B

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 3B

Rowdy Tellez, 1B

Randal Grichuk, CF

Freddy Galvis, SS

Teoscar Hernandez, LF

Billy McKinney, RF

Luke Maile, C

Edwin Jackson, SP

GIANTS:

Joe Panik, 2B

Steven Duggar, RF

Evan Longoria, 3B

Pablo Sandoval, 1B

Mac Williamson, LF

Brandon Crawford, SS

Kevin Pillar, CF

Aramis Garcia, C

Shaun Anderson, SP

San Francisco Giants feature: He was a Giant? A Foster Folly; Former Giants outfielder George Foster

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photo provided from autographwarehouse.com: Former San Francisco Giant outfielder George Foster who was dealt to Cincinnati in 1971 part of Tony the Tiger’s feature He was a Giant?

THE FOSTER FOLLY

By Tony “the Tiger” Hayes

SAN FRANCISCO — On the night that Nick Vincent was Be-Bop-A-Lulaed by Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. — in the worst opening act experiment San Francisco has witnessed since Country Joe & the Fish warmed up a 1978 Winterland audience for the Sex Pistols — we take a look back at another disastrous Orange & Black event: the botched 1971 trade of George Foster.

He Was a Giant?
The Giants never considered Foster more than a backup to Willie Mays.

So it was pretty ironic that six years after SF dealt Foster to the Reds for next to nothing, the late blooming star would became the first slugger to bash 50 HR in a season since… Willie Mays.

Foster had not shown much in his 54 game audition in SF, so it wasn’t much of a shocker when he was dealt to Cincinnati for a pair of nobodies in 1971.

At first, nobody thought much of the swap – either way.

The pair of players the Giants received washed out of SF quicker than an Ocean Beach riptide and Foster stalled initially in the Queen City.

But after Foster had established himself as one of the ferocious power threats of the 1970s, the trade was forever cemented as one of the most atrocious swaps of Giants history, right alongside the blundering bartering of Orlando Cepeda.

Why Was He a Giant?
Foster actually replaced Mays in the Giants lineup mid-game in his big league debut in 1969. The club was auditioning farm talent as potential replacements for the aging Mays, but the painfully shy, still developing Foster — who was disqualified from the Vietnam War draft due to an old back injury — didn’t scream future star.

He saw just limited action in ‘69. The pattern repeated itself in 1970.

The Giants were on their way to their first ever western division title in 1971 when they swapped Foster to the Reds in late May for SS Frank Duffy and RHP Vern Geishert.

Before & After
A Giants third round pick out of Southern California, Foster began opening eyes at Single-A Fresno in ‘69, driving 14 HR and batting a gaudy .321, prompting the late season cameo with SF.

In 1970 he leapfrogged Double-A and starred at Triple-A Phoenix- resulting in another September call up to Candlestick Park.

The Giants were on their way to their first ever western division title in 1971 when they swapped Foster to the Reds in late May. In 36 games. Foster was batting .267 with 3 HR for SF

The star stacked Reds would show patience with Foster easing him along until he finally ripened.

Beginning in 1976 – when he was voted All-Star Game MVP – , Foster would lead the NL in RBI for three straight campaigns. In 1977 – the season he crushed 52 long balls, Foster was the run away NL MVP. Foster ended with 348 career HR and 1135 RBI.

He Never Got A (Giants) Bobblehead. But…
Shortly before his trade away from the Giants, Foster produced his first four- hit big league game, batting 4-for-4, with 3 RBI with a double and solo HR off Mike McQueen in a 5-3 win at Atlanta (4/28/71).

Giant Footprint
The returns the Giants received for Foster are legendarily ignominious, but if you’ve blotted the painful memory from your brain pan, here’s a refresher.

First, Geishert. Most followers of horrible Giants trades know the right-handed never did play for the Giants in the big leagues. But according to his Baseball Reference page Geishert never even appeared in a game in the minors for SF as well!

Duffy, a Stanford man, batted 5-for-28 in 28 games for the Giants through the end of ‘71 and then was dealt as part of another of the Giants careless trades. This time, Duffy exited town, going to Cleveland along with great Gaylord Perry for the catastrophe that was pitcher Sam McDowell.

By the way, it was the SF based punk group the Avengers who actually opened for the Sex Pistols in ‘78.

Guerrero Jr. homers twice in Blue Jays’ 7-3 win over Giants

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By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO-In his first ever appearance as a major leaguer at Oracle Park, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., did not disappoint the allegiance of Toronto Blue Jays fans in the crowd.

Guerrero Jr. launched a solo home run deep over the center field wall, helping the Blue Jays to a 7-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants before a crowd of 31,230 at Oracle Park.

Once again, the first inning was a troublesome inning for the Giants, as with the three runs that the Blue Jays scored in the first inning, the Giants have been outscored 45-5 in the opening frame.

In his next at-bat, Guerrero Jr. singled and then walked in his third at-bat, as the rookie is proving to everyone why he was the number one minor league prospect coming into the 2019 season.

Nick Vincent was the opener for the Giants, and pitched the first inning, allowing three runs on four hits and threw 31 pitches in that opening frame.

This was the second start of Vincents career, as he started a game on August 21, 2018, while pitching for the Seattle Mariners against the Houston Astros at Safeco Field. In that game, Vincent threw two perfect innings.

Vincent gave way to Tyler Beede, who pitched 2.1 innings, striking out five, including the side in the top of the third inning.

Trent Thornton went the first 5.2 innings for the Blue Jays, as he allowed two runs on three hits, walking five and striking out seven, as he won his first major league game.

Thornton also picked up his first major league hit, as he singled in the top of the fourth inning off of Beede. He liked hitting so much that he added a single in the top of the sixth inning off of Reyes Moronta.

Guerrero Jr. added a second home run in the top of the sixth inning, as on the first pitch he saw from Moronta, it landed about one-quarter up into the left-center field bleachers.

The home run was measured at 451 feet, a three-run shot that scored Thornton and former Oakland As second baseman Eric Sogard, who was hit by a pitch just prior to the Guerrero Jr. home run.

Pablo Sandoval gave Giants fans their only bit of excitement in the bottom of the third inning, as he hit his fifth home run of the season that scored Joe Panik, who led off the inning with a single.

Sandoval walked in the fifth and seventh innings, and it marked the two walks of the season for him.

NOTES: With those four hits in the first inning, opponents are now 55-for-172 in the first inning, a batting average of .320. On the other side of things, the Giants are now 23-for-135, a .167 clip in the first inning.

Aaron Altherr was added to the 25-man roster, while to make room for Altherr, the Giants designated Catcher Erik Kratz for assignment.

UP NEXT: Shaun Anderson will make his major-league debut for the Giants in the series and home stand finale on Wednesday afternoon.

This season for the Sacramento Rivercats, Anderson was 2-1 with a 4.11 earned run average, as he walked 11 and struck out 37 in 35 innings.

Edwin Jackson will make his season debut for the Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon, and will make major-league history in the process.

The Blue Jays are the 14th major league team of Jacksons career, breaking a tie he currently shares with Octavio Dotel.

In his career, Jackson has worn the uniforms of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa (Devil) Rays, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and Oakland Athletics, prior to signing with the Blue Jays.

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary: Both Bay Area teams in bottom of standings; Nothing new on Western Front

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nbcsports.com file photo: San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner gets ready to deliver, Bumgarner has been the talk of trade rumors which includes going to the Boston Red Sox.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez

Sometimes you can tell how a baseball season might end after one-quarter of the season already is in the books. That might very well be the case this 2019 season. Some teams are so bad, that you really do not need two to four months to evaluate (find out their identity) because you know they just do not have it. It is simple as that. In the A’s case, we knew their identity of this young team last year, and the question was can they duplicate that success? In the Giants’ case, we knew they were not going to be in the picture, and during Spring Training, the big interest was to trade Madison Bumgarner.

The Houston Astros are ruling the American League West and the Los Angeles Dodgers the National League West. These two teams have an excellent possibility of facing each other in the World Series. This is not a prediction, but a good possibility, and not because they are on top as of today, but because they have the players and depth. It didn’t matter that the Seattle Mariners had their best start for season since 1977 in their inaugural season or that the Diamondbacks, who are almost like the M’s, trade a lot of their key players in the off-season and nobody expected them to be playing this well.

Of course, let’s get to our two Bay Area teams.

The A’s who surprised the world and won 97 games last year and made it to the postseason, did not have a set rotation from the offset of Spring Training. Hopefully, their #1 starter Shawn Manaea will be back soon to anchor their hurting pitching staff. Some injuries have hurt the A’s, who basically had the same team as last year, with some exceptions like Jurickson Profar at second-base, taking the place of the reliable veteran All Star Jed Lowrie, who went to the Mets, but has not played yet and is recovering from an injury in Syracuse, N.Y.

For the Giants, the time is getting close for trading Bumgarner with a high probability of trade before the July 31 deadline. It is all a matter of whether they can get a couple of young prospects for the future — nothing more, nothing less — rebuilding is in the air at Oracle. But there is a chance the Giants roster might look very different soon. Although their problem is that they are stuck with older players with large contracts.

For the A’s, the most important news is not on the field, but that they have cleared the way to eventually build their new ballpark. What location remains the big question. The chances of the A’s making it to the postseason again are as good as ever inside a weak division. They look like a Wild Card team.

Outside baseball, the Sharks and Warriors are in the middle of their respective playoff series, and that is nothing new.

Amaury Pi Gonzalez writes That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary and Barbara Mason does That’s Amaury’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Change Is In The Air: Last place Giants not hesitant to make moves with their season on the line

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By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO — Derek Holland didn’t take his demotion from the Giants’ starting rotation without blowing off some steam. Gathering reporters after Saturday’s game, Holland didn’t mince words.

“To be honest, I have no idea what they’re doing,” Holland said. “I don’t mean (manager Bruce Bochy). It’s more from the front office. We keep changing a lot of things. I did a fake injury so I’m not happy about that. But at the end of the day I’m going to do what they ask me to do. I’m going to be here for my teammates. That’s what it’s all about.”

Like it or not, Holland and his teammates are on watch, the byproduct of a 17-23 start to the season and an 8 1/2 game deficit in the NL West. Tyler Beede is the next man up in the team’s starting rotation, replacing Holland after the veteran was far too generous in Denver Tuesday in his return from the injured list. In snowy conditions, Holland allowed seven runs on seven hits, including three home runs. Holland was lifted with two outs in the third inning, trailing 7-2, as Bochy preferred Trevor Gott to face the dangerous Trevor Story with a runner on third.

“He was without his breaking ball,” Bochy said of Holland. “He didn’t have a feel for it and it’s hard to pitch here without it.”

When the Giants open a two-game set against the Blue Jays Tuesday, Tyler Beede will be the starter, not Holland. But that’s not the only change as the Giants attempt to climb out of a hole.

After that game, catcher Aramis Garcia was recalled along with Beede. Drew Pomeranz was placed on the list with a lat strain. Buster Posey will miss both games against Toronto as he still dealing with the effects of a concussion.

Brandon Belt is dealing with a calf strain suffered in Friday’s game. That opened the door for Pablo Sandoval, who homered and doubled on Sunday while replacing Belt.

On Saturday,  Dereck Rodriguez was sent back to minors with a mandate to find his control. Rodriguez allowed 12 earned runs in his two, most recent starts along with his ERA sitting at 5.05.

Finally, outfielder Aaron Altherr was claimed off waivers from the Phillies. Altherr smacked 19 home runs for Philadelphia in 2017, but was hitting just .034 this year when he was demoted. To make room for Altherr, pitcher Andrew Moore was designated for assignment.