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SF Giants Press Clips

Sunday, August 13, 2017

San Francisco Chronicle

Giants’ Mark Melancon activated from DL

John Shea

WASHINGTON — Mark Melancon’s season has not gone according to plan.

“It hasn’t been easy. It hasn’t been fun,” Melancon said. “It’s been a tough (time) on the DL. So,

yeah, I’m excited to get out there and get going.”

The Giants activated the closer from the disabled list Saturday, and Melancon allowed a hit and

struck out one in a shutout inning against the Nationals in San Francisco’s 3-1 loss.

Melancon, signed in the offseason for four years and $62 million, hadn’t pitched since June 27,

and his pronator strain twice sent him to the DL, a short stint in May followed by a longer one

that prompted a more deliberate timetable.

“Get back to what I’ve done the past three years,” he said when asked what he wants to

accomplish the final six weeks. “Get back in a routine, get back to what I’m capable of doing.

It’ll be nice to get back out there, really.”

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Melancon made four rehab starts, his latest a scoreless, two-strikeout inning on Wednesday. To

create a roster spot, the Giants placed infielder Miguel Gomez on the DL with right knee

inflammation.

In Melancon’s absence, Sam Dyson assumed the closer’s role and has eight saves (in nine

chances) and a 2.22 ERA in 23 outings. Manager Bruce Bochy said he’ll ease Melancon back into

the fold in lower-leverage situations.

“He’s been great. He’s done an excellent job. I feel like we’ve got a diamond in the rough,”

Melancon said of Dyson, his teammate in the World Baseball Classic.

With Dyson not eligible for free agency until 2021 and left-hander Will Smith coming off Tommy

John surgery, Melancon said the Giants’ bullpen could be “exciting and promising for years to

come.”

Meantime, the name Melancon chose for the Aug. 25-27 Players Weekend — when players will

wear nicknames on their jerseys — is clever: “Stretch.” Not to steal from Hall of Famer Willie

McCovey but to make light of a Fox Sports report that he “rubbed teammates the wrong way”

by altering the time relievers take the field to pregame stretch.

“It was kind of easy,” Melancon said of choosing the nickname.

New man: Infielder Orlando Calixte will be the Giants’ 26th man for Sunday’s doubleheader. It

was believed he’d be eligible for just the nightcap. The Giants say he’s eligible for both games.

He’s being called up from Triple-A Sacramento.

John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer.

On deck

Sunday

at Nationals

10:05 a.m. NBCSBA

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Stratton (0-2)

vs. Scherzer (12-5)

Sunday

at Nationals

4:05 p.m. NBCSBA

Moore (3-12)

vs. Cole (1-2)

Monday

at Marlins

4:10 p.m. NBCSBA

Blach (8-7)

vs. Conley (4-5)

Leading off

Starter needed: With Sunday’s doubleheader, the Giants will need another starter for

Wednesday. Manager Bruce Bochy said it could be Matt Cain or Albert Suarez depending on

which will be needed in the bullpen.

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San Francisco Chronicle

Bryce Harper injury big concern to Nationals; Giants can relate

John Shea

WASHINGTON — The Giants know more than most teams the importance of staying healthy in

a postseason run. Their World Series championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014 were the result of

overpowering pitching, clean defense and timely hitting.

Along with mostly a clean bill of health.

None of their core players, give or take an Angel Pagan in 2013, were missing in October,

permitting the Giants to be at their physical best at the most important time.

The Nationals wish they could be so fortunate. They lost their best player, Bryce Harper, in

Saturday night’s 3-1 victory over the Giants to a left knee injury that could detour the

Washington’s title hopes.

Harper slipped on first base while running out a grounder, went airborne and violently fell to

the ground. His leg hyperextended, and he landed on his hands and immediately clutched his

knee. Fans at Nationals Park held their collective breath as the National League’s best overall

player writhed in pain.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said after the game more will be known when Harper gets an

MRI. Baker, with no World Series title on an otherwise decorated managing resume, placed his

hands on his head and initially appeared expressionless except when he shook his head in

shock.

Harper, hitting .326 with 26 homers and 81 RBIs, needed help getting up and was carried off the

field by hitting coach Rick Schu and trainer Paul Lessard.

“It was a freak accident,” said Giants first baseman Ryder Jones, who noted the bag was wet

because it rained in the first inning. “I didn’t really notice what happened. I tagged the bag and

then heard the fans go ‘Oh.’ He was in pretty good pain.”

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The Giants know the impact of a serious injury to a superstar player. Key injuries came more

regularly in odd years following championship seasons. They lost Buster Posey in May 2011 to

major ankle and leg injuries that cost him the season and the Giants any realistic chance of

repeating their 2010 title.

Ryan Vogelsong, a vital part of the 2012 championship season, was shelved much of 2013. And

Hunter Pence missed most of 2015 after appearing in 162 games each of the previous two

years.

“I don’t know the extent of Bryce’s injury, and hopefully he’ll be there for them because they’re

in a great situation,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You want your guys there. For the

most part, we had our guys.

“But if you remember, we lost our best hitter, Melky (Cabrera), to different circumstances (a

drug suspension in 2012), and the team came together. They did a good job of bonding despite

what happened.

“Pagan, we lost, which was key for us. Unfortunately, teams have to deal with this, the fact that

this happened. I’d like to think (Harper) would get back before they get to the postseason.”

First base was slippery Saturday night following a 3-hour, 1-minute rain delay. Friday’s

scheduled opener was postponed because of rain, so the first pitch of the series, Edwin Jackson

to Denard Span, was delivered 27 hours late.

After making a diving stop on the line, Jones beat Harper to the base, and pitcher Jeff

Samardzija lunged out of the way at the last moment to avoid contact. The Nationals scored

two quick runs after Harper departed on Ryan Zimmerman’s double and Daniel Murphy’s

single.

The Giants scored in the top of the first on Joe Panik’s home run. Samardzija gave up one more

run on Adam Lind’s double in the sixth, his final inning. He threw 120 pitches.

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Center fielder Brian Goodwin took Harper’s spot in right and Andrew Stevenson entered to play

center.

It’s the first series between the teams since the May 29 brawl in San Francisco between Harper

and Giants reliever Hunter Strickland. Both players were suspended, Strickland for six games

and Harper for three.

San Francisco Chronicle

Shea: Sean Doolittle gives Dusty Baker relief with Nationals

John Shea

WASHINGTON — Sean Doolittle looked perplexed. He knew it was a good bet he’d be traded

but still wasn’t prepared when it actually happened, when he and Ryan Madson were shipped

to the Nationals.

In the A’s clubhouse, Madson noticed Doolittle wasn’t his easygoing self. Unlike Doolittle, who

had spent his entire career in the A’s organization, Madson was heading to his fourth team.

So Madson approached his bullpen mate.

“Are you OK?”

They spoke, and Madson reaffirmed to him the virtues of moving from last place to first place,

to a team that needed him down the stretch and in the playoffs, to a team that wasn’t just

better in the standings but with its facilities.

“I knew it was going to be more emotional for him,” Madson said. “But with his intellectual

ability, all I needed was to give him a little nod. I wanted to show him that I knew where he was

at and to tell him, ‘You’re going to love it.’”

Madson was right.

The former A’s relievers are major pieces in a bullpen that was desperate for an upgrade.

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Manager Dusty Baker’s lineup and rotation were first-rate, but the bullpen had the highest ERA

in the majors and lacked a legitimate closer.

That’s what Doolittle has been, converting all eight of his save opportunities, and the hard-

throwing Madson has been spotless in the setup role, a nice complement to All-Star

closer Brandon Kintzler, who was acquired from Minnesota two weeks later and tries to induce

weak contact and double-play grounders.

“I’m really happy,” Doolittle said. “It was awesome for me having (Madson) here because he

kept me really centered. My emotions were all over the place, and he has such a calming

presence about him. That really helped me.”

Baker could have given the closer’s role to Kintzler, who saved 28 games for the Twins, but until

further notice it belongs to Doolittle, who had three saves in Oakland while serving as a setup

man to Santiago Casilla.

“It’s a role I always wanted,” said Doolittle, whose only significant time as a closer came when

he saved 22 games in 2014. “Every reliever wants to throw well enough to be put in high-

leverage situations where the team and manager can count on you.

“The other two guys could easily do the job.”

Why did Baker select Doolittle?

“How long has Kintzler been closing? How long has Doolittle been closing,” said Baker, noting

Kintzler is relatively new to the ninth-inning business.

Conversations with A’s manager Bob Melvin as well as Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who had

seen plenty of all three relievers in the American League, also entered into Baker’s decision-

making.

Baker said all are interchangeable, and mixing and matching isn’t required because all have had

success getting both right-handers and left-handers out.

“The real good teams, we had that. In San Francisco, we had that,” said Baker, citing his first

year managing with the 1993 Giants.

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That was the 103-win season in which Rod Beck closed, Mike Jackson and lefty Kevin

Rogers set up, ex-closers Jeff Brantley and Dave Righetti provided depth and 10-game

winner Dave Burba served as the long man.

“It was a six-inning game,” Baker said. “Like Yogi Berra said, ‘You don’t got a good bullpen, you

don’t got nothing.’”

Baker’s new bullpen worked to perfection in Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Marlins. Kintzler

pitched the seventh, Madson the eighth and Doolittle the ninth, all shutout innings.

For someone whose prosperous managing career has one big void — a World Series title —

Baker is far better equipped to get deep into October than he was before the two trades.

“Even in Oakland, I always viewed (Doolittle) as a closer, and I told him that,” Madson said. “I’m

so happy for him, for this opportunity. It’s made me better, and I know it’s made him better.”

Baker-Bochy bond: Baker and the Giants’ Bruce Bochy have been managing against each other

since Bochy took over the Padres in 1995, two years after Baker began running the Giants.

“I don’t think he has any fear,” Baker said of Bochy. “He knows what he’s doing. He has some

brains in that big, old head he’s got. He’s a smart man.”

Bochy on Baker: “Dusty and I have gone against each other for quite a while. We’re good

friends. We’re been around a long time. I have tremendous respect for Dusty.”

This is the 22nd season for both managers. Bochy’s run has been consecutive. Baker took 2007,

2014 and 2015 off.

As it turns out, Bochy and Baker have the same number of wins after Washington’s 3-1 win over

San Francisco on Saturday at Nationals Park. Bochy is 1,835-1,828 (.501) while Baker is 1,835-

1,616 (.532).

Bochy and Baker have the most wins among active managers, 14th place all-time to tie them

with Lou Piniella. Every manager with more wins except Gene Mauch (1,902) is in the Hall of

Fame.

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Bochy’s big advantage over Baker is the three World Series championships.

“We were in the same division for a number of years,” Baker said. “I’m real close to Bruce.

When I lost my job in Cincinnati, he was the first one to call and wanted to know what

happened because we just got to the playoffs. I called him when I found out he had some minor

heart problems this summer. We duck hunt with the same friends up in Northern California.

“So Bruce and I go way, way back. I’ve got nothing but respect for Bruce. We’ve been battling a

long time.”

San Francisco Chronicle

Bryce Harper injured in Giants-Nationals opener

John Shea

WASHINGTON — Bryce Harper, the best all-around player in the National League and the main

force in the Washington Nationals’ pursuit of their first World Series title, was carried off the

field Saturday night with an apparent left knee injury.

Harper was running out a first-inning grounder to Giants first baseman Ryder Jones and

stretched with his left leg to the bag, only to slip on the slick surface and collapse, his leg

hyperextending and his foot sliding onto the dirt.

Harper went airborne and landed on his hands and immediately clutched his knee as fans at

Nationals Park held their collective breath. Harper needed help getting up and was carried off

the field by hitting coach Rick Schu and trainer Paul Lessard, the Nationals’ postseason hopes

resting largely on the All-Star right fielder.

As Harper was on the ground writhing in pain, Nationals manager Dusty Baker put both hands

on top of his head and was seen several times shaking his head.

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The base was slippery following a 3-hour, 1-minute rain delay. Friday’s scheduled opener was

postponed because of rain, so the first pitch of the series, Edwin Jackson to Denard Span, was

delivered 27 hours late.

After making a diving stop on the line, Jones beat Harper to the base, and pitcher Jeff

Samardzija lunged out of the way at the last moment to avoid contact. The Nationals scored

two quick runs after Harper departed on Ryan Zimmerman’s double and Daniel Murphy’s

single.

The Giants scored in the top of the first on Joe Panik’s home run.

In the second inning, center fielder Brian Goodwin took Harper’s spot in right and Andrew

Stevenson entered to play center. Harper has a .326 average with 26 homers and 81 RBIs.

It’s the first series between the teams since the May 29 brawl in San Francisco between Harper

and Giants reliever Hunter Strickland. Both players were suspended, Strickland for six games

and Harper for three.

San Jose Mercury News

Giants lose but Nationals suffer the worst of it as Bryce Harper grabs knee in agony

Andrew Baggarly

WASHINGTON – The Giants arrived in the District of Columbia late Wednesday night. By the

time they saw their first pitch at Nationals Park, it was after 10 p.m. on Saturday.

But there are worse things than waiting through rain delays and postponements. Much, much

worse.

The ballpark fell into stunned silence in the first inning of the Nationals’ 3-1 victory when star

player Bryce Harper stomped on a wet first base, his cleat slid, his left knee buckled and he

went flying as if violently ejected from a moving vehicle.

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Harper’s face twisted in agony as he held his left knee. It took a trainer and a base coach to

assist him off the field. All the while – down the dugout stairs, then down the tunnel to the

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clubhouse — he put no weight on his injured left leg.

The Nationals announced that Harper hyperextended his knee, and they will cross their fingers

that an MRI exam turns up no more than that. Anything worse would mean torn ligaments, and

surgery, and a significant handicap in October for a team that should coast to its fourth NL East

title in five years yet thus far has failed to advance beyond the best-of-5 NL Division Series.

And it would mean that Major League Baseball’s greatest stage would be deprived one of its

most talented and recognizable players — one of few legitimate and marketable stars who

resonate beyond casual fans of the game.

On a night when Dusty Baker tied Giants counterpart Bruce Bochy and Lou Piniella for 14th

place on the all-time managerial victories list, the Nationals skipper and former Giants field

general began his postgame news conference by appealing for prayers.

“We’re just urging everybody out there who are Nationals fans and baseball fans to say a prayer

for him tonight,” Baker said. “Because he was in obvious pain out there, but we’re hoping for

the best.

“Silence goes over the crowd and you’re just thinking, `Please Lord, just don’t let it be serious.’”

Harper entered the game ranked fourth in the NL in hitting (.326), fourth in on-base percentage

(.419), third in slugging (.619) and second in OPS (1.034). Only the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon

had scored more runs. He had 29 homers and was on pace to hit 41 while driving in 124.

Saturday night was the first time the Giants and Nationals crossed paths since the late May

series at AT&T Park, and the benches-clearing incident that was window dressing for a one-on-

one confrontation between Harper, right-hander Hunter Strickland and the reliever’s three-year

grievance that he apparently tried to square with a fastball to the hip.

There was no malice attached to Harper’s injury. Only moisture.

The Nationals delayed the first pitch for three hours, including the first 45 minutes with the

field tarped under partly sunny skies because of an approaching thunderstorm. With a split

doubleheader looming Sunday, the last thing these teams wanted was to start Saturday’s game

and lose both starting pitchers to a lengthy delay after two or three innings.

So they waited three hours before the storm could pass and the field could be prepped.

But there was little that could be done about the wet bases. Harper hit a ground ball to the

right side and first baseman Ryder Jones made a lunging stop before racing to the bag. He did a

credible job of clearing the lane for Harper, and pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who had raced over to

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cover, also veered away from a potential collision.

Jones didn’t see Harper go down. But he immediately knew what caused it.

“I heard all the fans go, `Ohhh,’” Jones said. “It’s a freak accident. The tops of the bases were

wet. You never want that to happen to a player, whether he’s on your team or the other team.”

Harper’s loss will be felt by a team that is on pace to win 97 games yet will enter October as

nobody’s favorite because of the historic dominance that has happened at Dodger Stadium this

season.

The Nationals are seeking to avenge their NLDS loss to the Dodgers last year in a series that

went to a decisive fifth game, and a one-run loss when Clayton Kershaw came out of the

bullpen to record the final two outs.

It was the latest October disappointment for Baker, who has become the Greg Norman of major

league managers, toothpick and wristbands included.

Baker, 68, has managed eight teams to the postseason but is still chasing his first ring as a

skipper; his only pennant came with the 2002 Giants, who came so tantalizingly close before he

took the ball from Russ Ortiz in Game 6 at Anaheim and watched the Angels brush past him

that night and the next.

He was the Cubs’ manager in 2003 for the Bartman game. He was the Reds’ manager in 2012

when the Giants rattled off three consecutive elimination wins in Cincinnati. Now he has to

hope and pray that a wet base, and a terrible spill, won’t be the event that denies him this time.

“Hopefully he’ll be there for them, because they’re in a great situation,” Bochy said.

More likely, Harper will be out awhile. And if he is done for the year, Bochy reminded that his

2012 Giants team pulled together and won the World Series after their most potent offensive

player, Melky Cabrera, was lost to a 50-game suspension after he flunked a performance-

enhancing drug test.

“Different circumstances, but our team came together,” Bochy said. “They said, hey, we can’t

focus on this.”

Baker cannot match Bochy’s three World Series rings as a manager, and while he sat out the

2014-15 seasons waiting for a call to manage again, Bochy passed him on the all-time victories

list, too. But this season, with the Giants off in a ditch, Baker has caught up.

Baker has 1,834 wins in 22 seasons. He tied Bochy, who had matched Piniella when the Giants

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beat the Cubs at home on Wednesday. Of the 13 managers ahead of them, only Gene Mauch is

not in the Hall of Fame.

There’s a good chance Baker passes Bochy in this series. His best pitcher, Max Scherzer, will

take the mound against Chris Stratton for Game 1 of Sunday’s doubleheader, which was pushed

up to 10:05 a.m. PDT so the Nationals can clear the ballpark between games. Game 2 (Matt

Moore vs. A.J. Cole) will begin at 4:05 p.m. PDT.

It means the Giants will have a late night flight to Miami before their series opener there on

Monday. And they won’t have a rested starter to take the ball on Wednesday. They could use

Matt Cain or Albert Suarez to run the first leg of a bullpen game.

—

Joe Panik hit a solo home run in the first inning but the Giants offense once again struggled

against Edwin Jackson, whose fastball and slider also proved puzzling when he was with the San

Diego Padres.

“We came out swinging good,” said Bochy, noting that Jarrett Parker stole his way into scoring

position in the first inning and the Giants had two quick hits in the second before failing to land

another RBI hit. “Both pitchers settled in and pitched well.”

Jeff Samardzija gave up two runs on three hits in the first inning, and then Adam Lind hit an RBI

double in the sixth as the Nationals stopped his three-start win streak. Samardzija threw 120

pitches in six innings.

—

The Giants activated right-hander Mark Melancon (right forearm pronator strain) from the

disabled list and placed infielder Miguel Gomez (knee) on the 10-day DL. Melancon pitched the

eighth – his first game since June 27 – and he hit 93 mph while pitching around a hit in a

scoreless inning. Melancon struck out one and his other outs came on a nubber to the mound

and a pop-up.

“I thought the stuff was good,” Bochy said. “He made an 0-2 mistake but he regrouped and got

out of it. I thought it was a perfect situation for him.”

—

The Giants and Nationals are allowed to add a 26th man to the roster for both games on

Sunday. The Giants put utilityman Orlando Calixte on a red-eye flight and plan to activate him.

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San Jose Mercury News

Giants Notes

Andrew Baggarly

WASHINGTON – Mark Melancon is back on the Giants’ active roster and eager to flush the bad

vibes of a disappointing season marred by a nagging elbow injury.

But for all his health struggles, and the beatdown on team morale that comes with a last-place

season, Melancon hasn’t lost his wry sense of humor.

For complete Giants coverage follow us on Flipboard.

He smiled when asked about his jersey nickname choice for “Players Weekend,” at the end of

August. Melancon will wear “STRETCH” on the back of his uniform – a reference to the Fox

Sports story in late June that reported Melancon chafed some of his bullpen mates by tweaking

their pregame stretching program.

“You guys like that?” he said.

Brandon Crawford will wear B-Craw. Buster Posey will wear Buster. (He should’ve gone with

Gerald, though.) Jeff Samardzija is Shark, Matt Cain is Horse and Ty Blach is The Preacher.

Hunter Pence is Wawindaji (the Swahili word for Hunter, as Jarrett Parker informed him) while

Gorkys Hernandez is going with the Spanish equivalent (Cazador). Austin Slater gets tons of

credit from “Saved By the Bell” fans for choosing AC.

Some others are a bit, shall we say, duller. Parker is Park, Hunter Strickland is Strick, Kelby

Tomlinson is Tommy and Nick Hundley is Hundo. Kyle Crick is Cricky. Matt Moore is Matty Moe.

Denard Span is Spaniard.

Then there are these: Brandon Belt is Belt and Joe Panik is Panik.

Pretty sure we can name Melancon the winner by proclamation. How did he arrive at his

choice?

“Well, it was kind of easy,” he said. “It was laid out on the table for me.”

And after the weekend Aug. 25-27, Melancon can put it back on the table.

Willie McCovey had that nickname first, and he’s the rightful owner.

—

Melancon said he didn’t have a problem pitching in non-leveraged situations as he seeks to get

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back in the flow of things. He acknowledged that Sam Dyson has done a terrific job (8 for 9 in

save chances) while moving into the closer role.

“He’s done an excellent job,” said Melancon, who played with Dyson for Team USA in the World

Baseball Classic in March. “I feel we got a diamond in the rough with him coming to us off

waivers.”

Melancon said his goal over the last two months of the season was to “get back to what I’ve

done the past three years. Get back in a routine, and do what I’m capable of doing. It hasn’t

been easy. It hasn’t been fun. I’m excited to get out there and get going.”

—

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he didn’t feel the need to wait to activate Melancon until

Sunday’s split doubleheader, even though it’s unlikely he would be asked to pitch on

consecutive days.

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beyond.

The club placed infielder Miguel Gomez on the 10-day disabled list when his right knee didn’t

pass all the tests in pregame workouts.

The Giants and Nationals each will get a 26th man for Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader. It’s

fair to assume the Giants will call up a pitcher. Right-hander Big Dan Slania is closest at Double-

A Richmond, but he threw 99 pitches in five innings Saturday. The 40-man roster candidates at

Triple-A Sacramento are Derek Law, Steven Okert or Reyes Moronta.

—

Jeff Samardzija is staying on his usual day and starting Saturday. Chris Stratton, who was

supposed to start Friday’s postponed game, will start Game 1 on Sunday (10:05 a.m. PDT first

pitch) while Matt Moore will start Game 2 (4:05 p.m. PDT).

The Giants won’t have a fully rested starter for Wednesday in Miami. They could go with Matt

Cain or Albert Suarez, or call someone else up. They’ll have to see how much they need to use

their long men in the coming days.

Here are lineups as we approach a first pitch that will be delayed due to “approaching

inclement weather.” For now, the tarp is on the field and the skies are plenty blue.

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MLB.com

Stratton gets day game to open doubleheader

Ben Raby

When the ace of his pitching staff speaks, Nationals manager Dusty Baker listens. So, when Max

Scherzer asked to start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Giants rather

than the first, Baker adhered.

"We've got to kind of acquiesce to what the aces want to do," Baker said.

Full Game Coverage

Scherzer was originally scheduled to pitch Game 1 on Sunday, but his preference to pitch at

night led to a conversation with Baker.

Scherzer is 9-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 16 night starts this season. He is 3-4, albeit with a 1.96 ERA, in

seven day starts.

One of Scherzer's best outings of the season came against the Giants when he tossed a

complete game May 31 in San Francisco. Scherzer allowed five hits and one run while striking

out 11 with no walks.

The Giants will counter will Matt Moore in Game 2. The left-hander is 3-12 with a 5.88 ERA this

season and has had a particularly tough time with lefties, who are hitting .396 against him with

a 1.099 OPS.

Right-hander A.J. Cole will start Game 1 for the Nationals with a new start time of 1:05 p.m. ET.

Cole is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA as he continues to fill Stephen Strasburg's spot in the rotation.

Rookie Chris Stratton starts the opener for the Giants, still in search of his first win of the

season. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA.

Things to know about this game

• San Francisco's bullpen has not allowed a run in its last 20 2/3 innings. One of the Giants'

strengths of late could get even stronger with a healthy Mark Melancon reinstated from the

disabled list Saturday.

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• The Nationals bullpen has also impressed of late, thanks to newcomers Brandon Kintzler (2-0,

6 IP, 0 ER), Ryan Madson (2-0, 9 IP, 0 ER) and Sean Doolittle (8-for-8 in save opportunities).

• Giants outfielder and Virginia native Jarrett Parker is playing at Nationals Park for the first

time this weekend. The 28-year-old, who missed 96 games this season with a fractured clavicle,

purchased more than a dozen tickets for each of this weekend's games.

MLB.com

Panik’s homer not enough to back Shark

Jamal Collier and Ben Raby

WASHINGTON -- After thunderstorms washed away Friday night's game, the Nationals and

Giants waited out a 3:01 rain delay before they finally began their three-game series late

Saturday night at Nationals Park. The Nats used their newest winning formula -- six quality

innings from their starter followed by an inning each from a new bullpen trio -- to seal a 3-1

victory early Sunday morning.

But the victory was bittersweet for Washington after slugger Bryce Harper left the game in the

first inning with a hyperextended left knee. Harper injured himself trying to beat out a ground

ball for an infield single, but his left foot slipped on the first-base bag, his leg buckled and he fell

to the ground holding his knee.

Full Game Coverage

"We just ask for prayers that it's not serious," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "We're just

urging everybody out there that are Nationals fans and baseball fans to say a prayer for him

tonight because he was in obvious pain out there. We're just hoping for the best."

The Nationals still came away with the victory thanks to six quality innings from right-

hander Edwin Jackson, whose lone blemish was a solo homer to Joe Panik in the first. Jackson

was followed by a scoreless inning each from relievers Brandon Kintzler, Ryan

Madson and Sean Doolittle.

Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija threw a season-high 120 pitches to get through six innings

where he gave up nine hits and three runs with six strikeouts and a walk.

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"For any team, having to play three games in 18 hours is a stretch, so I really wanted to go out

there and try to get deep in the game," said Samardzija, referring to the Giants' impending

doubleheader Sunday to make up for Friday's rainout.. "They battled and made me throw some

pitches so it wasn't as deep as I wanted to go, but we did what we could."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Nats pick up a pair in the first: Even after the potentially deflating moment when Harper left

the game, the Nationals offense still managed to grab an early lead against Samardzija. Ryan

Zimmerman doubled to drive home Wilmer Difo and then Zimmerman scored on a single

from Daniel Murphy.

"At the time, you just continue to play the game," Zimmerman said. "We'll see what happens. I

don't really think it changes anything at that moment."

Jackson escapes trouble: The Giants began the second inning with back-to-back singles

from Brandon Crawford and Hunter Pence and threatened to score against Jackson. But

Jackson struck out Ryder Jones, forced Samardzija to fly out to center field and induced a

grounder from Denard Span to end the inning.

"Today was definitely one of those 'dig deep and see what you're made of' days," Jackson said.

"I was fortunate enough to come out with good results and also help out the bullpen at the

same time with a solid six innings. It's one of those days when you really don't have your best

stuff."

"Jackson somehow has our number," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "Pitching for San Diego

last year, he pitched well against us. He's got good stuff and we had a hard time getting going

after the second inning. We were just a little flat there. You'd think with a couple of days off

that our bats would be flying, but he did a pretty good job on us."

HARPER LEAVES THE GAME

The crowd at Nationals Park fell nearly silent as Harper laid on the ground clutching his left

knee. He was eventually carried off the field unable to put any weight on his leg.

"Just a freak accident," said Jones, the Giants' first baseman. "... He looked like he was in pretty

good pain. You never want that to happen to a player."

19

Harper is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday, but if serious, the injury to Harper could be a huge

challenge for the Nationals to overcome. Harper is hitting 326/.419/.614 with 29 home runs

and a 1.033 OPS and has been worth 5.0 Wins Above Replacement, the fifth best in baseball,

which has made him one of the favorites to win the National League MVP Award.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With Saturday's victory, Baker tied Lou Piniella and Bochy for 14th on Major League Baseball's

all-time managerial wins list with 1,835 wins. Bochy and Baker are tied for the most wins among

active managers.

WHAT'S NEXT

Giants: Right-hander Chris Stratton will start for the Giants in Game 1 of Sunday's day-night

doubleheader against the Nationals at 10:05 a.m. PT. Stratton is 0-2 with a 6.63 ERA in five

appearances this season, including two starts. Lefty Matt Moore (3-12, 5.88) starts Game 2 at

4:05 p.m. PT. One of Moore's best starts came against the Nationals on May 29 in San Francisco

when he threw seven innings of two-run ball in a 3-0 defeat.

Nationals: The Nationals host the Giants for a split doubleheader Sunday at Nationals Park. A.J.

Cole takes the mound for the first game at 1:05 p.m. ET while Max Scherzer takes the mound

for the nightcap that begins at 7:05 p.m. ET.

MLB.com

Despite loss, Shark’s contribution big for Giants

Ben Raby

WASHINGTON -- Jeff Samardzija's bid for a fourth consecutive win came up short, but the

Giants starter was solid in Saturday's 3-1 defeat to the Nationals.

Samardzija threw six innings, allowing nine hits and three runs. He also had six strikeouts and

one walk while throwing a season-high 120 pitches (79 strikes). Despite battling inconsistency

for much of the season, Samardzija's latest outing was his fourth straight quality start.

Full Game Coverage

"A great job, I thought, by Shark," said manager Bruce Bochy. "He really competed well. He

threw a lot of pitches but he can handle it. It was a quality start. Early on, we just missed out on

some opportunities and that came back to get us. In the second, we had first and second and

none out and we couldn't move them. But he pitched well. The pitching was there."

20

With a doubleheader scheduled for Sunday, the Giants were hoping Samardzija would save the

bullpen from a heavy workload Saturday.

"[Sunday] will be a tough day for us," said Samardzija, who dropped to 7-12 on the year with a

4.74 ERA. "For any team, having to play three games in 18 hours is a stretch, so I really wanted

to go out there and try to get deep in the game. They battled and made me throw some pitches

so it wasn't as deep as I wanted to go, but we did what we could."

Relievers Josh Osich and Mark Melancon combined to throw two scoreless frames as the

Giants' bullpen's shutout streak stretched to 20 2/3 innings. Melancon was making his first

appearance since June 27 after being reinstated from the disabled list with an elbow injury.

Jones hopes Harper's OK

Giants first baseman Ryder Jones beat Bryce Harper to first base in the first inning, just before

Harper slipped on the bag, causing his leg to buckle. Harper stayed down on the field for several

moments before leaving the game with a hyperextended left knee.

"It didn't look good," Jones said. "I hope he's all right. It's just one of those freak plays where

you kind of thought there would be a collision and there wasn't, and that might be part of it,

too. Maybe he was trying to dodge me and Samardzija."

The start of Saturday's game was delayed more than three hours because of rain, and light rain

continued to fall in the first and second innings. Jones suggested that may have contributed to

Harper's injury as well.

"The top of the bases were wet, obviously, from the rain," he said. "It looked like we were

about to collide because Samardzija was kind of right there, too. Just a freak accident. I guess

we'll find out what happened to him, but it didn't sound too good.

"He looked like he was in pretty good pain. You never want that to happen to a player."

21

MLB.com

Melancon off DL, pitches scoreless inning

Ben Raby

WASHINGTON -- Reliever Mark Melancon was activated from the disabled list Saturday and

made his first appearance since June 27 in the Giants' 3-1 loss to the Nationals.

Manager Bruce Bochy said before Saturday's game that the Giants would ease Melancon back

into the mix and limit his high-leverage situations early on.

Full Game Coverage

In his return Saturday, Melancon came on in the eighth inning with the Giants trailing, 3-1. The

right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Nationals left fielder Adam Lind, but then retired the

next three batters, stranding Lind at second. Melancon threw 20 pitches in the scoreless frame,

and struck out pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick swinging.

"I thought it was a perfect situation in the eighth inning, down two, we're in the ballgame, so

he's got some adrenaline going," Bochy said. "His stuff was good. For his first time out, I

thought that was a pretty good outing. He made an 0-2 mistake [to Lind], but he regrouped. I

thought he made some good pitches, and it was good to see him pitch well. I'm sure he was

into it."

Melancon, who signed a four-year, $62 million deal in the offseason, had been on the DL since

June 28 with a pronator strain in his right elbow.

While Melancon made four rehab assignments before returning to the Giants, he did not pitch

on consecutive days, and the Giants would rather prevent him from pitching on back-to-back

days early in his return.

"I'd like to stay away from that initially," Bochy said before Saturday's game. "I'd rather have

him make that call -- how he feels the next day. But we did not check that box off in the Minor

League rehab so in the early go, I'd like to stay away from it."

Melancon, 32, is 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 23 appearances, converting 11 of 15 save opportunities.

The right-hander had 51 saves in 2015 with the Pirates and 47 last season with Pittsburgh and

Washington.

22

"This hasn't been easy," said Melancon, who was also on the DL in early May with the same

elbow injury. "It hasn't been fun. It's been a tough couple of weeks on the DL, so I'm excited to

get out there and get going."

Midseason acquisition Sam Dyson has helped fill the void in the Giants' bullpen, converting

eight of nine save opportunities with a 2.22 ERA in 23 appearances for San Francisco.

"He's been great. He's done an excellent job," said Melancon, teammates with Dyson at the

World Baseball Classic. "I feel like we got a diamond in the rough."

While Dyson may retain the closer's role initially, Melancon said he would like to use the final

two months of the season to "get back to what I've done the past three years, get back into the

routine and get back to doing what I'm capable of."

In a corresponding roster move, the Giants placed infielder Miguel Gomez on the 10-day DL

with right knee inflammation, retroactive to Aug. 9.

Wednesday's starter TBD

With two games Sunday, and without the benefit of a day off on their six-game road trip, the

Giants need a starter for Wednesday's series finale in Miami.

According to Bochy, Matt Cain or Albert Suarez is likely to get the call. Cain (3-9, 5.22 ERA) last

started July 31. Suarez (0-1, 3.72) has made five big league appearances this season, all in relief,

after starting 12 games for the Giants last season.

CSNbayarea.com

Giants give their view of Harper’s knee injury: ‘He was in pretty good pain’

Alex Pavlovic

WASHINGTON D.C. — Ryder Jones saw two big men sprinting his way and thought that there

was going to be a collision in the rain at Nationals Park. Jones and Jeff Samardzija avoided

injury. Bryce Harper, however, wasn't as lucky.

Harper, the superstar right fielder here in Washington D.C., crumpled after slipping on first

base in the first inning Saturday night. The injury stunned a crowd that waited three hours for

the rain-delayed game, which the Nationals won 3-1.

23

Harper was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee. He will have an MRI on Sunday to

determine if there are further injuries.

"It didn't look good. I hope he's alright," Jones said. "It was one of those freak plays where you

think there's going to be a collision but there wasn't. The tops of the bases were wet from the

rain. I stepped on the base and jumped out of the way. I didn't really notice anything when I

tagged the base and then I heard all the fans go 'ohhhh.'

"He looked like he was in pretty good pain. You never want that to happen to a player."

Harper was hurt about 20 minutes after the first pitch, which came three hours later than

planned because of a storm that hit Nationals Park in the evening. It was unclear why Major

League Baseball did not push Friday’s postponed game to Saturday afternoon, when the skies

were clear. The teams ended up going through their routines for a 7:05 start, but as Samardzija

headed to the dugout to start warming up, the Giants were told they would be delayed.

They scrambled to get a new start time at a park where just about every rain-related decision

this season has backfired. At 7:57 p.m., the rain finally arrived in sheets. The teams did not take

the field until 10:06 p.m., and neither manager altered his lineup despite a steady drizzle that

kept the field soaked from the start. Bruce Bochy checked the field and thought it looked fine.

The Giants took an early lead on a Joe Panik homer, but the Nationals struck right back,

threatening with Wilmer Difo’s one-out double in the bottom of the first. Harper pulled a hard

grounder that looked like an RBI double before it found Jones’ outstretched glove. Jones got up

and raced Harper and Samardzija to the bag, in what was an odd coincidence. It was Samardzija

who was racing into a scrum earlier this season to get to Harper, but Michael Morse got in the

way and saw his season end instead.

As Jones stepped on first, he deftly moved to his right to get out of Harper’s way. Harper

slipped on the top of the bag and skidded forward, his knee twisting grotesquely. After a couple

of minutes on the ground, he was helped off the field with his legs hanging in the air.

"I saw a guy hustling to try to get a hit," Samardzija said. "You wait around three hours and you

come out and everyone wants to play. It was tough conditions. It's tough to see, especially with

a kid who plays so hard and cares so much. Hopefully it's not as bad as they think and he comes

back sooner rather than later."

24

CSNbayarea.com

Instant Analysis

Alex Pavlovic

WASHINGTON D.C. — At 1:16 a.m. at Nationals Park, the Giants lost the game 3-1. The home

team lost much more than that on this night.

Nationals superstar right fielder Bryce Harper appeared to suffer a serious injury to his left

knee in the first inning, putting another dark cloud over a long night. The Nationals scored two

runs in that inning and that would be all they needed.

A night after the teams were rained out, they waited three hours and one minute to get started

because of an ugly storm that drenched the area. The crowd stayed engaged, but within

minutes, a hush fell over Nationals Stadium. Harper slipped on first base while trying to beat

out a grounder to Ryder Jones, and his knee went the wrong direction. He immediately grabbed

at it as he rolled on the ground, and he was helped off the field without putting any pressure on

his leg.

The Nationals did not have an update during the game. For now, here are five things to know

from a wet night …

—- Ryder Jones isn’t hitting much, but he sure plays a nice first base. His diving stop robbed

Andrew Stevenson of a single in the fifth. Jones also showed his athleticism a couple of ways on

the Harper play, first by stopping the hard shot and then by twisting his body to avoid a collision

with Harper at the bag.

—- The Giants are looking at 27 innings of baseball in about 24 hours, so every out from Jeff

Samardzija was huge. He threw 120 pitches on a humid night while getting through six innings.

He tied Matt Moore for the most pitches thrown by a Giants starter this season.

—- Mark Melancon pitched the eighth, making his first appearance since June 27. He gave up a

single and struck out one. His fastball topped out at 93 mph. That's a good sign on the first night

back.

—- Joe Panik opened the scoring with a long homer in the first. It was his seventh of the year.

He has a chance to surpass his career-high of 10.

—- Denard Span is in a funk. He rolled out to second three times in four plate appearances, and

he has just five hits in his last 41 at-bats.

25

CSNbayarea.com

Giants activate Melancon vs former team, rookie infielder placed on DL

Alex Pavlovic

WASHINTON D.C. -- The Giants believe they have the pieces to have a good bullpen next year.

On Saturday, one of those relievers returned.

Mark Melancon was activated after spending about six weeks on the disabled list with a right

pronator injury. To clear a roster spot, the Giants put Miguel Gomez on the disabled list with

right knee inflammation that's been bothering him this week.

Melancon won't be the closer right away. That job currently belongs to Sam Dyson, who has a

2.22 ERA with the Giants, but over time the Giants see Dyson in the eighth (with Will Smith) and

Melancon in the ninth. Melancon said the Giants "got a diamond in the rough" when they

scooped Dyson off waivers. He hopes to get back to being his old self, as well.

"I would like to get back to what I've done the past three years," Melancon said. "Get back to a

routine and get back to being capable of doing what I've been doing.

"It hasn't been easy (being on the DL). "It hasn't been fun. I'm excited to get out there and get

going."

Melancon will join a group that's been red-hot. The bullpen enters play Saturday with a streak

of 18 2/3 innings without an earned run.

--- The Giants will need a spot starter next week since Chris Stratton got pushed back to Sunday.

Matt Cain and Albert Suarez are the candidates, so now it's up to bullpen usage the next two

days. Stratton will go Game 1 on Sunday, Matt Moore pitches Game 2. Both games will be on

NBC Sports Bay Area.

ESPN.com

Bryce harper hurts knee running out grounder in slip atop first base

ESPN News

WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper hyperextended his left knee when he slipped on a wet first base

Saturday night, dealing a potentially devastating blow to the National League East-

leading Nationals.

Manager Dusty Baker said Harper would undergo an MRI on Sunday and that the Nationals

would know more about the extent of his injury then.

"He was in obvious pain, and he was praying, and I was praying too," Baker said.

26

While running out a ground ball to the right side of the infield in the first inning of a 3-1

win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday, Harper avoided contact with first

baseman Ryder Jones, then his left foot slipped on the base. His leg buckled, he went airborne,

and he fell to the ground as his helmet went flying.

"I'm asking for prayers that it's not serious," Baker said.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was quickly attended to by trainers after going down

in the first inning against the Giants. Greg Fiume/Getty Images

Harper was seen with the knee wrapped in the clubhouse after the game, and he walked with a

limp as he left the stadium, according to MLB.com.

He clutched at his left knee after going down and was attended to by trainers. The star

outfielder put no weight on his left leg as he was helped off the field by hitting coach Rick Schu

and head athletic trainer Paul Lessard.

The game began just after 10 p.m., following a three-hour rain delay. It was raining steadily

when Harper's injury happened.

Major League Baseball was in control of weather decisions, because it was the Giants' final trip

to Washington this season. The series opener Friday was postponed after a lengthy rain delay

to be part of a day-night doubleheader Sunday, which added to the league's incentive to get

Saturday's game in.

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Saturday's tilt was unlikely to have an impact on the playoff race, as the Nationals lead the NL

East by 14.5 games and the Giants are out of contention. At most, the game could have an

effect on home-field advantage in October.

Even though first baseman Ryan Zimmerman is having an All-Star season, Washington's title

hopes hinge largely on Harper's health. The 2015 MVP is having another spectacular season,

hitting .326 with 29 home runs and 87 RBIs this season.

Harper didn't last long in his 106th game of 2017 and was replaced by Andrew Stevenson, who

took over in center field, with Brian Goodwin moving to right. Despite many fans waiting out

the delay, the stadium went eerily silent in the minutes after Harper's injury.

EDITOR'S PICKS

•

Strasburg's rehab start set for Monday

Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg will make a minor league rehab start Monday at Class

27

A Potomac.

Because of a bevy of injuries, the Nationals have used 12 outfielders this season. They have

been without Adam Eaton since late April because of a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his

season, Jayson Werthsince early June because of a bruised left foot and Michael Taylor since

July due to a right oblique strain.

"There aren't many organizations that have 12 outfielders that they can really rely on and count

on," Baker said Friday. "Boy, that is a lot, especially when you only play three at a time. I'm just

glad we have them."

The Nationals are running away with the division, despite those injuries -- and more to

starters Stephen Strasburg and Joe Ross, relievers Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover and

shortstop Trea Turner. But a long-term injury to Harper would be far more trouble to

Washington's postseason hopes.

Harper is under contract through next season and can be a free agent in the winter of 2018.