If the second of the Giants’ two-game series against the Padres is anything like the first, expect plenty of scoring.
San Francisco’s run production Sunday, though, will have to come without shortstop Brandon Crawford. The Giants will, however, return catcher Joey Bart after he missed the past four games.
“Craw’s been better than expected,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters in Mexico City. “Really encouraging. Still some tightness in the calf, but feel good about the possibility of him coming off the bench if we need.”
Crawford left Saturday’s game in the fourth inning with right calf tightness. The artificial turf, according to people on scene, could potentially be a health risk for older players. Crawford told reporters after Saturday’s game that he hoped to be able to play Sunday.
But Thairo Estrada is in his spot at shortstop, hitting second. Utility man Brett Wisely, added to the roster as an extra 27th player for this special series, is playing second base and batting ninth.
Crawford’s 482-foot home run from Saturday was the longest for a Giant in the Statcast era. It was also the first Giants home run outside of USA and Canada, and his game-worn jersey is heading to Cooperstown.
As a whole, the Giants and Padres combined for four home runs that traveled at least 450 feet — the most in a single game in the tracking era, per MLB.com researcher Sarah Langs. The Padres out-slugged San Francisco 16-11 in a game that featured 11 homers.
A more welcome development for the Giants, though, is Bart’s return to the lineup. The former second overall pick left last Monday night’s game with right groin tightness, but avoided an IL trip. Instead, Bart rested and rehabbed with the team’s medical staff.
After missing four full games, Bart is back. He’s slated to hit eighth and catch Alex Cobb.
On the year, Bart is hitting .303 with a .378 on-base percentage. He has cut his previously astronomical strikeout rate to league average, although his more conservative approach has cost him some power; Bart hasn’t hit a home run yet this year.
Defensively, Bart has graded out as one of the finest catchers in MLB. His strike rate, a framing metric, ranks first in MLB. He’s caught two of eight attempted base stealers, right in line with the league average.