The San Francisco Giants have lost 11 of their last 12, and 20 of their last 25, but on Sunday, manager Bruce Bochy was reminded that there’s more to life than just baseball games.
Longtime Giants fan Bryan Stow paid Bochy and the club a visit before Sunday’s contest against the Mets, and Bochy was thrilled to see Stow in the dugout and interacting with San Francisco’s players before their series finale.
For all the tough moments the Giants have endured on the field this season, it’s nothing compared to what Stow’s been through since being attacked outside Dodger Stadium on Opening Day in 2011. Stow suffered brain damage and was left disabled by the attack, but his perseverance and determination continues to inspire Bochy, the Giants and the greater San Francisco community.
“He looks great, doesn’t he?” Bochy said after visiting with Stow. “It’s good to have him down here, I enjoy talking with him in the dugout and he just lifts your spirits when you talk to him with what he’s been through and the battles that he’s had. He’s so upbeat and positive and you’re right, it just gives you, as they say, a better positive perspective.”
Bochy’s spirits were lifted watching Stow interact with Giants’ broadcaster Jon Miller and new relief pitcher Sam Dyson, and said he’s happy that Stow has the chance to meet some of the new players on the team’s roster. Stow arrived on Sunday in a Jeremy Affeldt jersey, and Bochy noted how much the roster has changed during Stow’s recovery.
The Giants’ skipper said Stow was welcome to join the team in the clubhouse on Sunday, and he’s hopeful that the new Giants will be able to build meaningful relationships with a devoted fan who’s been through so much.
“He’s welcome to (come to the clubhouse), a lot of these players are new now,” Bochy said. “I was talking to him about the players that he knows and there’s not very many that were here that he knows so he’s meeting some new ones.”
Giants targeting road trip return for Nunez
The Giants were forced to place third baseman Eduardo Nunez on the disabled list Friday after the third baseman missed six of their previous seven contests with a hamstring strain, but Bochy is hopeful the team will have him back in time for their upcoming road trip when they’ll travel to Pittsburgh and Detroit.
Bochy said the Giants miss Nunez’s speed at the top of the lineup, but said Saturday he’s excited to see what 23-year-old prospect Ryder Jones can show in Nunez’s place this week.
“He’s (Nunez) catching some groundballs, he’s able to do some activities so hopefully by Friday, he’ll be ready to go,” Bochy said. “He’s making progress. We miss him. He is one of our catalysts I think. A guy hitting at the top of the order, swinging the bat so well, also a guy that with his speed, it’s a little easier to impact your roster with him in the lineup.”
Jones went 0-for-4 in his Major League debut on Saturday, with three of his at-bats coming against Mets’ right-hander Jacob deGrom, who threw eight innings of one-run ball against San Francisco in New York’s 5-2 victory.
Strickland returns
Giants’ relief pitcher Hunter Strickland is available to pitch Sunday after serving the final game of his six-game suspension on Saturday against the Mets. Strickland pitched in three consecutive games last week as Major League Baseball waited six days to rule on his suspension appeal before denying the appeal.
Bochy said the Giants will move forward with 13 pitchers and 12 position players on their 25-man roster in the immediate future because San Francisco’s starters have struggled to pitch deep into ballgames of late, which has put added stress on a bullpen that was operating without its set-up man this week.
“We’re a little short on the bullpen side with the usage here the last three-to-four days so we need an extra pitcher right now,” Bochy said. “Once we get things in order, we could pull back, but what makes it tougher to really go back is we don’t have a true long guy. Right now, things are stable with the extra pitcher.”
