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Tag: San Francisco Giants

  • Machado leads 11-HR Mexico City slugfest, Padres top Giants

    Machado leads 11-HR Mexico City slugfest, Padres top Giants

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    MEXICO CITY (AP) — By the time Manny Machado put San Diego ahead for good, hitting home runs in Mexico City’s thin air was old hat.

    Machado overcame a seventh-inning deficit with his second homer, the 11th of the night, and the Padres outslugged the San Francisco Giants 16-11 Saturday in Major League Baseball’s first regular-season game in the Mexican capital.

    Nelson Cruz, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis and Xander Bogaerts also went deep for the Padres, who outhomered the Giants 6-5 and outhit them 17-13 in the thin air of Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú.

    After each home run, the Padres topped the triumphant hitter with a mariachi sombrero in the dugout. Machado said Tatis bought the green, red, white and black hat Friday night at the team hotel and the group weighed using it to celebrate or a mask wrestler Rey Mysterio gave to Machado.

    “If we can keep hitting like that, maybe we´ll bring the mask and the sombrero to San Diego,” Machado said. “We are going to use them tomorrow for sure”.

    A crowd of 19,611 filled the ballpark, which opened in 2019, for a game that stretched to 3 hours, 44 minutes. At 7,349 feet above sea level, this two-game series is the highest elevation for big league games. MLB’s previous regular-season trips to Mexico were for games in Monterrey in 2016, ’18 and ’19.

    “For moments it felt like more than just a game, it felt more like a parade,” Padres manager, Bob Melvin said of the electric atmosphere.

    San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford and Lamonte Wade Jr. hit consecutive homers in the fourth off Joe Musgrove, with Crawford’s going 482 feet and Wade’s 474.

    Mitch Haniger went deep against Musgrove in the fifth with his first home run for San Francisco, and the Giants went ahead 11-10 with consecutive longballs in the seventh against Steven Wilson. Blake Sabol hit a two-run homer and David Villar connected five pitches later.

    That lead didn’t last long against the Padres, who were the home team and scored in seven of eight innings in which they batted.

    Tatis doubled off Tyler Rogers (0-1) and Machado hit his fourth home run of the season. The Padres tacked on four more runs in the eighth, when Trent Grisham hit a two-run double against Scott Alexander and Cruz a two-run single off John Brebbia.

    Cruz went 5 for 6 with four RBIs and became the oldest player to homer for the Padres when he went deep leading off the third inning against Sean Manaea. Cruz was 42 years, 302 days, surpassing Rickey Henderson at 42 years, 283 days on Oct. 4, 2001.

    “I´m just happy to be out there helping the team win. I´m not interested so much on the records”, Cruz said.

    Soto and Bogaerts homered on consecutive pitches from Jakob Junis in the fourth, among four sets of back-to-back homers. Tatis and Machado went deep in a three-pitch span against Junis in the fifth.

    Bogaerts became the first player to homer in regular-season games in four countries, adding to his previous drives in the U.S., Canada and England.

    Tom Cogrove (1-0), a 26-year-old left-hander who played at Manhattan College, won in his major league debut in the seventh for the Padres. He relieved in the seventh with a runner at third and retired Joc Pederson on a groundout.

    Thairo Estrada had four hits, and Estrada and Haniger each drove in three runs.

    San Francisco wore black jerseys with “Los Gigantes” across the chest while San Diego was in its Nike City Connect uniforms of pink, gold and green on white.

    The Giants trailed 3-0 and 5-2, went ahead 8-5 with a six-run fourth and fell behind 9-8 in the fifth. After holding the Padres scoreless for the only time in the sixth inning, the Giants took an 11-10 lead in the seventh.

    Manaea allowed five runs and five hits in just two innings, and Musgrove gave up seven runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings.

    ENJOYING THE TRIP

    Camilo Doval, Sean Hjelle, John Brevia, Tristan Beck, Ricardo Genovés, Brett Wisely, Mike Yaztrzemski, Haniger and Junis did not waste an opportunity to be in Mexico City and ventured to go the Arena Mexico to watch the famous “Lucha Libre.” Players got a chance to meet some of the wrestlers and took photos with them wearing masks.

    KAPLER’S ADVENTURES

    Giants manager Gabe Kapler got lost Friday trying to get from the team hotel to the ballpark when he used public transportation. He took a team bus Saturday but said on Friday night he tried to take the subway to a concert by the Spanish singer Rosalia. He could not get there.

    “The station close to the hotel was jammed packed and then the trains were full and people that were savvy enough could push through” Kapler said. “I did not feel confident doing that, so I went upstairs to try to get an Uber and could not get one, so I went to another taco place and got a beer, I was not disappointed.”

    UNIFORM WATCH

    San Diego’s jerseys were predominantly white with a pink right sleeve, a green one on the left and pink numbers on the back and front. The team said that they were inspired by the landscape of San Diego and Baja California.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Padres: IF/OF Brandon Dion was recalled from Triple-A El Paso as the team´s 27th man for the series.

    Giants: IF/OF Brett Wisely was added to the roster as the 27th player for the Mexico series. Wisely, in 12 Triple-A games, is batting .304 with eight RBIs. … Crawford left in the middle of the the fourth inning with right calf tightness.

    UP NEXT

    RHP Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.00 ERA) is set to start Sunday for the Padres and RHP Alex Cobb (1-1, 1.91) for the Giants.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • Machado rips RBI double after agreeing to $350M deal

    Machado rips RBI double after agreeing to $350M deal

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    PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Manny Machado continues to be a very rich man. He also is still a very good hitter.

    Machado ripped an RBI double on Sunday, the same day he agreed to a new $350 million, 11-year contract that will keep him with the San Diego Padres through 2033, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

    The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Machado must pass a physical before the deal is finalized.

    Machado got a big cheer from Padres fans on a chilly afternoon in Arizona before a spring training game against the Diamondbacks. The third baseman struck out in his first at-bat before lacing a line-drive double off the base of the left-field wall in San Diego’s nine-run second inning of an 18-6 victory.

    Machado finished 2 for 3 at the plate, adding a single in the third.

    The 30-year-old slugger had said that after this season he planned to opt out of the $300 million, 10-year free agent deal he signed in 2019. With the $120 million he already has received, the new deal increases the free-spending Padres’ commitment to Machado to $470 million over 15 years.

    Machado finished second in the NL MVP race last year. He’ll anchor a superstar-laden lineup that includes Xander Bogaerts, Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr., who can return on April 20 from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

    Machado batted .298 with 32 home runs and 102 RBIs last season.

    BACK IN BLACK (AND ORANGE)

    Michael Conforto saw his first game action in more than a year and went 1 for 3 as the San Francisco Giants’ designated hitter against the Cincinnati Reds. He singled his final time up.

    “Felt good to be back. I definitely had some nerves. After the first at-bat most of them went away,” he said.

    Conforto, who turns 30 on Wednesday, hadn’t played since Oct. 3, 2021, when he was with the New York Mets. He missed all of 2022 after having right shoulder surgery but signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the Giants in the offseason.

    He said the plan is to DH for a couple of weeks, then play some outfield.

    “Really what matters is getting to opening day healthy,” Conforto said. “But today was good.”

    CAPTAIN JUDGE

    Yankees slugger Aaron Judge received several ovations from the crowd at Steinbrenner Field before his first game in pinstripes as the new team captain.

    “I felt it with the intro, I felt it on defense, I felt it stepping up to the plate,” the reigning AL MVP said.

    Judge was a free agent after last season but ended up signing a $360 million, nine-year contract with the Yankees. He also was named the team’s first captain since Hall of Famer Derek Jeter in 2014.

    “He loves the game, and obviously being back here, to be able to put the uni on and go out, I think it was something he was looking forward to,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

    TROPHY DO-OVER

    Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara received his NL Cy Young Award trophy on Sunday for the second time – and this time he has no reason to give it back.

    “I want to keep it for the rest of my life,” Alcantara said. “I think that is for my mom.”

    When the Baseball Writers’ Association of America originally presented Alcantara with the trophy at its January awards dinner, the plaque language dubbed both Alcantara and AL winner Justin Verlander the “most valuble” pitchers in their leagues, leaving out the second “a” in “valuable.”

    The new plaque contains the more up-to-date “most outstanding” phrasing — and it’s spelled correctly.

    Marlins owner Bruce Sherman presented the award to Alcantara at home plate before Miami’s spring training home opener against St. Louis.

    “I didn’t expect that I was going to get my award today,” Alcantara said. “I thought I’d go outside and have fun with my teammates. But when I saw the surprise, it made my day today.”

    RULES, RULES, RULES

    Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Major League Baseball is providing updates — nearly in real time — on the rules changes package that is making this spring training unique.

    The two major changes are a pitch clock and a limit on extreme infield shifts.

    “They did a really nice job of sending out a memo this morning with all the things that took place yesterday and questions that players and managers that just had to be addressed in order that you can cover it with your staff and club as you feel appropriate,” Marmol said. “So we did that with our staff and brought two different points with our players because they’ve done a really good job of communication.”

    The new rules already had an effect during Saturday’s first full day of games: Cal Conley of the Atlanta Braves thought he had just won the game with a two-out, bases-loaded walk. But umpire John Libka ruled that Conley wasn’t set in the box as the pitch clock wound under eight seconds.

    He was ruled out. The game ended in a tie.

    Braves manager Brian Snitker said Sunday that Conley’s situation was part of a learning process.

    “It’s baseball. You’re going to see something you’ve never seen before,” Snitker said. “All to the point where I said I’m glad we’re starting these things when we did. I’m glad we didn’t wait until March 15 or something where we can have a whole month of this, and hopefully in a few weeks that this thing is just normal.”

    There were more hiccups on Sunday throughout the Cactus and Grapefruit League games, but most took the changes in stride.

    Rockies reliever Daniel Bard was called for a ball after throwing a warmup pitch after the 30-second deadline heading into an inning. The 30-second mark before innings was also a source of confusion during the Cardinals-Marlins game. Two Cardinals pitchers were called for balls before the start of innings before, according to Marmol, the umpires gathered and realized they were interpreting the rule incorrectly.

    “It’s spring training for everybody,” Marmol said. “Those things will get ironed out before we get out of here.”

    According to Major League Baseball, there were 69 pitch-timer violations through the first 35 spring training games over the weekend — including 35 violations in 16 games Sunday.

    SCHERZER FINE WITH CLOCK

    New York Mets right-hander Max Scherzer described pitching under the new major league rules as a “cat-and-mouse” game.

    Contrary to previous years, Scherzer feels the pitcher finally has gained control.

    In his first start of the Grapefruit League schedule, Scherzer was touched for a run in the second inning but struck out five while working the first two innings of the Mets’ 6-3 win over Washington.

    “Really, the power the pitcher has now — I can totally dictate pace,” the three-time Cy Young Award winner said. “The rule change of the hitter having only one timeout changes the complete dynamic of the hitter-and-pitcher dynamic. Yeah, I love it.”

    Washington’s Michael Chavis, the second hitter in the second inning, stepped out of the box when he felt Scherzer was taking too long. That was fine with Scherzer.

    He held the ball for more than 10 seconds before delivering the next pitch as Chavis had to remain in the batter’s box, no matter the level of his impatience. The fact that Chavis ultimately singled to right was immaterial. Scherzer had imposed his will.

    “It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” Scherzer said. “There’s rules and I’ll operate within whatever the rules are.”

    TWINS ADD SANTANA

    The Minnesota Twins claimed right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.

    The 26-year-old threw in 63 games, including one start, for the Texas Rangers last season, going 3-8 with a 5.22 ERA. To make room for Santana on the 40-man roster, the Twins put infielder Royce Lewis on the 60-day injured list.

    Lewis is recovering from right knee surgery.

    ___

    AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum, AP Sports Writer Bernie Wilson and freelancers Chuck King, Mark Didtler, Jack Thompson and Rick Hummel contributed to this report.

    ___

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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  • EXPLAINER: How Correa lost Giants deal, ended up with Mets

    EXPLAINER: How Correa lost Giants deal, ended up with Mets

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    SAN FRANCISCO — Fans of the San Francisco Giants spent a week reveling in the good news: Carlos Correa was coming to the Bay Area, lured by a megadeal worth $350 million over 13 years.

    And then, just like that, the two-time All-Star was gone, poached by the New York Mets and deep-pocketed owner Steven Cohen.

    For fans of both teams, it was a stunning, topsy-turvy 24 hours. San Francisco woke up Tuesday morning expecting the Giants to introduce the 28-year-old in black and orange. Then the news conference was canceled without explanation.

    When The Associated Press reported a few hours later that there had been a medical concern flagged during Correa’s physical, fans elsewhere — but especially in New York — began licking their chops.

    The next shoe dropped while most fans were asleep. Correa’s agent, Scott Boras, had quickly gotten to work finding new suitors, and New York’s $315 million, 12-year offer was enough to attract Correa to the Big Apple instead.

    News of Correa’s agreement with the Giants broke Dec. 13. Here’s a look at how that deal never came to pass.

    WHAT HAPPENED TO CORREA’S $350 MILLION CONTRACT WITH SAN FRANCISCO?

    The Associated Press reported on Correa’s late-night agreement with San Francisco after baseball’s winter meetings, citing a person familiar with the negotiations. The person was granted anonymity because the agreement was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced by the team.

    That practice is common in baseball. News of big free-agent signings frequently breaks when an agreement is reached, but teams and players rarely confirm the deal until the ink is dry on the contract. And all player contracts are subject to physicals. Usually, those exams are treated as a formality. Occasionally, a real issue arises.

    The Mets dealt with their own physical hiccup in 2021, when they declined to sign first-round draft pick Kumar Rocker over concerns with his medical scans.

    But never has a free agent of Correa’s ilk had an entire deal scrapped like this.

    Boras told The Athletic on Wednesday that he gave the Giants “a reasonable time” to execute the deal.

    “If you’re not going to execute, I need to go talk with other teams,” he said.

    Farhan Zaidi, the Giants’ president of baseball operations, issued only a brief statement Wednesday.

    “While we are prohibited from disclosing confidential medical information, as Scott Boras stated publicly, there was a difference of opinion over the results of Carlos’ physical examination,” Zaidi said. “We wish Carlos the best.”

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE GIANTS?

    It’s yet another big free-agency whiff for Zaidi’s front office. Another tough winter for the jilted Giants and their increasingly impatient fan base, too. San Francisco went 81-81 last season to miss the playoffs a year after a franchise-record 107 wins and an NL West title.

    The Giants were determined to create some long-term stability in the middle infield and might be reeling from this blow for a while. Zaidi has taken heat for failing to land a top free agent, and San Francisco already swung and missed on Aaron Judge this offseason — he was re-introduced by the New York Yankees on Wednesday after finalizing a $360 million, nine-year contract.

    The Giants have veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford signed through 2023, but he has hinted this could be it. He also has dealt with injuries in recent years and was limited to 118 games last season.

    Correa was to be his heir apparent and the face of the franchise for the next decade-plus.

    WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE METS?

    Cohen is going for it like no other owner has done before.

    A year after the 101-win club lost in the NL wild-card round to San Diego, the Mets feel they’ve added the missing piece to make them a World Series contender — thanks to Cohen’s ability to foot the bill.

    His addition would increase the Mets’ luxury tax payroll next year to the $385 million range, putting them on track to pay a record tax of about $110 million — more than double the current high of $44 million set by the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers. The estimates would change if Correa’s deal contains deferred money or if New York trades players.

    Correa would cost the Mets $49.88 million next year in salary and tax, if there is no deferred money in the deal.

    The Mets’ offseason haul has also included bringing back outfielder Brandon Nimmo on a $162 million, eight-year deal, adding AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander on an $86.7 million, two-year contract and signing Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga on Saturday to a $75 million, five-year deal.

    WHAT’S NEXT?

    The top shortstops are signed, leaving limited choices remaining on the market. Justin Turner joined the Red Sox and Xander Bogaerts signed in San Diego.

    The Chicago Cubs introduced their new shortstop, Dansby Swanson, on Wednesday after he finalized a $177 million, seven-year contract.

    Cubs President Jed Hoyer has learned to never get ahead of himself, and like so many others, he was shocked to hear of the Giants’ about-face. He wouldn’t address San Francisco’s situation directly.

    “Medical processes, I feel like in this job over time you start never thinking about anything until … not only are you in the end zone, but like they’ve done the review process and the booth has confirmed it,” Hoyer said. “I just think you don’t celebrate until things are done, in part because we’ve all, if you do this long enough, you end up a part of a situation where what seems to be done may not be.”

    ———

    AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum, Mike Fitzpatrick and Jay Cohen contributed to this report.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • AP source: Carlos Correa, Giants reach $350M, 13-year deal

    AP source: Carlos Correa, Giants reach $350M, 13-year deal

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    Star shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants have agreed to a $350 million, 13-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

    The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.

    Correa also was a free agent one year ago after leaving the Houston Astros, and he reached a $105.3 million deal with the Minnesota Twins. That agreement gave him the right to opt out after one year and $35.1 million to hit the market again.

    And the 28-year-old Correa indeed moved once more, this time to a Giants team that recently missed out in its bid to sign free agent Aaron Judge.

    Correa’s guarantee will be the fourth-largest in baseball history. Mike Trout got a $426.5 million, 12-year contract with the Los Angeles Angels, Mookie Betts has a $365 million, 12-year agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Judge, the new AL home run champ and MVP, is getting $360 million for nine years to remain with the New York Yankees pending a physical.

    Correa was one of the headliners in a stellar group of free agent shortstops that also included Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson — Swanson is the only one in that group still available.

    Correa got the latest big-money deal in a spending spree during the first offseason of baseball’s new labor contract.

    Philadelphia signed Turner for $300 million over 11 years, San Diego got Bogaerts for $280 million over 11 years, Texas signed pitcher Jacob deGrom for $185 million over five years and the New York Mets retained outfielder Brandon Nimmo for $162 million for eight years.

    Correa hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in his one season with Minnesota.

    Brandon Crawford, a three-time All-Star, has been the Giants’ shortstop since 2011. Crawford, who turns 36 next month, slumped to a .231 average with nine homers and 52 RBIs last season, down from a .298 average with 24 homers and 90 RBIs in 2021.

    Crawford has a $16 million salary in 2023, then can become a free agent. He has dealt with injuries in recent seasons and might consider retirement at the conclusion of his deal, so the Giants were searching for a shortstop of the future.

    The Giants went 81-81 last season, a year after posting a franchise-record 107 wins.

    Correa was selected by Houston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft, and he played a key role in the Astros’ rise from the bottom of the AL West to the franchise’s first World Series title in 2017.

    He hit a career-best 26 homers in 2021 in his last year with Houston, also finishing with a .279 batting average and 92 RBIs. He earned his second All-Star selection and first Gold Glove.

    Just last weekend, Correa joined many of his former Astros teammates in Las Vegas for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

    Correa, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year, has a .279 career average with 155 homers and 553 RBIs in eight big league seasons. He also has been a stellar postseason performer with 18 homers and 59 RBIs in 79 games.

    The Astros’ 2017 championship was tainted by a sign-stealing scheme, and Correa has been lustily booed in some cities since the scandal surfaced.

    Agent Scott Boras negotiated the deals for Correa, Bogaerts and Nimmo. Correa’s agreement raised Boras’ free-agent contracts this offseason to $1.01 billion for nine players.

    ———

    AP Baseball Writers Jay Cohen and Janie McCauley contributed to this report.

    ———

    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Gaylord Perry, two-time Cy Young winner and master of the spitball, dies at 84

    Gaylord Perry, two-time Cy Young winner and master of the spitball, dies at 84

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    Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry, a master of the spitball, died Thursday. He was 84.

    Perry died at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina at about 5 a.m. Thursday of natural causes, Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said. He did not provide additional details.

    Perry pitched for eight major-league teams from 1962 until 1983. He won the Cy Young with Cleveland in 1972 and with San Diego in 1978 just after turning 40.

    Gaylor Perry Pitching
    Gaylor Perry fires away in the ninth inning on his way to a no-hitter against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 17, 1968, and pitched the San Francisco Giants to a 1-0 victory. 

    Bettmann via Getty Images


    Perry was a five-time All-Star who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.

    He had a career record of 314-255, finished with 3,554 strikeouts and used a pitching style where he doctored baseballs or made batters believe he was doctoring them. His 1974 autobiography was titled “Me and the Spitter.”

    After his career, Perry founded the baseball program at Limestone College in Gaffney and was its coach for the first three years.

    Hall of Famer and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry waits on the field before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the Giants' game against the Baltimore Orioles at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Au
    Hall of Famer and former San Francisco Giants pitcher Gaylord Perry waits on the field before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the start of the Giants’ game against the Baltimore Orioles at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. 

    MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images


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  • Texas Rangers Lure Bruce Bochy Out Of Retirement To Manage 2023 Club

    Texas Rangers Lure Bruce Bochy Out Of Retirement To Manage 2023 Club

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    After winning three world championships as manager of the San Francisco Giants, Bruce Bochy probably punched his ticket to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    But he came out of his self-imposed retirement Friday to accept what may be his greatest challenge: managing the Texas Rangers, a team that was never in contention in 2022.

    Bochy signed a three-year contract that carries through the 2025 season. Terms were not disclosed but his 25-year record with the Giants and San Diego Padres suggests he will be one of the most highly-paid managers in the game, with a salary stretching well into seven figures.

    For the Rangers, who fired manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels after the team’s signing spree last winter paid few dividends, had not hired an experienced manager since Buck Showalter (now with the Mets) in 2002.

    Bochy, 67, was actually hired by one of his former pitchers. Chris Young, executive vice president and general manager for the Rangers, pitched for Bochy when both were together in San Diego.

    Bochy managed the Padres from 1995-2006 and the Giants from 2007-2019.

    “In his 25 years with San Diego and San Francisco, Bruce was one of the most successful and respected managers in Major League Baseball,” Young told reporters. “He’s a calm and steady presence, he has a remarkable ability to connect and communicate with players, coaches, and staff, and his teams have always played with maximum effort. His knowledge of the game, as well as his integrity, is unmatched.”

    Bochy won World Series with the Giants in 2010, 2012, and 2014. His career record is 951-975.

    The 1996 National League Manager of the Year spent the last three seasons as special advisor for the Giants but still hinted he’d like to end his three-year hiatus from the dugout. He managed Team France in the World Baseball Classic qualifier last month.

    “If I was going to return to managing, it had to be the right situation,” Bochy said in a statement. “I strongly believe that to be the case with the Rangers, and I can’t wait to get started.”

    The former catcher has a tough task ahead, especially since the Rangers occupy the same division as the Houston Astros, a team now playing in a record sixth consecutive American League Championship Series.

    The Rangers finished fourth in the five-time AL West last year, winning only 68 games after an enormous off-season spending spree in the free-agent market. The team spent more than $500 million to give multi-year contracts to veteran shortstops Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, assigning the latter to second base, and outfielder Cole Kalhoun, among others. But Semien started slowly and the pitching never matched the upgraded offense.

    Young cited Bochy’s communication skills, knowledge of the game, and integrity in explaining his decision to give the veteran pilot his first American League gig.

    “As we went through the interview process,” he explained, “Bruce’s passion and excitement about returning to the dugout was very evident.”

    Bochy now becomes the second oldest manager in the majors, behind only 73-year-old Dusty Baker of the Astros.

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    Dan Schlossberg, Contributor

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  • Davis hits go-ahead double in 9th, Giants beat D-backs 6-5

    Davis hits go-ahead double in 9th, Giants beat D-backs 6-5

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    PHOENIX (AP) — J.D. Davis had the go-ahead RBI double in the ninth, Shelby Miller pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief in his season debut and the San Francisco Giants beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Friday night.

    The Giants rallied with two outs in the ninth off reliever Caleb Smith (1-3), who gave up the unearned run. Mike Yastrzemski started with a line-drive single and Evan Longoria reached on a fielder’s choice after Arizona third baseman Sergio Alcantara made a bad throw to second that bounced and ended up in the outfield.

    Davis followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Yastrzemski. Camilo Doval worked the ninth for his 25th save in 28 opportunities.

    The Giants had the opportunity to win thanks to Miller’s extended effort in relief.

    The right-hander — who was a promising pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals back in the early 2010s before bouncing around the league — said his outing went even better than he could have hoped. He struck out seven.

    “I felt like I commanded my fastball really well, slider was definitely working,” Miller said. “That was the game plan going in — if you can get ahead of these guys, you’re going to have success. That’s what I did.”

    The Diamondbacks fell to 70-82, which guarantees a losing season for the third straight year.

    “This is one of those games that we’ve got to find a way to make plays, get the job done and execute,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s in the first inning or the ninth inning.”

    The Giants have won five straight.

    The D-backs nearly broke the 5-all tie in the eighth. Ketel Marte hit a two-out double and Daulton Varsho followed with what looked like another extra-base hit, but LaMonte Wade Jr. made a difficult catch in deep right while sprinting back towards the wall.

    The Giants built an early 2-0 lead after solo homers from Brandon Crawford and Austin Wynns. The D-backs bounced back in the third when Stone Garrett’s two-run homer just cleared the left-center wall.

    San Francisco pushed ahead again on David Villar’s two-run homer and Evan Longoria’s RBI single for a 5-2 lead. The D-backs rallied for three runs in the fifth on Emmanuel Rivera’s two-run double and Jordan Luplow’s RBI single.

    San Francisco left hander Carlos Rodón gave up four runs on four hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out seven.

    Rodón’s been a bright spot in San Francisco’s disappointing season with a 13-8 record and 2.98 ERA, but he failed to throw at least five innings for just the second time since the All-Star break. Alex Young (1-1) got the win in relief.

    D-backs left-hander Tommy Henry gave up five runs over 4 2/3 innings in his first start since being recalled from Triple-A.

    700 ON THE BIG SCREEN

    In between innings, the D-backs showed a replay of Cardinals star Albert Pujols hitting his 700th career homer against the Dodgers. The crowd of more than 25,000 responded with arguably its biggest cheer of the night.

    MILLER IN ’22

    The 31-year-old Miller was once a coveted prospect and won 15 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. He’s hasn’t achieved the same success since that point, though, and spent most of this season in Triple-A.

    “It was nice to see him come through like that,” San Francisco manager Gabe Kapler said. “He’s been waiting a long time for this opportunity, came into the game and did exactly what we were looking for. He delivered a ton of strikes, worked fast and forced the action.”

    Miller has a not-so-great spot in D-backs lore: He was acquired in a trade that sent Dansby Swanson and Ender Inciarte back to the Braves. Miller spent three mostly ineffective seasons in Arizona.

    Miller is the 64th player the Giants have used this season, which ties a franchise record set in 2019.

    HEAT

    Doval threw a sinker 104 mph during the ninth. It was a ball.

    TRAINER’S ROOM

    Diamondbacks: Placed OF Jake McCarthy on the bereavement list. Optioned LHP Tyler Holton to Triple-A Reno. Called up Henry and OF/INF Pavin Smith.

    UP NEXT

    The teams continue their series on Saturday night. The D-backs will send RHP Merrill Kelly (12-7, 3.15 ERA) to the mound. The Giants will counter with RHP Alex Cobb (6-6, 3.48).

    ___

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