SAN FRANCISCO — If Jonathan Sanchez chooses to linger over his last outing
of the year, he’s going to have a long winter.
Sanchez, who was off to such a promising start this season, got blasted in
a 15-6 loss to the Rockies on Wednesday night at AT&T Park.
After allowing seven runs in 3+ innings, Sanchez saw his earned-run average
rise to 5.01, a number that will now be on the back of his baseball card for
all eternity.
Sanchez went 1-3 with a 7.82 ERA in September, prompting questions about
whether his career-high in innings caught up to him.
Not according to manager Bruce Bochy.
”He shouldn’t be tired,” Bochy said. ”He had good stuff. He had trouble
getting it where he wanted tonight. The innings had nothing to do with the
last two starts. He’s fine. He’s healthy. He just wasn’t good tonight.”
Is he good at all? Which is the real Sanchez, the one who looked like he’d
put all the pieces together in the first half, or the one who limped to the
finish line?
Bochy said Sanchez still has the stuff to be a successful major league
pitcher. He also said the mechanical problems that plagued him in earlier
seasons were largely corrected. His problem this season was his command.
Bochy said Sanchez had particular trouble getting himself back on track
when he started to get hit.
”The frustration gets to him, and then he can’t make his pitches,” Bochy
said.
On this night, Sanchez’s bad start gave way to an even worse performance by
Kevin Correia. Correia gave up seven runs in two inning. He became only the
second Giants reliever to give up at least seven runs in a game since 1997.
Kirk Rueter also gave up seven in a rare relief appearance on July 23,
2005.
Once the Giants were hopelessly behind, Bochy unloaded his bench,
Scottsdale-style.
In the seventh inning, the Giants actually had nine rookies on the field.
Major league stat-keepers were scrambling late Wednesday to determine when
that had last happened for the Giants. It’s safe to say it’s been a long time,
if ever.
John Bowker, who was only in the lineup because Travis Ishikawa’s wife had
a baby, had three hits, including a homer. It was Bowker’s first homer since
July 2, before he was sent back to the minors.
Bowker came up a triple short of hitting for the cycle, as did Colorado’s
Clint Barmes.
Eugenio Velez also had two doubles and a single. Velez is hitting .346 over
his past 24 games. Nate Schierholtz also had three hits.
You can reach Staff Writer Jeff Fletcher at 521-5489 or
jeff.fletcher@pressdemocrat.com.
