Strickland’s temper boils over, leads to surgery
Giants closer Hunter Strickland broke his pitching hand punching a door in frustration after blowing the save and taking the loss in a 5-4 defeat to the Miami Marlins Monday night.
The right-hander was undergoing surgery Tuesday and expected to be out six to eight weeks, manager Bruce Bochy said. An X-ray after the game revealed the break of Strickland’s pinkie, similar to what sidelined lefty ace Madison Bumgarner to begin the season after he was hurt in his final spring training start.
“I’m thoroughly disappointed, trust me. I’m crushed because this guy had just grown as a pitcher and a player and a person,” Bochy said. “But I know Hunter, he cares. He cares deeply. He let his emotions get away … he had a temporary snap.”
Strickland blew his fourth save in 17 chances and second straight, allowing more than two runs for only the fourth time in his career.
Bochy said Strickland had shown maturity and made progress keeping his emotions in check since last year’s fight with Nationals star Bryce Harper.
“I think he did it when he came out of the game but we didn’t know about it,” Bochy said. “I didn’t know about it until I got home.”
In late May last year, Strickland ignited an all-out brawl when he beaned Harper with a 98 mph fastball on his first pitch in the eighth inning with two outs, none on and Washington ahead 2-0. Harper charged the mound and both men threw punches as benches and bullpens emptied.
Sam Dyson and Tony Watson will be called upon for closing duties, with one getting most of the opportunities though Bochy didn’t reveal which one that would be. The manager doesn’t consider Mark Melancon – signed to a $62 million, four-year deal before last season to work the ninth – ready for the role after a series of injuries.
“Your closer is somebody who has to be resilient and I’m not sure that Mark’s at that stage right now,” Bochy said.
L.A. Dodgers 4, Chicago Cubs 3: Pinch-hitter Kyle Farmer doubled sharply down the left-field line with two outs in the ninth to drive in two runs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers came back to edge the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Farmer lined a 2-2 pitch from Justin Wilson into the corner after Wilson had walked pinch-hitter Austin Barnes and Justin Turner singled. Entering the game, Farmer was hitting .226, but was 5 for 15 as a pinch-hitter.
Joc Pederson led off the game with solo shot and Yasiel Puig drove in a run with a bloop double in a rematch of the last two NL Championship Series.
Kris Bryant doubled twice and drove in two runs. Anthony Rizzo added an RBI single for Chicago.
Edward Paredes (2-0), the fifth of six Dodgers relievers, got one out in the eighth to earn the win. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood allowed two hits and struck out six in five innings, walking five to increase his major-league leading total to 63.
Atlanta 11, Toronto 4: Johan Camargo hit his first career grand slam and went 4 for 5 with five RBI, and the Atlanta Braves beat the Blue Jays 11-4 to snap Toronto’s home winning streak at seven games.
Camargo hit his seventh home run off Jaime Garcia (2-6) in the second, singled in the fourth, hit an RBI single in the fifth and doubled and scored in the eighth. He struck out in the ninth.
Charlie Culberson also connected and Ender Inciarte had three hits and three RBI as the Braves won for the sixth time in seven games. Reliever Sam Freeman (2-3) worked 2 1/3 innings for the victory.
American League
N.Y. Yankees 7, Seattle 2: Domingo German pitched two-hit ball over a career-high seven innings and Giancarlo Stanton hit one of New York’s four home runs in the Yankees’ 7-2 victory against the Seattle Mariners.
Miguel Andujar and Aaron Hicks each belted a two-run shot off Marco Gonzales in the fifth. Hicks homered for the third straight day and finished with three hits from the leadoff spot as the Yankees boosted baseball’s best record to 48-22, moving a season-best 26 games above .500.
Coming off a four-hit game, Stanton sent a solo drive to straightaway center field in the first. Aaron Judge had an RBI single in the seventh, and rookie phenom Gleyber Torres added his 14th home run in the eighth.
The first two batters of the game reached against German (2-4) on a double and an error. The rookie right-hander then retired 19 in a row until Nelson Cruz homered in the seventh.
Cleveland 6, Chicago White Sox 3: Mike Clevinger struck out 10 and allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings, and the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-3.
Clevinger (6-2) beat Chicago for the third time this season and was in command after giving up a first-inning run. The right-hander retired 13 straight between the second and sixth while allowing five hits.
Clevinger, who struck out a career-high 11 against the White Sox last week, was pulled after two walks in the eighth. He has held Chicago to three earned runs in 21 1/3 innings over three starts.
Francisco Lindor’s two-run single was the key hit in the second when Cleveland scored four times. Yonder Alonso, Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion also drove in runs for the Indians.