Andrew Baggarly - MercuryNews
First order of business for incoming Giants general partner Bill Neukom: Find a clutch hitter or two. Maybe even three.
The Giants might have changed the top of their organizational pyramid Friday night, but their offense still knows how to hit rock bottom. They were 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and Jonathan Sanchez paid for one pitch in a 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
The Giants stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the six innings and Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, leaving fans with little to cheer as their club lost for the ninth time in 12 games.
They had plenty to boo, though. A.J. Pierzynski made his first visit to AT&T Park since the Giants released him after a controversy-filled 2004 season, and his every plate appearance was accompanied by lasting baritones.
"It was weak," said Pierzynski, who hit a triple and was stranded in the sixth inning to extend a nine-game hitting streak. "I got booed better in Anaheim (earlier this week). They booed me more when I played here."
Unless the Giants can muster some clutch hits, the boos could grow even after Pierzynski and the White Sox leave town. The Giants are hitting .215 with runners in scoring position and two outs.
The Giants stressed execution and situational hitting all spring, but with a quarter of the season gone, hitting coach Carney Lansford has found that his lessons haven't stuck.
"We did what we wanted to do and create the opportunities," Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said. "But we just missed a timely hit or even a productive out."
Sanchez had his changeup and slider working as he held Chicago to five hits and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings.
"I just made one mistake," said Sanchez, whose changeup to Ramirez was down but over the plate. "That's it, that was the game."
Pierzynski had been waiting for this game a long time. He won a World Series ring with the White Sox in 2005 and reacted with schadenfreude over the painfully one-sided deal the Giants made to acquire him from the Minnesota Twins prior to the '04 season. The Giants gave up All-Star closer Joe Nathan, pitcher Boof Bonser and rising star left-hander Francisco Liriano for Pierzynski, who was released after one turbulent season.
"It worked out great for everybody," Pierzynski said. "For the Twins, for me, for everybody."
Pierzynski said the first insult hurled at him Friday came from a stadium worker as soon as he stepped foot in the ballpark.
"A guy who works here said, 'Here's the guy who ruined the organization,"' Pierzynski said.
A day earlier, Pierzynski told White Sox beat reporters that he knew he would be a Giant for just one season, even before he played his first game with the club.
He accused General Manager Brian Sabean of threatening his agent against taking the club to arbitration. Pierzynski ended up winning a $3.5 million salary through the process, $1.25 million more than what the club had offered.
"We were going to file a lawsuit because the Players' Association wanted to sue him for breaking laws of ethical negotiations," Pierzynski told reporters. "He promised me if I went to arbitration, I'd be back for only one year and this and that. Basically, it all came true. I was only there for one year from the start."
Pierzynski said he got a bad vibe from his very first meeting with Sabean and outgoing managing partner Peter Magowan.
"The owner asked me if I knew how to play first base. I looked at him and said, 'I played in the minor leagues,"' Pierzynski said. "He said, 'We like our players to be able to play more than one position, so you probably will get a lot of games at first base.' That's when I knew it was probably not going to work out there."
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