Bochy unhappy with performance from No. 2 starter
NEW YORK -- Given the Giants' rigorous itinerary, a lack of focus or energy might have been almost excusable Thursday as they concluded a three-city, 10-game trip with a 5-2 loss to the New York Mets.
But the starting pitchers who work every fifth day aren't allowed that luxury. Everything begins and ends with the man on the mound, which explained why Giants manager Bruce Bochy was unhappy with Jonathan Sanchez's performance.
Last Saturday at Washington, Sanchez walked six in five innings yet allowed just one unearned run, mainly because he limited the Nationals to two hits. He even recorded a scoreless first inning despite walking four batters.
This time, Sanchez again walked six, but his lapses had consequences. With two outs, nobody on base and a run in, he prolonged the second inning by walking No. 8 hitter Scott Hairston and opposing pitcher Mike Pelfrey. Jose Reyes tripled them home to finish New York's three-run outburst from which the Giants never fully recovered.
Sanchez allowed all of New York's runs and five hits in five innings. That broke a streak of 13 games, dating back to last year, in which he had surrendered three earned runs or fewer. The quality of this stretch is somewhat deceiving, since he exceeded six innings just five times. Nevertheless, he recorded a 1.76 ERA during this span.
Intending to avoid using right-handers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain on consecutive days, the Giants installed the left-handed Sanchez between them in the rotation as the No. 2 starter. But the Giants weren't merely seeking variety. They expect a lot from Sanchez, who finished 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA and a Major League-low .204 opponents' batting average last year.
Thus, Sanchez's aimlessness -- in more ways than one -- has tried Bochy's patience.
"It just looks like a lack of concentration with him. He drifted mentally," Bochy said, citing Sanchez's missing a sign while batting and a failure to run out a third-inning bunt. "This is not what the guy going No. 2 for us should be doing. It was not a good day for Johnny."
Bochy hastened to add that he does not detect a lack of effort from Sanchez, who's earning $4.8 million this season. But Bochy plans on meeting with the 28-year-old on Friday.
"He's got to, I think, just refocus here and pick it up," Bochy said. "He's walking guys he shouldn't be walking and making mistakes he has to clean up."
Asked if he felt any fluctuations in concentration, Sanchez said, "I'm not getting anything over the plate. I'm not getting ahead [on the count]. That's what it is." In response to a question, Sanchez (2-2) said that he had not approached pitching coach Dave Righetti or Bochy for advice. "I go out there trying to do my best and nothing is working right now," Sanchez said.
Eli Whiteside, who has caught Sanchez's last two starts, suggested that technical and mental issues could be hampering the pitcher.
"I don't think anything drastic needs to be [done]," Whiteside said. "Maybe a mechanical thing or something in his head. I think one thing is confidence. Go out there and have a couple of good innings, get his confidence up a little bit and then go back to being the old Johnny."
By contrast, the Mets received precise pitching from Pelfrey (2-3), who yielded four hits in 7 2/3 solid innings and improved his career ERA against the Giants to 2.04 in five starts.
"He wasn't thinking too much on the mound," said Carlos Beltran, who hit a two-run homer off Sanchez in the fifth inning to conclude the scoring. "I think his rhythm was good, his sinker was great, and he was able to keep them off-balance all game."
The Giants not only finished their trip 5-5, but they also completed their season-opening stretch of playing 22 of 31 games on the road. Their 15-16 record isn't becoming of a reigning World Series champion.
"I wouldn't say we're right where we want to be," Whiteside said.
But, as numerous Giants have said, they're fortunate to be as close to .500 as they are, given their offensive shortcomings. San Francisco entered the game ranked next-to-last in scoring and 13th in batting average among National League teams. The Giants particularly struggled on this trip, averaging 2.3 runs per game, batting .152 (12-for-79) with runners in scoring position and hitting .216 (71-for-328) overall.
"We have to be a little more consistent with this offense," Bochy said, seemingly aware that this was an understatement.
The Giants had a chance to chart a new course for themselves as they loaded the bases with one out in the ninth inning against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez. But Miguel Tejada struck out and pinch-hitter Buster Posey grounded into a force play.
Thus ended another chance for the Giants to sweep a three-game series. Four times already, they've won the first two games before dropping the finale.
"We haven't finished the deal," Bochy said. "So that's disappointing."
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