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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Giants manager Bruce Bochy gave a full house at Scottsdale Stadium a trip down memory lane Sunday afternoon.
For three innings.
Bochy fielded the same starting infield he did in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, which also happened to be Sunday’s spring training opponent. Brandon Belt was at first base, Joe Panik at second, Brandon Crawford at shortstop and Pablo Sandoval at third base.
“It’s hard to believe that we could still do it,” Bochy said. “That was a while back. We’re not living on yesterday’s headlines, trust me. But still it was a neat moment and you try to enjoy the game and savor some special times and moments in this game. And we did.”
The Giants won 7-2 Sunday and are 9-12 this spring following consecutive wins for the second time in spring training.
Longtime ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, a guest of the Giants on Sunday, made a mound visit in the third inning, gathering all of the World Series infielders around the mound to remind them briefly of the significance of the moment.
Berman said the players were somewhat surprised. “And you guys wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think you could get another one (championship) before this is done,” Berman said, explaining what he told the Giants infielders. “So let’s go get it.”
Sandoval was replaced by Evan Longoria to start the top of the fourth inning.
Berman made sure the umpires and starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner were OK with him making the mound visit before it happened.
There was more deja vu. Bumgarner, who earned a five-inning save in that championship clincher five years ago, started for the Giants. Bumgarner faced Royals infielder Whit Merrifield, whose line drive last spring hit Bumgarner in the hand and forced the left-hander to miss the first two months of the 2018 season with a fracture.
Bumgarner got Merrifield to fly out to left field to end the first inning, then gave up a run-scoring single to him in the third. He avoided injury off of Merrifield’s bat by inducing a dribbler back to Bumgarner in his third and final time facing Merrifield.
Bumgarner was asked if he felt anything like fear facing Merrifield again.
“No,” he answered flatly.
But he did have some good-natured ribbing for Merrifield after the ground out, since the two grew up playing against each other in North Carolina.
“I try not to think about it, and I didn’t really,” Bochy said. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t remember it well. It’s the last thing I wanted to see again. Just one of those freak things that happened.”
Before he was done, Bumgarner, in his second-to-last start of the spring, drove in the Giants’ first run with a ground out to shortstop that brought in Cameron Maybin from third.
Bumgarner’s day ended with 6 2/3 innings of work, one run allowed on five hits and six strikeouts. He left to a standing ovation, and said he feels like he’s where he needs to be as far as command of pitches and repeating delivery.
“I’ve never been in midseason form at the end of spring or to start the year, but I feel like I’m in a good spot to start,” Bumgarner said. His next start is scheduled for Saturday and figures to be a shorter outing.
The Giants exploded for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with the help of a couple of errors after getting a scoreless inning from reliever Sam Dyson. Mark Melancon labored in the ninth but finished off the game having allowed a run on three hits with a walk and strikeout.
NOTES:
-Buster Posey caught back-to-back games for the first time this spring and showed no signs of it affecting him physically. He singled to open the bottom of the sixth to go 1-for-3, then was lifted for a pinch runner. “He’ll get a couple of days off now and ramp him up again,” Bochy said.
-The Giants were thrown out on the bases twice. Brandon Belt (who went 3 for 3) was retired trying to stretch a drive into deep right-center field into a double in the fourth inning. Then pinch runner Aramis Garcia rounded third too far on a Belt double in the sixth and was tagged out after a throw from right field to shortstop to third base.
