KNOCKED AROUND
Belt leaves game after getting hit by pitch in the helmet; another possible concussion a concern
SAN FRANCISCO» An ugly Giants season turned scary Friday night in a 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Brandon Belt was hit in the helmet by a pitch from Arizona rookie starter Anthony Banda and left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. He went to the ground after being struck by a 79 mph curveball, before walking to the dugout under his own power.
Manager Bruce Bochy stopped short of offering a diagnosis, but said Belt displayed “concussion symptoms.” He said the 29-yearold first baseman would be evaluated Saturday morning.
“It was a curveball that caught him flush,” Bochy said. “He’s been through this before so it’s obvious there’s some concerns there.”
Belt has suffered three concussions during his career — with the Giants in 2014 and ’15 and one in college at Texas. The two incidents with the Giants — neither of them caused by a pitched ball — resulted in Belt missing a combined 61 games.
If Belt has sustained another
concussion, it’s not farfetched to suggest his season might be over. Belt was not available to reporters after the game.
“I’m sure this is probably scaring him a little bit,” Bochy said.
“It’s no good,” Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner said. “He’s had some concussion problems in the past. Hopefully it’s not that. It certainly didn’t look good. I know it was a curveball, but it was loud.”
One night after scoring 11 runs in a win over the A’s, the Giants could do little against Banda (1-1), making just his second major league start. The 23-year-old righthander allowed three hits — none of which got out of the infield — and struck out seven in six innings. The Giants’ lone run scored when Brandon Crawford walked with the bases loaded in the fourth.
In the process, the Giants wasted a strong effort by Bumgarner, who solved virtually everyone in an Arizona uniform, except redhot Paul Goldschmidt.
A day after hitting three home runs and driving in six runs against the Cubs, Goldschmidt tripled in a run in the fourth inning and doubled to put the Diamondbacks ahead to stay in the sixth. He also singled, completing three-quarters of the cycle.
The Giants are now 1-8 this season in games started by their ace lefthander, who missed three months after injuring his shoulder in a dirt bike accident.
Bumgarner threw 104 pitches in seven innings, struck out seven and gave up just two hits to anyone other than Goldschmidt. He has allowed just three runs in his past three starts, but the Giants have won just one of those games.
“He pitched great,” Bochy said. “We just couldn’t figure out a young starter. That’s not the first time that’s happened.”
Bumgarner, now 1-5 despite a 2.88 earned run average, said he doesn’t care a bit about personal stats. “It’s unfortunate we haven’t got a lot of wins when I pitch,” he said. “It don’t change the fact that me and everybody is doing everything we can to do that.”
• Closer Mark Melancon, sidelined for more than a month by an elbow injury, was roughed up in his third rehab assignment Friday night with the San Jose Giants, surrendering four earned runs, including a home run, in two-thirds of an inning against the Inland
Empire 66ers.
Before the game, Bochy declined to predict whether Melancon could be activated and pitch during the current homestand that runs through next Wednesday. “That might be pushing it,” Bochy said. “Mark’s the only one who can let us know on that. We’re not going to push this. It’s up to him to let us know where he’s at.”
• Denard Span, informed by Bochy this week that he’d likely be transitioned from center field to left, told reporters before Friday’s game that he merely wants to do what’s best for the team.
• Chris Stratton will make just his second start of the season Saturday evening. He’s excited and ready, but understands his opportunity comes at the expense of Matt Cain, who was told this week he’d no longer be part of the rotation.
“Him and Buster (Posey) have been the face of the Giants for a long time,” Stratton said. “He’s been great to me,.”
Asked if the two have talked since Bochy announced the change on Thursday, Stratton said
Cain told him, “‘Can’t believe you’re doing this to me.’ He was just messing with me.”