Giants cold, but Sanchez starts hot
GLENDALE — The following are updates on area Major League Baseball players.
Freddy Sanchez (Glendale Community College, 1998) second baseman, San Francisco Giants: While the defending World Series champions struggled in their season-opening series against their archrivals, the former Glendale Community College and Burbank High standout has gotten off to a hot start.
The former National League batting champion has hit safely in all four of the Giants’ games thus far in which San Francisco went 1-3 against the host Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sanchez’s biggest effort thus far came on Saturday, as the Giants throttled the Dodgers, 10-0, and he went three for four with a walk, three runs batted in and two runs scored. Sanchez also had his first double of the season.
On the short season, he’s batting .467 with seven hits in 15 at bats, three runs, three RBI and a .556 on-base percentage.
Sanchez, who signed a one-year extension with the Giants on Friday, is also perfect in the field at second base in 13 total chances.
San Francisco travels to San Diego today for a two-game set against the Padres before returning home to host the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
Doug Slaten (Glendale Community College, 1999) relief pitcher, Washington Nationals: The former Vaquero has struggled a bit in the early going of the season as a left-handed specialist.
His earned-run average is still spotless, but he’s only recorded one out in three appearances.
In his debut on Opening Day on Thursday, he walked the only batter he faced and on Saturday gave up a hit against the only batter he faced. On Sunday, he gave up another hit and a walk and recorded one out. His WHIP currently sits at 12.00.
The Nationals, who went 1-2 to open the season in a three-game set with the Atlanta Braves, travel to Florida for a three-game series with the Marlins beginning today.
Brandon McCarthy (Glendale native) starting pitcher, Oakland Athletics: The 6-foot-7 right-hander is set to make his first Major League Baseball start since 2009 on Wednesday when Oakland faces the host Toronto Blue Jays.
McCarthy, who spent all of last season nursing a shoulder injury and biding his time in the Texas Rangers’ minor league system, will make his first career start with Oakland — his third major league team.
McCarthy went 7-4 with a 4.62 earned-run average in ’09 with the Rangers. It was his fifth season in the majors, with three coming with the Rangers. Over five seasons, McCarthy is 20-24 with a 4.56 ERA and 251 strikeouts to 142 walks in just over 372 innings.
McCarthy is set to go up against Jesse Litsch on Wednesday.
Oakland enters Tuesday’s series at Toronto at 1-2 after its season-opening series with the Seattle Mariners. Sixteen of the next 22 games for the Athletics will be on the road.