Giants look to ride Samardzija to win vs. White Sox (Sep 09, 2017)
CHICAGO -- San Francisco Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija sports the nickname "Shark," but Giants manager Bruce Bochy and Chicago White Sox counterpart Rick Renteria invariably describe him as an innings-eating horse.
Coming off successive sterling performances against the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals that earned him a nod as National League Player of the Week, Samardzija will aim to sustain that billing Saturday when the Giants continue their weekend series against one of Samardzija's former clubs.
"Jeff, he's one of those guys that you can ride," Bochy said.
Samardzija (9-12, 4.31 ERA) pitched a three-hit shutout at San Diego on Aug. 28 before limiting the visiting Cardinals to one run and two hits in seven innings on Sept. 2. He went 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA in six starts in August, his best month of the season by far.
Samardzija credits improved command of each of his pitches, namely his assortment of breaking stuff. Bochy agrees.
"There's not one thing he did as far as mechanical or change anything," Bochy said. "I think he was just getting to be more of a complete pitcher, using all his pitches."
A native of Merrillville, Ind., some 30 miles from Chicago, Samardzija said he expects 30 to 40 family members to attend Saturday's game.
"Everybody still lives here," he said. "No one has moved. Just me."
Samardzija is 1-2 with a 1.00 ERA in seven career games (four starts) against the White Sox, for whom he pitched in 2015.
Fellow veteran righty James Shields (2-6, 5.72 ERA) is set to oppose Samardzija. Shields is 2-3 with a 2.62 ERA in seven career starts against the Giants, striking out 41 batters in 44 2/3 innings.
The White Sox celebrated "Halfway to St. Patrick's Day Night as part of Friday's series opener, but the countdown to the end of the regular season also is afoot.
Chicago has dropped eight of 10 while San Francisco is 6-13 in its last 19 games. The Giants opened the series with a 9-2 victory as Pablo Sandoval ended a 0-for-39 skid with a three-run homer.
The White Sox (54-86), Giants (56-87) and Philadelphia Phillies (53-88) each are in contention for the major league cellar, and thus the top pick in the 2018 major league first-year player draft.
Renteria said that topic isn't a subject of clubhouse thought or banter.
"I think their club and our club and every club that plays Major League Baseball tries to go out honestly and tries to perform well," Renteria said. "You try to win a ballgame. I think all those things take care of themselves. They're not something that I think about, worry about, concern myself with."
A perennial playoff contender with three World Series titles since 2010, the Giants suddenly can attest to playing out the string. San Francisco is just 11 months removed from playing a National League Division Series against the Cubs on the other side of Chicago.
"Finish strong, keep getting better," Giants right fielder Hunter Pence said. "You know, it's still the game we love. So, we play for the love of the game and with passion and build that momentum and keep getting better."
There was no argument from infielder Kelby Tomlinson a few lockers down in the Giants' clubhouse.
"You know, every game matters all year long. No matter if you're first place, you know, it's an opportunity," Tomlinson said. "You've got to make the best of whatever you get, and we kind of are where we are. So now it's just how can we do the best with what we've got?"
