Notes: Walks lead to tie
Winn upbeat after injury; Lincecum may pitch Wednesday
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Giants didn't lose Saturday's meaningless exhibition against the Los Angeles Angels. But they didn't win it, either, and manager Bruce Bochy knew why.
He didn't like the trend set by veterans Jack Taschner and Vinnie Chulk, who threw scoreless innings despite walking a batter apiece. Then rookie Kelvin Pichardo unraveled in the eighth inning by walking two Angels, leading to three runs that forged a 6-6 tie. "The walks caught up with us in the eighth," Bochy said. "With a three-run lead, that's what you want to stay away from." Non-roster right-hander Bartolome Fortunato relieved Pichardo with the bases loaded and nobody out and allowed only one run to score while coaxing a double-play grounder and an inning-ending groundout. Fortunato and Billy Sadler pitched shutout innings for the second day in a row, a fact Bochy duly noted. Earlier, the Giants showed off their speed. With three of their fastest players -- Rajai Davis, Eugenio Velez and Fred Lewis -- batting consecutively in the order, they erased a 3-1 deficit with four fifth-inning runs. Three came on Ray Durham's ground-ball double, with Davis, Velez and Lewis all scoring. Brad Hennessey, who Bochy maintained is not being considered for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, started and allowed two runs and four hits in three innings. "The plan is to leave him where he is," Bochy said of Hennessey, a former starter who settled into the bullpen last year. The extra work gave Hennessey an expanded opportunity to throw his changeup, a pitch he's trying to refine. Jonathan Sanchez, who is a fifth-starter candidate, had his best spring outing in the Giants' 6-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox in Tucson. Sanchez allowed three hits and an unearned run in three innings, halving his ERA from 18.00 to 9.00. Also in Tucson, first baseman Dan Ortmeier received a bruise on his right knee when he was hit by an eighth-inning pitch from Chicago's Ehren Wassermann. Ortmeier's playing status is day-to-day. Injury updates: The bandage that right fielder Randy Winn wore on his left knee was lower than anticipated, which meant that his spirits were higher than expected. Winn left Friday's exhibition against Oakland after fouling a pitch off his left leg, a couple of inches below the knee. Winn was in so much discomfort after the game that he feared he might be due for the same fate that befell him in 2006, when he fouled a ball off his right knee and was physically nagged for much of the season. But since Winn wasn't hit squarely on his knee, he was able to say, "I'm definitely relieved." Winn, who intended to take light batting practice Saturday, wasn't sure when he'd return to the lineup, although Bochy planned to check on his availability Sunday.
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Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.



