Andrew Baggarly

Giants’ Grant McCray is showing patience, but believes his time is now At 25, McCray is still evolving as a player, particularly at the plate, making him a strong candidate for the Opening Day roster.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/708... Giants’ Grant McCray is showing patience, but believes his time is now

‘Brotherly bond’: Will, David Bednar share memorable moment in SF Giants’ exhibition vs. Team USA Will Bednar and David Bednar each threw a scoreless inning in Tuesday’s exhibition

🤖 Justice delos Santos

Will Bednar has seen David Bednar pitch at every level. How many times had David seen Will pitch in pro ball?

“It’s a lot to zero,” Will laughed.

Now, it’s a lot to one.

Talked to the brothers — and their parents — about a memorable day.

Inside a managing master class: Dave Roberts breaks down a World Series Game 7 for the ages “The pressure points in that World Series,” Roberts said. “There were so many different things. It's unbelievable when you unpack it.”

My goodness. Anyone who cherished all the dramatic twists of last year’s all-time classic World Series Game 7 (raises hand) is going to love every word of this. www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

Aaron Judge meets his 6-foot-7 equal, predicts Giants’ Bryce Eldridge will be ‘cornerstone player’ Every major-league player looks up to Judge in one sense or another, but Eldridge is the only one who doesn't do it literally.

It’s tough to get exclusive time with Aaron Judge, but when he learned the subject would be Bryce Eldridge, he was happy to talk about the only MLB hitter officially taller (via ABS measurements) than him: www.nytimes.com/athletic/708...

(And doofus sportswriter crashes it in the background.)

Bryce Eldridge: “I spend my whole life wanting to get a picture with Bryce Harper, and when I finally do, my eyes are closed.”

Eldridge also had a cool moment when he stood at first base next to fellow 6-foot-7 slugger Aaron Judge at first base. The Team USA captain told Eldridge, “We hope to see you here on the next (WBC) go round.”

Bryce Eldridge on meeting Bryce Harper: “I told him he's the reason I love playing baseball. He's the person I mimicked growing up, and he was my idol. And I think he really appreciated that.”

Neat intersection. David Bednar is pitching the bottom of the seventh inning for Team USA while his brother, Will, warms up in the bullpen presumably to pitch the top of the eighth for the Giants.

(And yes 🤷‍♂️ was for the kids.)

Aaron Judge meets the only MLB hitter who’s taller than him, based on official ABS measurements. Judge is 6-7. Eldridge is 6-7 “and change.” 🤷‍♂️

Team USA lineup vs. the Giants:

Bobby Witt Jr., SS
Bryce Harper, 1B
Aaron Judge, RF
Kyle Schwarber, DH
Alex Bregman, 3B
Cal Raleigh, C
Roman Anthony, LF
Byron Buxton, CF
Brice Turang, 2B

Paul Skenes, RHP

Meeting restricted to Gold Glove catchers only (and Sergio Romo).

Both Bednar brothers are on the list to pitch. (Will for the Giants, David for USA, obviously.) Their parents and sister are here for the game. Cool day for the family.

Adrian Houser is starting instead of Blade Tidwell for Giants vs. USA. Tidwell will appear later in the game.

Paul Skenes will start for USA against the Giants tomorrow at Scottsdale Stadium. Jax, Boyd, Bednar, Mason Miller also on the schedule to pitch.

Mark DeRosa confirmed Logan Webb will start the pool play opener for USA vs. Brazil. Skubal, Skenes, McLean to start the next pool games

Just Logan Webb chatting with guys who have combined to win five Cy Young awards

The kid wasn't wrong. A decade later, it was still goaltending on Gonzaga!

Pretty cool assignment for Blade Tidwell. The Giants are going to start him against team USA in the exhibition on Tuesday. Logan Webb said he’ll be chirping at him from the visiting dugout.

Jesse Chavez told us he isn't on Giants' staff without Call of Duty. He'd play with Mike Minor, who added strength coach Quentin Eberhardt to their group. They became good friends. When Tony Vitello took Eberhardt with him to SF, Eberhardt threw out Chavez as a name to consider for bullpen coach.

Rainmakers: Marco Scutaro showed Luis Arraez what was possible for a kid from small-town Venezuela Arraez grew up watching Scutaro, who believes in his fellow countryman: "The Giants will love him and he'll stay here for a while."

When Luis Arraez was growing up on the outskirts of San Felipe, Venezuela, only one other MLB player had come from his area: Marco Scutaro. As another undervalued contact hitter who had to fight for a pro contract, Scutaro showed Arraez what was possible. Their story: www.nytimes.com/athletic/707...

Giants fans attending today's exhibition against the A's at Mesa might want to stick around till the end. Teenage super-prospect Josuar Gonzalez will be on the travel roster for the first time and is expected to come off the bench in the late innings.

It's a right thumb contusion, Giants say.

Welp, so far today Rafael Devers was a late scratch (hamstring) and now Harrison Bader has been replaced in center field. He didn't run out a ground ball that ended the first inning.

Harrison Bader went out to sign the dent on the food truck!

Harrison Bader’s monster home run (114 EV) at Maryvale left some damage on the Cactus Bowls food truck.

...Austin Wynns, had to hold until he saw ball wasn't caught. Wynns barely slid into third ahead of Devers' throw across the diamond.

The Giants nearly turned a triple play for the second day in a row. First inning, bases loaded, liner to 2B by A's Max Muncy. Arraez fields it off a short hop, feeds to Adames at SS, who turns the double play. But runner at second ...