Giants Splash: Blanco has a possible concussion, plus no-no notes

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UPDATE, 9: 30 p.m: Hours before Chris Heston's no-hitter, an odd situation was playing out inside the Giants' clubhouse.

Outfielder Gregor Blanco was being retested for concussion symptoms two days after he was accidentally hit in the head by a ball as he jogged to the outfield in Philadelphia.

Brandon Belt was warming up the infield and tried to toss one to Joe Panik and hit Blanco. That's quite a coincidence, since Belt lost considerable time last year to a concussion caused by a ball that Marco Scutaro threw during batting practice.

Manager Bruce Bochy said Blanco seemed OK on Sunday, but the symptoms worsened.

Blanco was in the original lineup but was scratched. Bochy said he hoped Blanco is cleared to play Wednesday, but added, "If not, we'll get a player up here."

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San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence grounds out against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 2, 2015, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence grounds out against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 2, 2015, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Giants Splash: Blanco has a possible concussion, plus no-no notes 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

With Hunter Pence unavailable because of his wrist injury, all three healthy outfielders started: Nori Aoki, Angel Pagan and Justin Maxwell. Maxwell wound up playing during a no-hitter for the first time.

He was a Houston Astro when Matt Cain threw his perfect game in 2012 but did not play.

"This was better," Maxwell said, smiling.

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Cain, by the way, was not here to see Heston's no-hitter. He was pitching for Double-A Richmond, Va., in his first minor-league rehab start coming off his flexor-tendon injury.

Cain threw 55 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. He allowed no runs in the first three innings then two in the fourth.

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A few no-no notes that did not make it into my final game story, which you can read here:

— The Giants are the second team in major-league history to throw no-hitters in four consecutive seasons. The other was the 1962-65 Dodgers. Sandy Koufax threw all four, including a perfect game.

— Buster Posey flipped Heston the final-strikeout ball, but Heston dropped it. Brandon Belt scooped it up.

— Heston's no-hitter was a great lesson in the baseball truism that velocity is not the be-all, end-all in pitching. Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard threw 98 mph, but the Giants got him for four runs in six innings. Heston mainly pitched around 89-90 with a 91 tossed in, but relied on great command and movement.

"You can make a point that it's not always how hard you throw," Bochy said. "It's your command, your ability to mix up your pitches, keep them off balance, hit your spots, pitch to your defense. It's nice to have that 95 to 99, but if you're off a little bit, hitters are going to catch up with that. Trust me."

— A reporter asked Heston if he shook off Buster Posey. Heston went into a disseration on how wonderful Posey was and how Posey puts down the finger and Heston just throws it.

To which Posey said, "I think you shook me once."

UPDATE, 3:05 p.m.: Hunter Pence could be headed to the disabled list. The tendinits in his left wrist is not healing as quickly as hoped, and the Giants will make a decision as soon as Wednesday.

"Possibly," manager Bruce Bochy said. "I don't say likely. Ask me that in the next day or so. I might switch over to likely."

Although Pence bruised a bone in the wrist diving for a ball at home last week, Pence said that is healed. The issue is inflammation in the tendon, which he believes happened because of all the swings he has taken after weeks of immobility as his fractured arm healed.

The Giants can ill afford to lose Pence, who said, "Any time I try to do something it gets worse."

He took a few swings Tuesday. The medical staff wants to see how he responds Wednesday before deciding on Pence's fate.

If he goes on the 15-day DL, the Giants can make it retroactive to last Wednesday, which means he would be more than halfway through when they decide. On the other hand, Bochy said, he feels confident he has enough coverage to play a man down while waiting to see if Pence can return sooner.

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Bochy provided his most specific potential timeline for a Matt Cain return. He suggested Cain could return after three minor-league starts, including Tuesday night's for Double-A Richmond.

Under that timeline, Cain could rejoin the rotation in late June, although Bochy cautioned it is not set in stone. Much depends on how Cain feels after each start.

Jake Peavy is at least two minor-league starts away. His next start would be Thursday for Triple-A Sacramento, at El Paso.

ORIGINAL POST: Manager Bruce Bochy was confident Sunday that Hunter Pence would be ready to play by Tuesday night's series opener at Citi Field in New York. That confidence disappeared by the time he wrote the lineup card.

Pence will miss his fourth consecutive game with a bone bruise and tendinitis in his left wrist.

Chris Heston, fire or ice on the mound, faces Mets rook Noah Syndergaard.

Meanwhile, Buster Posey slipped behind Yadier Molina again in voting for the All-Star Game. It's neck and neck (2.639 million to 2.634 million).

Brandon Crawford is second behind the Cardinals' Jhonny Peralta and Joe Panik third behind the Marlins' Dee Gordon and Cardinals' Kolten Wong at their respective position.

The real interesting results are in the outfield. Bryce Harper an Matt Holliday are a comfortable first and second for the three spots. But Nori Aoki has moved within 47,000 votes of Giancarlo Stanton for the last spot.

I’m sure Aoki is benefitting from online voting in Japan and, hey, he might be getting some love from those Royals fans who are stuffing the ballot box in the other league.

In the draft, the Giants used their third-round pick on a high school shortstop from Georgia, Jalen Miller, whom MLB.com draft analysts liken to Brandon Phillips at that age.

With the next pick, the Giants took a college left-hander, Mac Marshall, from Chipola College.

In Rounds 5 and 6, they took college outfielders Ronnie Jebavy (Middle Tennessee) and Steven Duggar (Clemson)

Return here later for updates on Pence.

The lineups:

GIANTS

1. Aoki LF

2. Panik 2B

3. Pagan CF

4. Posey C

5. Belt 1B

6. Crawford SS

7. Duffy 3B

8. Blanco RF

9. Heston P

METS

1. Granderson RF

2. Tejada 2B

3. Duda 1B

4. Cuddyer LF

5. Flores SS

6. Lagares CF

7. Campbell 3B

8. Plawecki C

9. Syndergaard P