On Baseball: An Aggressive Slide Again Bruises the Giants

ST. LOUIS — The San Francisco Giants do not need to be reminded of the consequences of aggressive base running. It probably cost them a chance to repeat as World Series champions last season, and now imperils their hopes of winning the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

In May 2011, the Giants lost their star catcher, Buster Posey, for the remainder of the season after he tore ankle ligaments and broke his fibula in a violent collision at the plate. On Monday, in the first inning of a 7-1 Giants victory that evened the N.L.C.S., second baseman Marco Scutaro's left hip and knee absorbed a crushing blow from the Cardinals' Matt Holliday, who broke up a double play.

"We saw what happened with Buster last year," Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday at Busch Stadium. "That was as tough a deal as we and Buster had to go through. It's a long rehab, and he's bounced back and just had an incredible year. You just hope when the guys are playing hard, it's within the rules."

Bochy said he still believed Holliday's slide was illegal, because Scutaro was behind second base and Holliday did not start his slide until he was beyond the bag. A magnetic resonance imaging test revealed a left hip strain and contusion, and Scutaro's knee was sore. Bochy said he was hopeful Scutaro could play Game 3 on Wednesday afternoon, and that Ryan Theriot would replace him if he could not.

Scutaro seems likely to play. An hour after Bochy said Scutaro would not participate in the team workout, Scutaro came out with a bat and a glove, sprinting and taking batting practice. He would clearly like to pick up where he left off in San Francisco.

"Today feels much better," he said. "I plan to be there tomorrow."

Scutaro stayed in after Holliday's slide and cleared the bases with a single in the fourth inning, aided by Holliday's error in left field. As the game wore on, he said, he felt discomfort moving side to side in the field and asked to be replaced in the sixth inning.

After the game, Holliday told reporters he was concerned about Scutaro and that he should have started his slide sooner. He called the Giants' trainer to check on Scutaro's condition, and while Scutaro joked about fighting Holliday when he sees him — "He's only 6-4, 250, no big deal" — he absolved him of blame.

"He's a great guy," Scutaro said. "I don't think he tried to hurt me. Just trying to play a little harder, and he slid a little late, that's all."

Holliday has a solid reputation in the game, and his admission took some of the edge off the issue. The Cardinals did not hold a formal workout Tuesday, and Holliday was not available to reporters, but Manager Mike Matheny defended him.

"We play this game with intensity, we play this game with passion, and if we didn't, I wouldn't expect anybody to show up or watch," said Matheny, a former catcher whose career ended prematurely because of postconcussion syndrome. He added, "What I see is a guy who I've never seen one act of trying to hurt anybody, and I would never believe that's what he was trying to do."

Scutaro has been a force for the Giants, hitting .362 after a trade from Colorado in July. He started at third base for Pablo Sandoval before settling in at second, essentially filling the offensive void left by Melky Cabrera, who was hitting .346 when he was suspended in August for failing a drug test. An 11-year veteran of six teams, Scutaro has quickly become popular among the Giants.

"He's been really, really big for us, and he's a great clubhouse guy," starter Matt Cain said. "Guys really gravitate to him."

Cain will start Game 3 against Kyle Lohse; Bochy has not named his starters for Games 4 and 5. Presumably, Tim Lincecum will start Game 4 if he is not needed Wednesday, but both teams have leaned heavily on their bullpens this postseason.

The Giants have had 331/3 innings from their starters, compared with 302/3 from their relievers. The Cardinals' relievers have actually collected one more out than the starters this postseason, following a pattern from last October, when the bullpen worked more than the rotation in an N.L.C.S. victory over Milwaukee.

Lohse has not been part of the problem. In two starts, including the wild-card game in Atlanta, he has pitched 122/3 innings, allowing just three earned runs. He has not faced the Giants this season and said he would focus on keeping the bases empty for Posey, who is hitting just .185 this postseason but is easily the most dangerous Giants hitter.

Cain said he would follow his usual game plan against the Cardinals, without concern that an errant inside pitch to Holliday could be misinterpreted by umpires as retaliation for the slide. Scutaro got the best revenge with his hit Monday, and he had a suggestion for how the pitchers could defend his honor the rest of the series.

"Yeah," Scutaro said. "I want them to throw a nine-inning shutout, and we win."

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