The best bad-ball hitter of his generation brought his free-swinging ways to Fresno on Thursday night.
Pablo Sandoval?
Nope, Vladimir Guerrero.
The 8,875 fans who turned out at Chukchansi Park to see Sandoval play the second game of his major league rehab assignment with the Fresno Grizzlies got an extra treat as Guerrero served as the Las Vegas 51s' designated hitter.
Guerrero went 2 for 6 while Sandoval was hitless in five at-bats as the 51s prevailed 9-6 to open a four-game series.
"It should be great for the fans to see these guys," Grizzlies manager Bob Mariano said. "I'm looking forward to it, too. Just like [Manny] Ramirez in Sacramento, it's always great for our guys to face a hitter of his caliber."
A nine-time All-Star, Guerrero played his fifth game with the 51s since the 2004 American League MVP signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.
This is actually Guerrero's first stint at Triple-A. He jumped from Double-A to the majors with Montreal in 1996.
Sandoval never played Triple-A on his path to the majors, either. The San Francisco Giants third baseman has been sidelined from big league duty since May 2 after he broke the hamate bone in his left wrist.
Batting right-handed against 51s starter Aaron Laffey, Sandoval flew out to left in the second inning and reached on an error in the fourth before hitting a dribbler in front of the plate with two aboard in the fifth.
Sandoval hit left-handed in his final two at-bats and grounded out.
"[Guerrero] and Pablo are cut from the same cloth," Mariano said. "They have the ability to center the ball no matter where it's pitched. Those types of guys, bad-ball hitters with that level of hand-eye coordination, don't come around very often."
Sandoval originally was scheduled to play three games in Fresno, but there's a chance he could be here a bit longer after Giants manager Bruce Bochy said the 25-year-old would rejoin the major league club Tuesday.
Although no one was certain, it now appears Sandoval will be in Fresno at least through Saturday.
"I'm the last guy to find out these things," Mariano said with a laugh. "[The Giants] told me through Friday, but they mentioned the possibility of him staying through the weekend. When I was watching the [Giants] game today and heard he's expected back Tuesday, my ears shot up."
Sandoval looked solid defensively. When Guerrero hit a sharp grounder down the line, Sandoval lunged to his right and backhanded the two-hopper before throwing across to first for the out.
Plays like that might ease concerns over Sandoval's weight.
"He might have put on some weight, but that's Pablo," Mariano said. "He'll work that off."
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