Pablo Sandoval is back in there after a “mental break,” and he’s still sporting that .171 average. Hunter Pence is struggling too and is hitless in his last 10 at-bats, but manager Bruce Bochy said he doesn’t think Pence is pressing.
“Mentally, he’s as tough as it gets,” Bochy said. “He’s going to come out of this, it’s a matter of time. He’s not caught up in his numbers at all.”
I’ve written before about how I really don’t think Pence pays attention to that stuff, but there is one number that he cherishes. He has started 190 consecutive games, the longest streak in the National League and second longest in baseball behind Prince Fielder (190). This spring, Bochy talked to his right fielder about ending the streak.
“I told him I’d like to do it early, but he’s pretty adamant that he wants to play everyday,” Bochy said. “If he’s tired, he’ll tell me. He’ll do whatever (I say with the lineup), but he wants to play. Obviously, you’ve got to do what’s right, but right now he’s going to be out there. We need him, and one thing he does give you is energy at the top of the lineup.”
Bochy pointed out that Pence stole a couple of bases last week as the Giants struggled to get anything going, and in San Diego he was robbed several times, both on hard-hit balls and bloopers. Plus, the backup outfielder (Gregor Blanco) is 2 for 22, so it’s not like there’s anyone knocking the door down. Pence is the only Giant to start every game this season, but his streak almost came to an end when the Giants were here last August. With the run at 140 straight games, Pence slammed into the wall in right and stayed down for several minutes.
Gregor Blanco waved frantically as Pence held his stomach and rolled on the ground, but when Bochy and Dave Groeschner got out there, Pence was fine. He stayed on the ground, though.
“Bochy said he needed a minute before he could run back,” Pence said later that day, smiling.
On the way back, Groeschner decided to have a little fun with his 58-year-old manager who was winded from the 400 foot jog in this altitude. “I’ll race you back,” he told Bochy.
— Bochy said there are no current plans to go back to 12 pitchers, and while they’re here the Giants will have just one backup for Michael Morse, who has to man a huuuuuge left field. Morse is 20 for 40 at Coors Field, but will he get a chance to play many innings here?
“We’ll run it like we have — 5 to 6 innings if it’s going our way,” Bochy said. “And if not, he’ll stay out there (for the offense).”
Bochy said he’s almost more tempted to leave Morse out there late in games at Coors Field because you know that you always need the extra runs here.