DENVERGiants manager Bruce Bochy wants to get Angel Paganoff and running. But he also cannot afford to have a leadoff man with a .111average and .200 on-base percentage.
Pagan, a switch hitter, is in the lineup Thursday because heoffers another right-handed stick against lefty Jamie Moyer. But theres noguarantee that Pagan will be in there for Fridays home opener againstPittsburgh Pirates right-hander James McDonald.
Gregor Blanco is pushing him. And now, after his two-homergame, Nate Schierholtz, is, too.
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Pagan also had a miserable spring in which he hit .171.
RELATED: Angel Pagan 2012 game logs
Well, I know hes been working hard trying to get it going,Bochy said. Its early. Until he gets it going, we could tweak the lineup. Wecan use Blanco or Schierholtz. We could go with matchups there, too.
For today, Bochy wanted to get Brett Pill a start and hedoesnt want to play Aubrey Huff in the outfield here at Coors Field. Notwithout an oxygen tank (for Huff) and defibrillator (for the manager), anyway.
San Francisco Giants
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Bochy was asked about his own history against Moyer, whom hefaced seven times.
He was tough, Bochy said. It was the back end of myplaying days. He just had remarkable control, good movement, good sink. I thinkI snuck one hit in there.
Good memory, skipper. You were 1 for 7.
One more pregame story, and its regarding the botchedrundown play in the fifth inning Wednesday night:
Bochy said he once got sent to the minors because of asimilar play. He was with the Padres and third baseman Kurt Bevacqua yelled, now!even though he wasnt in position to take the throw. Bochy threw the ball away,the run scored and noted taskmaster Dick Williams raised hell in the dugout.
Bochy got sent out two days later, with Williams telling himthey needed to play better fundamental baseball. Bevacqua apologized, saying hewasnt sure what happened on the play and it was his fault.
Bochy joked that the apology wasnt so meaningful.
Im the one getting sent out, he said.