The Giants used 112 different lineups throughout the regular season, but in the playoffs, they’ve mostly stuck with a standard lineup. For Game 1 of the National League Championship Series? More of the same:
Giants stick with regular lineup for Game 1
1. Angel Pagan# - CF
2. Marco Scutaro - 2B
3. Pablo Sandoval# - 3B
4. Buster Posey - C
5. Hunter Pence - RF
6. Brandon Belt* - 1B
7. Gregor Blanco* - LF
8. Brandon Crawford* - SS
9. Madison Bumgarner - LHP
Against left-handed starters, Bruce Bochy would likely look for a platoon advantage in a couple slots, but with Jaime Garcia out, the Giants won’t see a left-handed starter in the NLCS.
Against left-handed relievers, Bochy is likely to pinch-hit toward the bottom of his lineup, subbing Xavier Nady for Gregor Blanco, and Joaquin Arias at short. The downside is that both of those moves weaken the Giants defensively, and by a considerable margin.
See More:
