SAN FRANCISCO -- Angel Pagan has in the past made no secret of his affinity for the leadoff spot, but he didn't lose a step when Bruce Bochy put Nori Aoki atop the lineup on Opening Day and bumped Pagan to the three-spot. Now, Pagan may get to try to handle both spots.
With the Giants facing left-hander Brett Anderson on Wednesday, Bochy put Justin Maxwell in left field and moved Pagan up to Aoki's leadoff spot. He said this may be the way he goes against left-handers, when Maxwell is more likely to be in the lineup.
"It's a pretty good option for us," Bochy said. "I want to get Maxwell out there and keep him going. This just made all the sense."
On most days, Bochy will have Pagan in center and Hunter Pence in right. It would seem likely that Pagan would move back up to the leadoff spot if left field becomes a platoon, but Bochy said that's not necessarily the case. Aoki will continue to hit first when he's in the lineup.
"Right now, no," Bochy said when asked about Pagan going leadoff full-time. "That doesn't mean that down the road it couldn't happen."
Pagan has hit all over the lineup in his career and he excelled as the three-hitter. He ranks seventh in the NL with a .329 batting average and has 15 multi-hit games.
"He wasn't trying to hit the ball out of the park or add power, which is what guys may do when they go to that three- or four-hole," Bochy said.
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--- Bochy said the staff has a "pretty good idea of what we're going to do" on Saturday when the Giants can add a 26th player for a doubleheader at Coors Field. They're currently leaning toward adding a reliever -- Hunter Strickland seems a likely choice -- which would line Yusmeiro Petit up to start one of the doubleheader games. The Giants won't make this call until they absolutely have to. There's a chance they could need Petit on Friday.
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Houston .704 (19-8)
Giants .680 (17-8)
Minnesota .654 (17-9)
Astros. Twins. Baseball!
--- Tim Lincecum is three strikeouts away from tying Carl Hubbell for fourth on the Giants' all-time list.
