PHOENIX — Third baseman Matt Duffy has settled nicely into the No. 3 spot in the San Francisco batting order, so much so that manager Bruce Bochy said he has no thoughts of moving him even when Nori Aoki returns in two weeks.
Duffy is hitting .310 since been moved into the third spot in front of catcher Buster Posey in the last week of June, with five three-hit games and a four-hit game. In 87 at-bats there, Duffy has five doubles, three triples, two homers and eight RBIs. Table-setters Angel Pagan, Joe Panik and Duffy had 15 hits and eight runs in the Giants’ three-game sweep of Arizona that concluded with a 2-1 victory on Sunday.
“I’ve left him there, and he’s done a nice job there,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “I like him as a ‘3’ hitter. You can do some things with him. Hit and run. He can bunt. He’s a good hitter. He runs the bases well. Speed. He’s fit in really nicely there. I don’t see any reason to (move him).”
Pagan, who had hit third most of the season, took over for Aoki in the leadoff spot when Aoki went on the disabled list in late June.
Duffy is hitting .299 in his first full season with the Giants, and he has taken over as the regular third baseman after Casey McGehee’s tough start and eventual release. A shortstop at Long Beach State, Duffy played mostly second base after an Aug. 1 recall last season and had never started a game at third until the first week of this season. It was hard to tell Sunday, when he ranged to his left to field Jake Lamb’s grounder with a runner on second and throw him out at first for the final out of the game.
“I’m getting more comfortable,” said Duffy, 24. “It took a lot of work, especially early on. Kind of ironing out the discomfort.”
Duffy, who has 14 doubles, eight homers and 41 RBIs, said a talk with Posey helped him settle into the third spot in the order, where production is expected.
“I think at first I was trying to do a little too much with it,” Duffy said. “Buster had a little talk with me in the middle of one of the games and said, ‘Hey, don’t try to do anything special. Just stick with your approach.’ That really helped get me relaxed and get back to what I do best. I was rolling over a few more balls than normal, and that’s what he noticed.
“He said just keep it simple. Keep the ball low. Driving the ball and the home runs, those will come.”