SAN FRANCISCO — A grand slam in his first at-bat against his former teammates Friday night was supposed to turn around Casey McGehee’s season.
It didn’t.
San Francisco Giants fans, many of whom wanted a curtain call after McGehee’s blast Friday, were booing the former Miami Marlin by the time he’d struck out a third consecutive time the next night.
Of course, it didn’t help any that even McGehee’s big night had included a flashback to his disappointing first 29 games as a Giant. With a chance to have a monster game Friday following the grand slam, he instead twice grounded into double plays, including once with the bases loaded.
McGehee, who had been benched for three consecutive games before Friday’s start, didn’t fare any better in his third straight start Sunday. He went 0-for-3, ending the day with an even worse average (.179) almost identical to the one he’d had before the grand slam (.178).
To add insult to injury, Giants manager Bruce Bochy chose to pinch hit for McGehee with runners on second and third and San Francisco trailing 2-1 in the ninth inning Sunday. The Giants rallied to win, 3-2.
Bochy had little choice but to start McGehee on Sunday, being that he was already giving catcher Buster Posey, shortstop Brandon Crawford and center fielder Angel Pagan most of the day off. The guy who replaced McGehee earlier in the week, utilityman Matt Duffy, started in Crawford’s spot at shortstop on Sunday and was the hero of the game, smacking a walk-off single with two outs in the ninth.
With everybody well rested following a day off Monday, Bochy will have several options available to him Tuesday in Houston, including Duffy. It will be no surprise if McGehee returns to the bench.