SAN FRANCISCO — When a scuffling Giants offense was shut out at home on June 24 against the Rockies, manager Bruce Bochy decided to make a change.
Bochy moved first baseman Brandon Belt from the middle of the order all the way to the top, bringing one of his slowest players to a slot traditionally reserved for speedy table-setters.
At the time of the switch, Belt owned a .359 on-base percentage but had just 29 RBIs in 74 games. He was effective at drawing walks and working deep counts, but Bochy felt Belt wasn’t doing enough damage with runners in scoring position.