DENVER — As Gabe Kapler crammed out the Giants’ lineup card for his or her sport right here Saturday towards the Rockies, he did one thing he’s by no means achieved as supervisor: penciled in Brandon Belt eighth.
The No. 8 project was the bottom Belt has hit since Kapler took over in 2020 and solely the 18th time in his profession he has batted that far down in a lineup. The final time Belt hit eighth was in 2019, and he hadn’t batted that low towards a right-handed beginning pitcher since 2013, his third major-league season.
“I feel it’s only a good alternative to take a bit of strain off,” Kapler stated earlier than Saturday’s sport. “He’s been hitting within the 4 (spot) or the two (spot) a lot. I feel it’ll be rather less highlight down there on the backside. Typically it’s good to have a harmful bat down there.”
Kapler stated he didn’t communicate with Belt in regards to the transfer down within the order, however Belt stated he had no problem with it.
“It doesn’t trouble me in any respect,” Belt stated. “He’s the supervisor, he modifies the lineup round and we’ve received to win baseball video games. I don’t care the place I hit to be trustworthy with you.”
Belt is among the Giants’ most veteran gamers and coming off a resurgent season that featured a career-high 29 residence runs. Nonetheless, Belt has struggled to seek out his swing this season as he’s battled bodily illnesses.
Belt, 34, remains to be looking for his first residence run for the reason that All-Star break. Over that stretch, which has drawn on for 25 video games getting into Saturday, he's batting .161/.277/.210 (a .487 OPS) with 4 doubles representing his solely extra-base hits.
“You've gotten instances the place you are feeling nice in the course of the season and instances the place you are feeling horrible. I don’t essentially really feel horrible proper now but it surely’s not certainly one of my higher instances within the season,” Belt stated. “If (Kapler) bats me eighth and I begin crushing the ball, I’m anticipating that he’s gonna put me again on the prime of the lineup. That’s simply the way in which it's.”
The newest instance got here Thursday when Belt squared up with two strikes and two runners on and bunted foul, ending the Giants’ greatest scoring alternative in a shutout loss to the D-backs.
After being pinch-hit for in a late-game state of affairs towards the Dodgers final month, Belt expressed frustration about not being given the chance to come back by way of as he had typically achieved in his first 10 seasons right here.
“I don’t need to be taken out of the sport as a result of I imagine I’m the most suitable choice to be in there and assist us win,” Belt stated. “However the place I hit within the lineup, actually, has by no means had an impact on me. … You simply carry on battling. We come up right here and work on a regular basis to get again to feeling good. I anticipate that occuring fairly quickly.”
For what it’s price, Kapler stated Belt’s project within the No. 8 spot was not “something long-term.”
“Belt is a center of the order bat,” Kapler stated. “Proper now he’s looking for his method a bit of bit, and we’re giving him the chance to take action.”
Notable
- After outfield prospect Heliot Ramos joined the group in Colorado on a taxi-squad foundation, two different younger gamers arrived in the identical capability on Saturday. Proper-handers Sean Hjelle and Yunior Marte have been right here to supply insurance coverage within the occasion that San Francisco taxes its bullpen at hitter-friendly Coors Discipline.