Giants' Donovan Solano: Starts versus righty
Solano started at short and batted eighth Wednesday, going 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored in a 7-5 win over the Padres.
Solano had started the previous four contests due to a slew of southpaws taking the bump against the Giants, but Wednesday's start was a bit surprising considering it came against a righty. The veteran utility infielder has performed adequately when called upon (.308/.337/.397 over 83 plate appearances) and starting shortstop Brandon Crawford has been disappointing at best, but a complete changing of the guard seems unlikely. Manager Bruce Bochy has proven in the past that he rewards players who homer with a start the following day -- Solano homered on Tuesday -- so this may simply be a result of his unorthodox system. The Giants are facing three righties in their upcoming series against the Cardinals, so it will be telling whether this is a depth chart shift or just a blip on the radar.
