| Scott Rolen's error in the 10th inning of Game 3 allowed the winning run to score. (Getty Images) |
CINCINNATI -- Ryan Hanigan and Scott Rolen had costly miscues in the 10th inning of Tuesday night's Game 3 loss in the National League Division Series. Neither is in the Reds lineup for Wednesday's Game 4. It's not because of their performance in Game 3, Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said; instead, it's just part of the team's normal plan.
Rolen, 37, is out in an afternoon game following night game, while Hanigan has caught just two of starter Mike Leake's 30 starts this season.
"This is the same thing I've been doing all year long," Baker said about the decision to sit Rolen and go with Todd Frazier at third base.
Rolen's also just 2 for 11 in the NLDS and Hanigan is 3 for 12. Dioner Navarro, instead, will start behind the plate for Cincinnati. Frazier, a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, is hitless in two at-bats this postseason and also struggled in September. Baker also noted Frazier's success against Giants starter Barry Zito in limited at-bats. The rookie is 3 for 5 with a homer against Zito.
The Giants made a lineup change of their own, benching first baseman Brandon Belt (1 for 9 in the NLDS), putting Buster Posey at first base and catching Hector Sanchez. Sanchez caught the majority of Zito's starts in the regular season.
Both teams have had success against today's starters -- the Giants' starting lineup has hit .397/.417/.741 against Leake, while Reds starters are hitting .320/.414/.485 against Zito. That doesn't make Giants manager Bruce Bochy feel any better.
"I don't know what numbers mean right now, to be honest," Bochy said before Wednesday's game. "History has shown guys come out of the woodwork to win a ball game. It's a different type of pressure, and some guys handle it better than others."
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