ST. LOUIS - Giants manager Bruce Bochy shuffled the middle of his lineup for today's Game 4 of the National League Championship Series a day after his team stranded 11 runners on base in a 3-1 loss.
Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval will flip-flop in the order, with Posey hitting third and playing first base and Sandoval batting fourth against Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright.
Hector Sanchez is catching Tim Lincecum and batting fifth, bumping struggling Hunter Pence down one spot to sixth in the order.
"It's a game of adjustments," Bochy said. "I think with how we have it set up now I like where Pablo's at, how he's swinging the bat, and Posey's had a good eye at the plate, he's an on-base guy. I think it's fair to say Hunter's not quite seeing the ball as well, so I put him in the sixth hole.
"It's not a big adjustment, but it's a little tweak that I thought was necessary."
Pence is hitting .161 (5 for 31) in the postseason and has not driven in a run. He went hitless in three at-bats with runners on base in Game 3 Wednesday night, as the Giants overall were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Pence labeled himself "the goat" after the game, and Bochy said he pulled Pence aside and told him not to be so hard on himself. Bochy said he did not consider taking Pence out of the lineup.
"He's got the ability to handle it," Bochy said.
For the Cardinals, right fielder Carlos Beltran is not starting after he suffered a left knee strain early in Game 3. Beltran is 7 for 14 in his career against Lincecum. Manager Mike Matheny said Beltran could be available to pinch-hit later in the game.
Though Lincecum has pitched a total of 8 1/3 innings, all in relief, since his last start on Sept. 30, Bochy said he is not worried about the right-hander's stamina and will not have him on any kind of pitch count today.
Bochy also confirmed that pitchers Ryan Vogelsong and Matt Cain are in line to start games 6 and 7 for the Giants, if the series goes that far.
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