Bling around the Posey: 2 slams in 5 days
Giants catcher willing to play first base to help team win
SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey appears destined to be elected the National League's All-Star catcher. But for the next few weeks, he might occupy a different position for the Giants, more often than not.
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Posey played first base Wednesday night against the Padres and belted a third-inning grand slam to help lift the Giants to a 6-0 triumph. For Posey, the leading vote-getter in the latest NL All-Star balloting update announced Tuesday, it was his second grand slam in five games and the fourth of his career.
Video: Must C Crushed: Posey blasts grand slam
San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy hopes to bolster the Giants' erratic offense by having Posey and reserve catcher Andrew Susac in the lineup simultaneously -- maybe not every day, but not infrequently either. This means moving Posey to first base and installing first baseman Brandon Belt in left field. The plan worked Wednesday, as Susac went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, while scoring twice. He's batting .450 (9-for-20) during a career-high six-game hitting streak.
Video: SD@SF: Fan gives Posey's grand slam ball to youngster
Bochy didn't consult Posey about switching positions to accommodate Susac, at least until offensive dynamos Nori Aoki and Hunter Pence, the Giants' injured corner outfielders, return to the lineup. But Posey said that he needs no counseling from Bochy.
"He hasn't talked to me about it," said Posey, who has repeated that he prefers catching to playing first. "But I have to understand, we have to understand, that it's about winning games.
"Boch has been really good at his job for a long time. We all have trust in the decisions he makes. Anybody who has seen this team for a long time knows that the guys are willing to change their roles to help the team win. There's an understanding among us that you have to go get the job done, no matter what."