Bochy: Belt won't be fazed batting third

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy scoffed at the notion that he might as well place a hex on Brandon Belt by placing him third in the batting order, as was the case Wednesday night.

Belt made his only other career appearance in the No. 3 spot on July 8, when the Giants lost, 4-3, in 16 innings to the New York Mets. He went 0-for-8 with five strikeouts.

Bochy said he would agree that batting third might have bothered Belt if he struggled in his first two plate appearances that night. However, Belt hit the ball solidly to center field on each occasion, flying out to the warning track and lining out.

"He smoked the ball. He had great at-bats," Bochy said.

Besides, as Bochy noted, the flow of the game often makes batting-order position irrelevant as innings pass.

"Once you get in the middle of the game, I don't know how you know what hole you're hitting in, really," he said.