Giants to devote more attention to bunting

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Though Giants pitchers already have been performing drills to improve their bunting, those efforts will intensify after full-squad workouts start Wednesday, when third-base coach Tim Flannery will begin early-morning tutorials in the "flat-bat" art.

Bunting falls under the category of situational hitting, an area that challenged the Giants last season. They actually ranked fifth in the National League with 66 sacrifice bunts a year ago, compared to being tied for sixth with 69 bunts in the World Series-winning season of 2012. But such statistics can be deceiving. Numbers or no numbers, manager Bruce Bochy wants more consistency when the Giants attempt to bunt.

"I think it's fair to say that bunting might have gotten away from us a little bit last year," he said.