Major League Baseball

Bochy sticks with a winner

Published Oct. 17, 2010 10:12 p.m. ET

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When things are going well, why change?

Basically, that was Bruce Bochy's approach when the San Francisco manager decided to stay with Mike Fontenot at third base instead of Pablo Sandoval for Saturday's Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Phillies.

Aside from Bochy's gut feeling, there wasn't much reason to leave Fontenot in the lineup ahead of Sandoval. Both went 1 for 6 in the NL division series against Atlanta, but Fontenot was at third for the final two games of the series, both won by the Giants.

"It's a tough call, to be honest, between Pablo and Fontenot," Bochy said. "I just decided to go with the lineup that helped us get here the last couple of days against Atlanta."

Sandoval's production dropped in his second full season. The switch-hitter had 25 home runs and 90 RBIs in 2009 while batting .330. This season, the 24-year-old had 13 homers and 63 RBIs while batting .268.

Fontenot had two years of playoff experience with the Chicago Cubs, in 2007 and '08.

Lesser roles

The Giants are in the playoffs, yet established veterans Aaron Rowand, Barry Zito, and Edgar Renteria haven't had as much say in the club's success as one might have anticipated.

Zito, once a top-of-the-rotation lefthander, is not on the postseason roster. It was questionable whether Rowand and Renteria are high-priced bench players.

"That's probably the toughest part of this job, when you have to tell a veteran that's used to being out there every day that his role is going to change," Bochy said. "What I will say is how professional they've been, especially Aaron. He didn't become a distraction and he kept doing his work. He's been a great teammate through all this."

Extra bases

As Pat Burrell took his position in left field, fans rolled out a banner that read, "Pat . . . Elvis Roots for the Phillies". Elvis is Burrell's dog that rode on the Budweiser carriage with him in the World Series parade in 2008. . . . The Giants are in the NLCS for the fifth time since the inception of the playoff format in 1969. They defeated the Cubs in 1989 and St. Louis in 2002. They lost to Pittsburgh in 1971 and the Cardinals in 1987.

Contact staff writer Ray Parrillo at 215-854-2743 or rparrillo@phillynews.com.