For the first time in his professional career, Brewers right fielder Corey Hart batted second in the season opener Tuesday in San Francisco. Before the opener, Hart said the only two spots in the lineup he had not batted as a pro were second and ninth.
"Not even in the minors," he said. Near the end of spring training, manager Ken Macha flipped Hart and shortstop J.J. Hardy in the lineup, dropping Hardy to fifth. Macha said he hoped to utilize Hart's speed in the two-hole while also getting him more fastballs to hit ahead of Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder.
That switch didn't work during spring training, with Hart going 1-for-17 in five games. But he had been sick and missed a couple of days before the move, and Macha said the 17 at-bats were a small sample size.
Hart said batting second was OK with him.
"I like hitting in front of those guys," he said. "I think it takes the pressure off me. I outthink myself sometimes.
"(Macha) is just looking at putting guys in spots where they can succeed."
Hart went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts batting second against the Giants, and Hardy had a miserable day in the No. 5 hole, going 0-for-5 with two double-play grounders and a strikeout.
GIANTS 10, BREWERS 6: The fears about the Brewers' pitching staff were realized, at least for one day. Starter Jeff Suppan was tagged for six runs in four innings, and the Brewers weren't able to take advantage of sending defending Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum from the game after three innings. Suppan was hurt in particular by two pitches -- a changeup that Travis Ishikawa hammered for a three-run triple in the first inning, and a hanging changeup that Aaron Rowand ripped for a two-run homer in the fourth.
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