Giants’ Bruce Bochy gives Eduardo Nuñez a pep talk
Giants’ Bruce Bochy gives Eduardo Nuñez a pep talk
PHILADELPHIA — Eduardo Nuñez’s day began with a closed-door meeting in manager Bruce Bochy’s office and ended with back slaps after he put aside huge errors in the first two games of the series and made a big defensive play to help Santiago Casilla save the 3-2 victory.
The third baseman ranged left to stop an Aaron Altherr grounder, spun and made a strong one-hop throw to Brandon Belt to retire the speedster for the first out of the 10th inning.
Nuñez did not start for the second consecutive game.
Bochy called the meeting to remind him he will have a big role and not to read anything into Conor Gillaspie starting the two final games at Citizens Bank Park.
The guy made the All-Star team and he has a lot of talent.
Nuñez got into both games.
Denard Span swore he would improve when the weather got hotter and he got stronger.
Span, who did not have a normal winter’s work coming off an injury, went 7-for-15 in the series, hit the winning home run Thursday, then said all the injuries that have nagged him are gone.
Bochy gave Matt Moore good marks for stuff after watching his newest starter go six innings.
Joe Panik singled in the fifth for his third hit in 25 at-bats since his return and scored on Span’s sacrifice fly.
Span also singled in the first and scored on a Brandon Crawford single. ...
Hunter Strickland, Derek Law, Will Smith, Sergio Romo and Casilla combined for five shutout innings.
Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Rotation change:
The Nationals changed their rotation, eliminating a marquee matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Stephen Strasburg on Sunday.