ST. PETERSBURG -- Early in the season, when Matt Duffy was struggling, he approached Bruce Bochy and told him he understood if the manager wanted to bench him. He was hitting .170 through 14 games, and had just one home run and six RBIs, including a stretch of seven games where he was hitless in six of them.
But Bochy kept his faith in Duffy, who he solidified in the lineup, calling him "our third baseman." On Sunday in the series finale against the Rays, Duffy played his 188th consecutive game, taking over Major League Baseball's ironman title for most consecutive games played.