SAN FRANCISCO -- It wasn’t long ago that Hunter Pence was Major League Baseball’s leading iron man. He started 331 consecutive games during a streak that ended late in 2014, and he played all but 23 defensive innings the last time the Giants had an even year.
A streak like that is impressive, but it’s also tough for a manager who thinks a lot about the optimal time to give a veteran a day off. After injuries wiped out most of Pence’s 2015 season manager Bruce Bochy vowed to be more diligent about giving his right fielder rest days, and he did so on Wednesday.