Before Saturday's game, manager Ken Macha said he likes the looks of Bobby Crosby hitting third. Then Crosby singled to open the fourth inning against Cory Lidle (6-5), went to third on Eric Chavez's double and scored the tying run on a single by Scott Hatteberg. Chavez scored on a sacrifice fly by Dan Johnson.
"His whole approach is so much better this year," Macha said of Crosby, who is 4-for-16 in the 3-hole. "Perhaps it's time to graduate to the middle of the lineup. ... His strikeout rate last year was borderline alarming, but he's a very determined kid. He's in the process of turning himself into a great player."
Expect to keep seeing Jason Kendall in the leadoff spot, too. He's 8-for- 13 with two walks when leading off games. "The more I see Kendall leading off, the more I like him there," Macha said. "It's nice to have a pitcher who's already thrown seven pitches by the time he gets to the second hitter."