Giants put INF Escobar on NLDS roster against Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) The San Francisco Giants put Eduardo Nunez on their roster for the NL Division Series against the Chicago Cubs after the third baseman had been sidelined with a strained right hamstring.

Nunez, an AL All-Star this season with Minnesota, hasn't played since Sept. 25. Conor Gillaspie replaced him for the wild-card game Wednesday night and hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning of San Francisco's 3-0 win against the New York Mets.

Right-hander Jason Hammel was left off the Cubs' roster after he had a career-best 15 wins this year. Hammel didn't make the postseason rotation and was hampered by right elbow tightness at the end of the year.

The Cubs went with 11 pitchers and 14 position players. Rookie outfielder Albert Almora Jr. made the cut while veteran Matt Szczur was left off the list despite a team-high 12 pinch hits.

Almora, a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, made his major league debut in June and batted .277 in 47 games with the Cubs.

''When you're going to add a guy that's that inexperienced, that young, you really want to validate the character component of the personality,'' Chicago manager Joe Maddon said before Game 1 on Friday night. ''We feel really strongly about him. So I have no problem with him playing in any of these games.''

The Giants had 12 pitchers and 13 position players. Rookie left-hander Ty Blach, who went 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in four games late in the season, was active for the NLDS after he was left off the wild-card roster.