Padres edge Giants as Bonds sits
San Diego, CA - Barry Bonds, as promised, took Sunday off, and while he remained tied with Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record, his Giants lost again, 5-4, to the San Diego Padres, who completed a three- game sweep of their division rivals.
Both teams lost their starting pitchers to injuries, pushing other starters into interesting positions, but it was the Padres that held on after a last- gasp rally by the Giants.
Marcus Giles went 1-for-3 with two RBI for the Padres, who won their fourth straight. Justin Germano held the Giants to two hits and two runs over 5 2/3 innings before leaving after a Pedro Feliz grounder hit his right thumb. Doug Brocail (4-1) picked up the win despite allowing two hits in one-third of an inning, but no runs. Trevor Hoffman surrendered a ninth-inning homer to make things interesting, but held on for his 29th save.
“Our pitchers are throwing very well right now, especially our bullpen. Our hitting is coming around enough,” said Padres manager Bud Black.
Bengie Molina belted a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth for the Giants, who have dropped four of five. Noah Lowry left after three innings with tightness in his left forearm. He let up only two hits and a run. Vinnie Chulk (4-3) gave up two hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
The injuries, to teams coming off two straight extra-inning affairs, forced Greg Maddux and Barry Zito on to the field, Zito as a reliever for the first time in his career, and Maddux as a pinch-runner.
Fred Lewis’ RBI double to left in the second staked the Giants to a 1-0 lead, but the Padres tied it up in the home half on Marcus Giles’ run-scoring single to center.
The Giants had a chance to blow the game open in the fifth, when they loaded the bases with one out, but Randy Winn grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, and Ray Durham popped out, and San Francisco plated only one run out of the threat.
Again the home team tied things in the bottom of the inning, with Mike Cameron scoring when, after he stole third, Giants third baseman Feliz couldn’t handle the throw from Guillermo Rodriguez.
The Padres took a 4-2 lead in the sixth when Marcus Giles plated one run with a sacrifice fly to center, and his brother Brian, in a pinch-hitting appearance, grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
Cameron’s RBI double in the eighth gave the Padres an insurance run that became necessary when Hoffman ran into trouble in the ninth.
The Padres closer walked Lewis to start things, and gave up a pinch-hit home run to left by Molina with one out, slicing the San Diego lead to one run. Mark Sweeney followed with a single to right, putting the tying run on base, but Hoffman bore down to retire Dave Roberts and Winn, while Bonds looked on from the bench, to end the game.
“We were down in the ninth, so it makes sense for these guys to fight back like they did. It’s still frustrating, we are always a hit away,” said Giants manager Bruce Bochy.
Game Notes
Prior to the game the Padres recalled right-handed pitcher Mike Thompson from Triple-A Portland and optioned righthanded pitcher Clay Hensley, who surrendered Bonds’ record-tying homer on Saturday, to Portland…Hoffman has converted each of his last 25 save opportunities since April 28…The Giants fell to 40-21 when scoring at least four runs…Lowry has not lost in August since 2004, a 10-decision win streak.
