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Giants open 2005 with victory over Dodgers
By Daniel Dullum April 6, 2005 |
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SAN FRANCISCO -- Even if only for one game, the San Francisco Giants proved to themselves that they can play winning baseball without Barry Bonds' potent bat in their lineup. While Bonds is on the disabled list rehabilitating a surgically-repaired knee, an SBC Park-record crowd of 42,788 watched the Giants utilize strong pitching and some timely defensive heroics to defeat Los Angeles 4-2 in the 2005 season opener for both clubs. "It was just one game," said Giants manager Felipe Alou. "We have 161 more, but we felt good today and hopefully we will feel better [Wednesday]. We played great defense, had good pitching -- especially our bullpen -- we have a lot more confidence in our bullpen than a year ago. "And J.T. [Snow] made a nice play at the end." Manager Alou was referring to a ninth inning double play turned by the Giants that helped closer Armando Benitez earn his first save in a San Francisco uniform. Second baseman Ray Durham fielded a slow chopper by the Dodgers' Milton Bradley, made an underhand throw to shortstop Omar Vizquel, who leaped over the sliding Jeff Kent to complete the relay to first baseman J.T. Snow. "I've been turning that double play for a while,'' said Vizquel, a nine-time Gold Glove shortstop in the American League who had a single, a double and a stolen base in his National League debut. "I'm used to making that. No doubt we have a great defensive team.'' Los Angeles opened the scoring when shortstop Cesar Izturis hit a 1-1 pitch over the right field wall for a leadoff home run. The Dodgers scored again in the second inning when Bradley singled, moved to third on a base hit by Ricky Ledee and scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Jason Phillips. The Giants tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning when third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run homer to left off losing pitcher Derek Lowe (0-1), scoring Pedro Feliz, who singled. Alfonzo led the Giants' attack, going 3-for-4 "[Alfonzo] had a good day," Manager Alou said. "When the bell rings, these guys are ready to play. It was good to see Edgardo get it going early. With Barry out, we need everyone." San Francisco went ahead to stay in the bottom of the seventh. After pinch hitter Michael Tucker led off with a single, Durham hit into a fielder's choice, moved to second on a walk to Vizquel, and to third on a ground out by Snow. Durham scored when third baseman Jose Valentin's error allowed Moises Alou to reach first. Alfonzo scored an insurance run for the Giants in the eighth, when he doubled to right-center and scored on a bunt single by Marquis Grissom. "To me, [bunting] is the most effective way to manage a game," Manager Alou said. "I've seen some of the biggest rallies coming after a bunt. I told the team we needed to run more this year, that they would have the green light and we just had to be more active than last season." Jason Schmidt (1-0) scattered four hits, struck out nine and walked two as the Giants' opening day starter. Schmidt also retired 17 of the last 20 Dodgers he faced. Scott Eyre threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Benitez earned his first save as a Giant with a scoreless ninth, facing only three batters. The Giants and Dodgers meet Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. -- the game time was moved from 6:05 p.m. to accomodate the ESPN2 television schedule. Probables are Odalis Perez for Los Angeles and Kirk Rueter for San Francisco. GIANTS-DODGERS NOTES: Barry Bonds received a 1-minute standing ovation prior to the season opener and, after receiving an armful of trophies, he emphatically declared "I will be back!'' The injured slugger was presented with his record seventh National League most valuable player award, the Silver Slugger, the Silver Bat for winning the NL batting championship, and The Sporting News Player of the Year ."I'm speechless and I want to thank my family for being behind me for all these years,'' Bonds told the sellout crowd at SBC Park. "I thank God for the blessings he's given me to be able to play this game. Last but not least, I thank the city of San Francisco. I thank these fans. There are no better fans in the world.'' Bonds is on the 15-day disabled list as he rehabilitates his twice surgically-repaired right knee. Bonds is expected to return by possibly the third or fourth week of May, or later ... The Giants' previous attendance record at SBC Park was 42,686 on July 22, 2004, vs. San Diego ... San Francisco has a record of 31-17 in season openers since moving to the West Coast from New York in 1958. Since 1900, the Giants and Dodgers have met 28 times on opening day, with the Giants holding a 15-12-1 advantage ... The Dodgers open the 2005 season with 12 pitchers on their roster and four players on the 15-day disabled list -- Wilson Alvarez, Eric Gagne, Brad Penny and Jayson Werth; with Darren Driefort on the 60-day DL ... Throughout the 2005 season, the Dodgers will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the club's first world championship (1955), when Brooklyn defeated the New York Yankees 4-games-to-3. |
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