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		Speed wins the game for Giants By Jeremy Kahn May 22, 2011

	SAN FRANCISCO-Darren Ford is the fastest player on the San Francisco Giants, but he might also be the fastest player in the major leagues. Ford scored the winning run on a base hit by Manny Burris in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the Giants came back to defeat the Oakland A’s 5-4 before a crowd of 42,288, the 18th consecutive sellout at AT&T Park. This was the seventh walk-off win of the season for the Giants in 13 wins at home this season, their 14th win 17 games decided by one run and also are now a perfect 11-0 in one-run games at AT&T Park. It was the speed of Ford that won the game for the Giants, as he singled to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning, and after several tosses to first base by A’s reliever Brian Fuentes, Ford stole second base with Buster Posey at the plate. Despite a 0-1 pitch on Posey, the A’s decided to walk Posey intentionally to get to Burriss, who lately is on a hot streak against right-handed pitching. On the first pitch Fuentes threw to Burriss, he planted it into right field and Ryan Sweeney came up throwing. Sweeney’s throw was a fraction of a second too late, as Ford was able to slide in underneath the tag of Kurt Suzuki and the crowd wearing Orange and Black home happy. Sergio Romo went two strong innings, allowing just one hits and striking out three to pickup his second win of the season. Not only was it the Giants fifth straight win overall, but it was also the Giants ninth consecutive win at home, their longest winning streak at home since winning nine in a row from May 25-June 17, 2004. That is not even the longest streak by the Giants since they moved into AT&T Park in 2000, the record is 11 that was set in 2003. Gonzalez went 6.2 innings, allowing two runs (one of them unearned) on eight hits, walking just two and striking out eight The A’s last won at AT&T Park on June 15, 2008, when Dana Eveland defeated Kevin Correia, with the save going to Huston Street. Daric Barton gave the A’s their first lead of the weekend, as he singled down the left field line to score Coco Crisp from second base. Crisp tied up the game, as he doubled in Cliff Pennington, who led off the inning with a single off of Jeremy Affeldt. All in all, it was a solid day for Pennington, as he went three-for-four at the plate. Once again, Andres Torres scored the Giants first run of the game, as he hit by a pitch and then scored on a Freddy Sanchez double. The Giants extended their lead in the bottom of the third inning, as Buster Posey singled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, advanced to third on a Pat Burrell double and then scored on a throwing error by Andy LaRoche that enabled Cody Ross to reach first base. A’s manager Bob Geren came storming off the dugout, as it looked like Barton tagged Ross on the helmet; however first base umpire Jerry Meals saw differently. Jonathan Sanchez went six innings, allowing one run on five hits, while walking two and striking out four. Sanchez also added a single off counterpart Gio Gonzalez in the bottom of the fourth inning Josh Willingham got the A’s on the board in the top of the sixth inning, as he hit his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot over the left-center field wall. Nate Schierholtz he hit a two-run home run off of Grant Balfour in the bottom of the eighth inning to tie up the game against Grant Balfour. It was the second career pinch hit home run for Schierholtz, with his first coming on July 4, 2010 against Jason Hammel of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Miguel Tejada led off the bottom of the inning with first hit of the afternoon, and scored just ahead of Schierholtz.