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Benitez blows another one in 4-3 loss to Nationals
By Jeremy Harness July 26, 2006 |
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Armando Benitez, the human heart attack himself, was given a three-year, $21 million contract by the Giants before the 2005 season in the hopes that he would conjure up memories of Robb Nen. After watching him squander another save opportunity - as well as the game - in a 4-3 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, Giants fans are probably wishing to cut Benitez’s arm off and give it to Nen. In the bottom of the ninth, a situation where Nen thrived during his time in a Giants uniform, Benitez came in with a one-run lead, which makes Giants fans cringe these days. Benitez started off the inning by walking Robert Fick, and while he struck out Alfonso Soriano, Felipe Lopez followed with an infield single, giving the Nationals runners on first and second with one out. Benitez would not get another out. He would give up a single to Ryan Zimmerman, bringing in a run to tie the game. Nick Johnson then got a free pass off Benitez, loading the bases to set things up for Austin Kearns, whose sacrifice fly brought in Lopez to give Washington the win. That marked Benitez’s second blown save in a row. He blew his last save Sunday in a 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres. On the positive side, Randy Winn went 3-for-4 and drove in a pair of runs, both of them courtesy of a seventh-inning single to right that momentarily gave the Giants the lead. Also, starter Noah Lowry went six strong innings and surrendered only two runs on eight hits, walking only one and striking out four. He was set to pick up his sixth victory of the season, but that went up in smoke as Benitez went into the tank. |
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