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Wildness in ninth inning leads to 4-3 loss for Giants
By Jeremy Kahn
September 29, 2006
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Los Angeles Dodgers' Russell Martin, left, scores the game-winning run on a wild pitch by San Francisco Giants reliever Mike Stanton in the ninth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Friday, September 29, 2006. Dodgers won 4-3.
(AP Photo/ Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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SAN FRANCISCO-With a chance to bury their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants were unable to finish them off.
The Dodgers, who have a shot to not only to win the National League Western Division, but also the Wild Card looked doomed in the top of the ninth inning.
With closer Mike Stanton on the mound, it looked the Dodgers lead in the wild card race would be narrowed to just one game over the Philadelphia Phillies, who crushed the Florida Marlins earlier in the evening at Dolphins Stadium.
Former Oakland A’s utility player Olmedo Saenz hit a game-tying single off of Stanton and Russell Martin scored the winning run on a wild pitch, as the Dodgers took game one of the series with a 4-3 victory over the Giants before a sellout crowd of 42,587 at AT&T Park.
The blown save in the top of the ninth inning blew the chance to give Noah Lowry a win in his final start of the season.
Despite not getting the win, Lowry extremely well, as he went seven strong innings, giving up just two runs on five hits and walking just one.
The only mistake by Lowry was a two-run home run that J.D. Drew just planted onto the portwalk just in front of McCovey Cove to get the Dodgers on the board in the top of the seventh inning.
Dodgers’ starter Hong-Chih Kuo faced the Giants for the first time in his major league career, and struck out six without walking a batter in five innings of work.
Ray Durham picked up two more doubles, and now has 30 doubles on the season.
This is the ninth time in his career that he has topped the 30 double plateau in a season, including three of his four seasons with the Giants.
Durham joins both Pedro Feliz and Randy Winn to have 30 doubles during the 2006 season.
Giants Notes: Omar Vizquel was named the winner of the Willie McCovey Award before the game.
This is an award that recognizes the most inspirational player on the team, as voted on by players, coaches, the trainers and the fans.
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