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Giants complete sweep of D-Backs
By Daniel Dullum July 25, 2010 |
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PHOENIX, Ariz. – The San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse is a happy place these days, especially after completing a four-game sweep of the struggling Arizona Diamondbacks. Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum was so pleased with the Giants’ 3-210-inning win Sunday, he opened his post-game comments to the media with an unintended, but pronounced, belch that could be heard even with the music at high volume. “I’m not sure how to spell that,” he said, laughing. “What letter would that start out with?” Then Lincecum addressed the Giants’ successful weekend in the Valley, even though he wound up with a no-decision despite eight strong innings. “When you get a win, and a sweep on top of that, that’s definitely a plus,” Lincecum, who gave up nine hits, two earned runs and one walk while striking out five, said. “We’re happy about it. Now we have to keep it going with our next homestand.” Red-hot San Francisco won its fourth consecutive game Sunday – nine of its last 11 since the All-Star break and 16 of its last 20. On this day, before 31,278 at Chase Field, Travis Ishikawa was the hero, providing the winning margin with his RBI single in the 10th inning. “This sweep is huge,” Ishikawa, who was 2-for-5, said. “To go on a road trip and have the success we did, we continue to put pressure on the top of the division (San Diego leads the NL West by three games) and get serious with Florida when they come in (Monday).” Hot-hitting Buster Posey greeted D-Backs reliever Esmerling Vasquez (1-3) with a double to left-center field to start the San Francisco 10th. After Posey was lifted for pinch-runner Eli Whiteside, Jose Uribe grounded out and Nate Schierholtz was intentionally walked. Right after Schierholtz was thrown out trying to steal second, Ishikawa slapped a soft ground ball with enough English on it to find a narrow hole between Arizona second baseman Kelly Johnson and first baseman Adam LaRoche, driving in Whiteside with the go-ahead run. “The ball had eyes,” Ishikawa said. “With two strikes, I’m trying to make contact regardless. (Schierholtz getting thrown out) kind of relieved the pressure, I thought. That relaxed me a little bit more and it didn’t seem like there was as much pressure in that situation. “Obviously a big hit would have been huge there, but the last thing I want to do in that situation was hit into a double play or strike out with a runner on third and less than two outs. I could just focus on having a good at-bat, rather than thinking about the results before they happen.” Sergio Romo (3-3), who held the Diamondbacks scoreless while working out of a ninth-inning jam, picked up the win in relief of Lincecum. Brian Wilson tossed a 1-2-3 10th inning to post his 29th save. In the Diamondbacks ninth, Stephen Drew grounded deep to Ishikawa at first and won the race to the bag for an infield single and sacrificed to second by Parra. Pinch-hitter Rusty Rayl singled to shallow right, but Drew had to hold up at third. Romo struck out pinch-hitter Cole Gillespie and Chris Young to send the game into extra innings. “I was pissed at myself for not covering the bag (on Drew’s single),” Romo said. “That gave them life. So being able to get out of my own jam … that definitely got me excited. It was one of those things I put myself in and I was just glad to get them out and get at least another inning.” Posey went 4-for-5 before he was lifted for a pinch-runner in the top of the 10th inning, extending his hitting streak to 18 games, second best for San Francisco rookies since 1958 after passing Orlando Cepeda on that list. “The guy is in cruise control right now,” Giants closer Brian Wilson said of Posey. “He’s swinging the hot stick, making great calls behind the dish. But what he’s doing best is coming up with those timely hits and getting them with two outs instead of ending the inning. “You normally can’t expect that out of a 23-year-old, but he’s proving he’s the best rookie out there.” Lincecum added, “(Posey) puts together some great at-bats. Guys can’t get him out. He’s taking balls the other way; that kind of approach makes it tough to get him out. Ted Williams always said he was the guy who stay on a pitch late and hit the ball out of the catcher’s glove, and Buster is kind of doing that.” “He’s pretty f------ talented!” As they did on Saturday, the Giants scored a run in the first inning. With two out, Audrey Huff walked, then scored from first on Posey’s double to the left-center field gap. The Diamondbacks responded with a two-run rally in the bottom of their order in the second. After Gerardo Parra and Augie Ojeda each singled with two out, starting pitcher Barry Enright drove a sinking liner past centerfielder Andres Torres for a two-RBI double. It was Enright’s first multi-hit and multi-RBI game of his career. “I let the opposing pitcher (Enright) hurt me … I’m not taking anything away from him, he took some good swings,” Lincecum said. “But that’s a situation where you don’t want to give up runs to a pitcher, especially when it’s a chance to get outs. That was the only frustrating part for me.” San Francisco tied the game at 2-2 when Edgar Renteria doubled and scored on a single by Huff. Lincecum worked out of a one-out jam in the fifth, when, after Enright singled and Chris Young doubled, he struck out Kelly Johnson and Justin Upton flied out to center. In the Giants eighth, Nate Schierholtz reached on a one-out infield single, and, after Travis Ishikawa flied out to right, Freddy Sanchez was issued an intentional pass. But Arizona reliever Aaron Heilman struck out Lincecum to end the threat. Lincecum appreciated the vote of confidence to hit for himself in that situation. “It’s not often I get to hit in a situation where a guy like (Aaron) Rowand would probably put up a better battle,” Lincecum said. “At the same time, I never want to take myself out of a game. (Giants manager Bruce Bochy) asked how I was, and I said I was fine. So at that point, it was still my game.” Lincecum, in kind, squelched a Diamondbacks rally in the bottom of the eighth. After Kelly Johnson doubled down the left field line. Upton followed with a check-swing single that threaded its way between Uribe and Renteria, moving Johnson to third. Adam LaRoche popped out to left, not deep enough to score Johnson for the second out, and Montero lined to Uribe, who fired to first doubling up Upton. “I ran into some trouble with guys on first and third. Rags (Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti) came out and said ‘You’ve got to throw some of your strikeout stuff here to this next guy,” Lincecum said. “LaRoche popped up and that gave me a chance to induce a double play. Uribe made a nice play and caught Upton off-guard. “That was big, especially in that situation.” The Giants return home for a four-game set with the Florida Marlins, starting Monday with Barry Zito (8-5) facing the Marlins’ Ricky Nolassco (10-7). “We’re trying to make a statement,” Romo said. “When people say we haven’t really played well in our division, this is a real motivator – a real bringer-upper for us!” Haren traded to Halos During the game, it was announced that the Diamondbacks swapped right-hander Dan Haren to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for left-hander Joe Saunders, right-hander Rafael Rodriguez, minor leaguer Patrick Corbin, and a player to be named. Haren has been the subject of trade rumors for most of July, with the Diamondbacks mired in last place in the NL West. “I was born and raised 20 minutes from (Angels Stadium), I still have a lot of family there, so at this point in my career, being on the West Coast has a lot of value for me,” Haren said. “And I’m going to a ballclub that’s been dedicated to winning for a lot of years. “I’m very excited for the opportunity,” he continued. “I’m obviously sad to go from here. We’ve got some good guys and I’ve had a good time here. (The rumor process) has been really exhausting, to tell you the truth. It’s kind of worn on me. At one point, I thought I was going to New York, or Philadelphia. It turns out to be Anaheim.” A three-time All-Star, including 2007 with the Oakland A’s, Haren is 7-8 with a 4.60 ERA in 21 starts this season, and was hitting .364 with one home run and seven RBI – a skill that will be parked with the American League’s DH rule. He was tied for the NL lead in strikeouts with 141 through Saturday. “It’s been crazy. I’m glad (the trade process) is over, I can get some closure, and move on to the next chapter of my life,” Haren concluded. |
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