Wednesday, May 01, 2002
Phillies 8, Giants 2
The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — After his latest start, Vicente Padilla can dare to dream a little. The 24-year-old retired the first 15 batters and the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a six-game losing streak with an 8-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night.
“I don't want to think too far ahead,” he said through a translator. “Maybe if I can turn it up a couple of notches I might pitch a perfect game.”
Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer in a five-run ninth inning for the Phillies, who also ended an eight-game skid on the road.
Padilla (3-2) was perfect through five innings until Tsuyoshi Shinjo singled into shallow left-center.
Shinjo went to second on Livan Hernandez's sacrifice bunt, then scored on David Bell's double to the right-field corner.
Padilla, in his first season as a starter, allowed one run and three hits over eight innings. He did not walk a batter and he struck out three.
“Stuff-wise, that's the best I've seen,” Phillies manager Larry Bowa said.
Livan Hernandez (4-2) allowed three runs and nine hits in eight innings. It was his first loss to the Phillies at Pacific Bell Park in five career starts.
The Giants have lost five of their last seven games.
Philadelphia third baseman Scott Rolen was asked if the decisive win meant the Phillies were snapping out of their April funk.
“We have to, don't we? That's basically it,” Rolen said. “We have a good club. We haven't played well in April, but we'll have to turn it around.”
The Phillies went up 1-0 in the first inning on Rolen's sacrifice fly, which scored Doug Glanville. Travis Lee hit a solo home run off Hernandez in the second.
Bobby Abreu's sacrifice to center scored Rollins and put the Phillies up 3-0 in the third.
Hernandez had not allowed more than two runs in any of his five previous starts.
The Phillies added five runs in the ninth. Pat Burrell's double down the left-field line scored Mike Lieberthal, and Marlon Anderson scored on the same play when Barry Bonds bobbled the ball for an error.
Pinch-hitter Jason Michaels added an RBI single before Rollins' two-run homer into the left-field seats off Giants reliever Aaron Fultz.
“That's the best game we've had pitched against us this season,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said. “He had excellent stuff. A perfect game through five innings. He was rolling pretty good.”
Bonds, the NL MVP who hit a single-season record 73 home runs last season, has not hit a home run since April 17 — a span of 31 at-bats. He has eight home runs so far this season, but has been bothered in recent weeks by a sore left hamstring.
Bonds needs one more home run for 400 as a Giant, joining Willie Mays, Mel Ott and Willie McCovey as the only other Giants to hit as many.
Overall, Bonds is ranked sixth on the career list with 575 home runs. He needs eight more to reach Mark McGwire in fifth.
Notes: Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt will rejoin the Phillies May 3-4. He was a special hitting instructor at times during spring training, and he has hired to work with the team periodically throughout the season. ... Padilla is one of just two Nicaraguans in the major leagues. San Francisco OF Marvin Benard is the other. ... Wednesday's game against the Phillies was moved up to 12:05 p.m. local time to accommodate television. ... The Giants have already clinched their first winning April since 1999, when they went 16-8. The Giants have six-straight winning months dating back to May last season. ... The Phillies lead the NL with 66 doubles through 27 games.
Reds Stories
Sore leg may sideline Scott
Bengals: Frerotte's price too high
Bengals Notebook:Rookie Thompson listed as starter
Derby shocker: Ohio horse favored
Seattle Slew: The legend lives on
Coming up this week
Top runners align for Pig relay
Ex-prep star, 22, dies heart attack
Cincinnati high school highlights
Cincinnati high school results
N.Ky. high school highlights
N.Ky. high school results
• Return to Reds front page...
Phillies 8, Giants 2 
