Wednesday, May 22, 2002
Diamondbacks 9, Giants 4
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants play each other 18 more times this season. From the emotional way the series started Tuesday night, it could be a wild ride in the NL West. Randy Johnson passed 3,500 career strikeouts and Erubiel Durazo tied the game with a questionable home run as the Diamondbacks beat the Giants 9-4.
San Francisco manager Dusty Baker was thrown out of the game one year to the day after the same thing happened to him in the same ballpark. Moments later, catcher Benito Santiago also was tossed.
“I think they got a little frustrated,” Johnson said.
Johnson (8-1) struck out 10 and matched teammate Curt Schilling as the only eight-game winners in the majors this season.
“I suppose the reason I've never given much detail to any of the accomplishments I've done is I've never thought I was going to do them,” Johnson said. “Without a doubt, it's pretty special to be in the company that I've been in.”
First-place Arizona moved 1 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco. The teams wrap up a two-game series Wednesday night, then play four more next week in San Francisco.
Durazo tied it at 3 with his disputed solo home run off Livan Hernandez in the fifth. The ball was hit down the right-field line, and first base umpire Larry Young called it a homer, despite the protests of Hernandez and first baseman J.T. Snow, who argued the ball was foul.
San Francisco players in the right field bullpen also waved their arms wildly, trying to signal it was a foul ball.
“There's no question it was a foul ball,” Hernandez said. “In Miami and Italy, it's a foul ball.”
Replays showed the ball hooked outside the foul pole, but the ruling stood and Durazo had his fifth home run in four games since coming off the disabled list.
“Hey, the umpire's what counts,” Arizona's Luis Gonzalez said. “He said "fair' and we'll take it.”
Young was told replays showed the ball was foul.
“There is a camera right down the line. I would take that at face value,” the umpire said. “But from what I saw, it was a home run. It was fair.”
Gonzalez's RBI single made it 4-3 after Aaron Fultz (2-2) walked the first two batters in relief of Hernandez to start the sixth inning.
Baker was tossed for the first time this season after David Bell was out on a questionable call trying to steal second on a called third strike to Barry Bonds.
“I rarely get kicked out,” Baker said, “but I got kicked out the same time, the same day, the same place — everything — last year. Maybe it has something to do with May 21, I don't know. The local people here must think I get kicked out all the time.”
Santiago, who was 3-for-3 with a double, was tossed after arguing balls and strikes to start the Arizona seventh.
Santiago had to be separated from plate umpire Bill Hohn, then tossed his shin guards, mask and chest protector in disgust as he was led back to the dugout.
Santiago's replacement, Yorvit Torrealba, threw the ball into right field on Damian Miller's sacrifice bunt for an error, and Arizona went on to score four runs in the seventh. Tony Womack had a two-run triple, Mark Grace a pinch-hit RBI double and Craig Counsell his second RBI single of the night.
With 3,507 strikeouts, Johnson needs two to pass Walter Johnson for eighth on the career list.
Johnson, who has won 17 of his last 19 decisions, allowed three runs on six hits in seven innings. He walked three and hit two batters.
The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the fifth when Santiago doubled and Johnson hit Reggie Sanders and Snow with pitches. Johnson struck out Shinjo and pinch-hitter Pedro Feliz to escape the jam.
“Of all the strikeouts that I've had,” Johnson said, “there's obviously ones through the course of the game that I'm pitching that are more critical than others. To get out of the sixth inning without them scoring was pretty big.”
Notes: Giants SS Rich Aurilia, who went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday to undergo surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow, has a .360 career average against Johnson. ... The paid crowd of 47,602 was Arizona's third consecutive sellout, the first time that's happened in the regular season since the expansion year of 1998. The total number of tickets issued was 50,006, the most this season. ... Bonds has never homered against Johnson, but he has three home runs in eight at-bats against Wednesday night's starter Miguel Batista.
Reds Stories
Scott no-show for Bengals' workout
TE Brewer finally back in action
Reluctant Bengal expected today
Flesch pursues first PGA win in Memorial
Oak Hills grad improves on tour
Celtics 93, Nets 86
Angry Shaq ready for two games at home
Area's top basketball players honored
UK's Carruth transferring to Oklahoma
Hurricanes 2, Maple Leafs 1
Coming up this week
Cincinnati High School Highlights
Cincinnati High School Results
N.Ky. High School Results
Today's High School Schedule
• Return to Reds front page...
Diamondbacks 9, Giants 4 
