Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Giants regain wild-card lead
Bonds' two-run double helps beats Dodgers 6-4
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Barry Bonds delivered the big hit for the San Francisco Giants and the bullpen made it stand up. Bonds' two-out, two-run double highlighted a four-run second inning Tuesday night as the Giants beat Los Angeles 6-4 for a one-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL wild-card race.
Five relievers combined to pitch four scoreless innings after Kirk Rueter (13-8) struggled through a shaky five innings to earn the victory.
“We're not at the top of the league in pitching for nothing,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said.
Actually, the Giants rank second in the NL and third in the majors with a 3.66 team ERA, and their bullpen is one of baseball's finest.
“I'm not telling my team anything,” Baker said following the Giants' 20th win in 29 games. “I'm just telling them to go out there and play. I really don't have to say very much. They know how I want them to play, they know how to play.”
The teams each have 11 games left, including matchups on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
Bonds opted not to speak with reporters following the three-hour, 52-minute game. The Giants won despite stranding 14 runners.
“It's tiring, you go mind-melt after a while, playing these four-hour games,” San Francisco's Rich Aurilia said. “It's a lot easier when you win.”
The Dodgers won the opener of the four-game series 7-6 Monday night in a three-hour, 32-minute affair.
“When you get opportunities, you're not going to come through all the time,” Aurilia said. “I guess we came through enough tonight.”
Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca helped thwart the Giants with a spectacular, sliding catch on pinch hitter Damon Minor's popup just before tumbling into the Los Angeles dugout in the seventh.
“We played well tonight, but we got beat,” Lo Duca said. “That's the bottom line. They got out in front of us and we scratched and clawed our way back, but we just couldn't catch them.
“They've got a tough bullpen, but if we go out and play the next two nights like we played tonight, I guarantee you we'll win.”
Rueter allowed eight hits and four runs before Jay Witasick, Felix Rodriguez, Scott Eyre, Tim Worrell and Robb Nen combined to give up two hits and no runs.
The Dodgers' bullpen was excellent, too. But it was too late.
Nen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 39th save in 47 chances. It was his 310th career save, tying Goose Gossage for 12th place on the all-time list.
“There's a lot of emotion in these games,” said Worrell, who certainly displayed some after striking out Adrian Beltre with a runner on first to end the Los Angeles eighth with the Giants leading 5-4.
Bonds, 1-for-2 with three walks including two intentional, hit a 2-0 pitch from Omar Daal (11-9) to the left-center field alley to drive in Kenny Lofton and Aurilia. The hit made it 4-1 and chased Daal.
“I didn't want to leave any pitches out over the plate to Bonds because we don't want to get beat by that guy,” Daal said. “I was trying to throw that pitch away, but I left it right down the middle of the plate.
“I'm not perfect. This was just a bad game for me.”
Aurilia's single drove in the first run of the inning to snap a 1-1 tie, and Benito Santiago greeted reliever Giovanni Carrara with an RBI single to cap the burst.
Santiago, who went 3-for-4 with a walk, hit a two-out, RBI single in the first to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers tied it with an unearned run in their half when Lo Duca alertly scored on Shawn Green's sacrifice fly — a popup caught by backpedaling second baseman Jeff Kent.
The Dodgers got another run in the second on an RBI single by Cesar Izturis.
Marquis Grissom hit his 16th homer with two outs in the fifth, and the Dodgers' cut San Francisco's lead to 5-4 in the sixth when Green scored while Beltre was grounding into a forceout.
The Giants added an insurance run in the ninth when Reggie Sanders doubled and later scored when pinch hitter Bill Mueller struck out on a wild pitch by Eric Gagne.
Notes: Daal allowed five hits and five runs 1 2-3 innings — his shortest outing of the season. He threw 57 pitches while recording only five outs. He struck out three, including J.T. Snow with the bases loaded to end the first. ... In his last three starts, Daal has given up 21 hits and 14 runs in only 10 innings. ... The Dodgers dropped to 24-14 against left-handed starters. ... Rueter is 1-2 against the Dodgers this season and 8-8 lifetime. He raised his lifetime record in September to 22-9. ... ... Carrara, who pitched 3 1-3 shutout innings, walked Bonds intentionally with two outs and nobody on in the fourth. ... A one-out single by Beltre in the fifth went through left-fielder Bonds' legs, but Beltre was thrown out trying to reach third. ... Bonds raised his NL-leading batting average to .373. He has a 30-point lead over Colorado's Larry Walker.
Reds Stories
OSU sensation 'unlikely' for UC game
Bengals figure Patriots did, so can they
Bengals E-Mail Q&A
Falcons waive ex-Bengal Heath
Unitas remembered as mythic hero
Pepper spray use defended
Spurrier's NFL honeymoon ends abruptly
NCAA upholds Kentucky's bowl ban
OSU's Sylvester recovering from gunshot
Xavier women's basketball schedule
St. X, Elder, Colerain hurting in Harbins
Ohio football computer rankings
Elder regains No. 1 in Cincinnati
Dixie still leads Northern Ky. poll
Kentucky statewide football polls
Madeira soccer team may be No. 1 in state
Hat trick boosts Boone Co.
Today's high school schedule
Boys cross country results
Boys golf results
Boys soccer results
Boys water polo results
Girls cross country results
Girls golf results
Girls soccer results
Girls tennis results
Girls volleyball results
Girls water polo results
Ohio statewide volleyball polls
Ohio statewide girls tennis polls
• Return to Reds front page...
Giants regain wild-card lead 
