Thursday, September 19, 2002
Giants 7, Dodgers 4
By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES — Pitcher Russ Ortiz hit a tiebreaking home run and the San Francisco Giants beat Los Angeles 7-4 Wednesday night to open a two-game lead over the Dodgers in the NL wild-card race.
The old rivals each have 10 games left, including the finale of a four-game series Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.
Down 7-3, the Dodgers rallied for a run in the ninth inning on Brian Jordan's RBI single off reliever Robb Nen's glove with two outs. But Nen struck out Eric Karros with two runners on to end it.
Ortiz hit his second homer of the season and the fourth of his career leading off the sixth for a 4-3 lead. He connected against Robert Ellis (0-1), appearing in just his third game this season.
Ortiz became the first visiting pitcher to hit two homers at Dodger Stadium in one year, having connected against Terry Mulholland on April 3.
Batting .262, Ortiz also drove in the Giants' second run with a sacrifice fly, giving him nine RBIs this year.
Ortiz (13-10) won his fifth straight start. The victory was the 21st in 30 games for the Giants while the Dodgers lost for the ninth time in 12 games.
Ortiz allowed seven hits and three runs while walking two and striking out seven. Felix Rodriguez relieved to start the seventh.
Rich Aurilia's two-out single off Paul Shuey in the eighth drove in Kenny Lofton, who singled and stole second, to give the Giants a two-run lead.
David Bell and pinch-hitter Shawon Dunston hit RBI singles with two outs in the Giants ninth.
San Francisco took a 2-0 lead off rookie Kevin Beirne in the second on an RBI double by J.T. Snow and Ortiz's sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers tied it in their half on solo homers by Adrian Beltre, his 21st, and Alex Cora, his fourth.
Jeff Kent hit an 0-2 pitch for his 36th homer to open the third, putting the Giants back on top, but Karros' run-scoring single in the fifth tied the game again.
San Francisco's Barry Bonds went 1-for-2 with three walks, one intentional. He struck out swinging against Shuey leading off the seventh and singled off Paul Quantrill to start the ninth.
Beirne, making his third major league start, was lifted for a pinch-hitter after allowing five hits and three runs in four innings while walking six and striking out five.
The Giants stranded eight runners while Beirne was in the game, leaving the bases loaded in the second and third. He threw 93 pitches.
Notes: San Francisco C Benito Santiago, who had two hits, received a two-game suspension and was fined by the commissioner's office, which said he bumped umpire Mark Hirschbeck last weekend. The players' association appealed the penalty, meaning the suspension can't start until after a hearing. ... Ortiz, who used 116 pitches, threw a called third strike past Mark Grudzielanek in the fourth to end a 13-pitch at-bat. ... Los Angeles LHP Kazuhisa Ishii, hit in the forehead by a line drive Sept. 8 and sidelined for the rest of the season, attended the game — his first since being injured. ... The Dodgers acquired 25-year-old minor league RHP Jason Frasor from Detroit to complete the trade of July 25 in which they sent INF-OF Hiram Bocachica to the Tigers.
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Giants 7, Dodgers 4
