LATE RALLY SALVAGES SCHMIDT'S GEM
S.F. Starter Allows 1 Hit, Fans 10
PHOENIX, May 21 (AP) - Edgardo Alfonzo drove in the game-tying run in the ninth
and Jose Cruz, Jr. delivered the game-winning blow with a three-run homer later
in the same inning as the San Francisco Giants scored four times in the final
frame to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 4-1, at Bank One Ballpark. The
Giants hung the first runs of the year on Diamondbacks closer Matt Mantei who
had started the season with 20 consecutive scoreless appearances. The
rally also salvaged a brilliant effort by San Francisco starter Jason Schmidt
who appeared headed for a loss despite allowing just a single run on one hit
while striking out eight in seven innings of work. Instead, Schmidt
received a no-decision.
Arizona opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Junior Spivey
hit his sixth home run of the season. It was the only hit Schmidt would
allow. Luis Gonzalez then reached second base on a two-base error charged
to catcher Rod Barajas. It was the last time a Diamondbacks baserunner
would advance past first until the ninth inning.
The Giants didn't get a runner of their own past first base against Arizona
starter Miguel Batista until the fifth, when Neifi Perez singled with one out,
moved to second on Schmidt's sacrifice, took third on a passed ball, but died
there when Marquis Grissom struck out to end the inning.
San Francisco didn't have anything else that even resembled a scoring threat
until the ninth. In the final frame, Batista retired Rich Aurilia on a
foul pop to first and set down Barry Bonds on an infield roller. But he
plunked Benito Santiago with a pitch to keep the game alive. Santiago was
replaced by pinch runner Ruben Rivera. J.T. Snow followed by grounding a
single through the box, advancing Rivera to third. At that point,
Diamondbacks manager Bob Brenly replaced Batista with the heretofore impeccable
Mantei. But Alfonzo greeted the Arizona closer with a line drive base hit
to left field, scoring Rivera to tie the game and moving Snow to second.
Mantei moved ahead of Cruz 0-2, but then made a huge mistake with a breaking
ball in the strike zone that Cruz deposited into the swimming pool area in right
field for a 4-1 Giants advantage.
Todd Worrell came on in the bottom of the ninth and immediately surrendered a
double to David Dellucci, but he then retired Carlos Baerga, Steve Finley and
Mark Grace easily to close out the game. Batista (3-6) absorbed the defeat
despite allowing only four hits and striking out eight in 8 2/3 innings of work.
5/21/2003, SF03-Ari03, Bank One Ballpark 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 2003 Giants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 8 1 6 0 2003 Diamondbacks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 6 0 Giants AB R H BI AVG Diamondbacks AB R H BI AVG Grissom cf 5 0 0 0 .339 Womack ss 4 0 0 0 .260 Worrell p 0 0 0 0 .000 Spivey 2b 3 1 1 1 .301 Aurilia ss 3 0 0 0 .303 Gonzalez,L lf 3 0 0 0 .282 Bonds lf 4 0 1 0 .333 Dellucci rf 4 0 1 0 .229 Santiago,B c 3 0 0 0 .292 Baerga 3b 3 0 0 0 .357 Rivera,R pr 0 1 0 0 .184 Finley cf 4 0 0 0 .204 Snow 1b 4 1 1 0 .306 Grace 1b 3 0 0 0 .207 Alfonzo 3b 4 1 2 1 .313 Barajas c 3 0 0 0 .224 Cruz,Jo rf 4 1 1 3 .239 Batista,M p 3 0 0 0 .063 Perez,N 2b 4 0 2 0 .217 Mantei p 0 0 0 0 .000 Schmidt p 1 0 0 0 .053 30 1 2 1 Feliz ph 1 0 0 0 .243 Eyre p 0 0 0 0 .000 Galarraga ph 1 0 1 0 .404 Torrealba c 0 0 0 0 .279 34 4 8 4 Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Schmidt 7.0 1 1 1 3 8 105 69 2.77 Eyre W 2-1 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 15 7 1.35 Worrell S 16 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 11 7 2.86 9.0 2 1 1 4 8 131 83 Diamondbacks INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Batista,M L 3-6 8.2 4 2 2 1 8 118 80 4.08 Mantei BS 1 0.1 4 2 2 0 1 17 11 0.87 9.0 8 4 4 1 9 135 91 SF : Feliz batted for Schmidt in the 8th Rivera,R ran for Santiago,B in the 9th Galarraga batted for Eyre in the 9th Rivera,R moved to cf in the 9th Torrealba inserted at c in the 9th E-Santiago,B. 2B-Dellucci(5). HR-Cruz,Jo(4), Spivey(6). RBI-Alfonzo(19), Cruz,Jo 3(21), Spivey(17). K-Grissom 3, Aurilia 2, Santiago,B, Perez,N, Schmidt, Feliz, Spivey, Dellucci, Grace 2, Barajas 2, Batista,M 2. BB-Aurilia, Spivey, Gonzalez,L, Baerga, Grace. SH-Schmidt. HBP-Santiago,B. PB-Barajas. HB-Batista,M. GWRBI: Cruz,Jo Temperature: 70, Wind: none. Attendance: 31,067 Game Time: 2:35