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GAME LOG
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A bit of extra batting practice paid off tremendously for Marvin Benard and J.T. Snow. Benard hit his first career grand slam, and Snow hit two homers as the San Francisco Giants won for the fifth time in eight games, beating the Montreal Expos 9-1 Tuesday night. Both Benard and Snow have been stuck in season-long slumps, so they were among a small group of Giants doing some early afternoon work at Pacific Bell Park. Snow discovered a technical problem with his swing -- and Benard, who was watching Snow, applied the solution to his own swing. The early results of those adjustments were all over the scoreboard. "I'm glad to see both of them getting their stroke," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "They're very conscientious guys who work hard. I'm loving it when they get hot, because they feel a lot better about themselves. When they don't do it, you can see the pain and agony they're going through." Benard's blast -- just his second homer in a dismal season -- capped a five-run fifth inning that began with Snow's third homer of the year. Snow, who drove in three runs, added an eighth-inning solo shot for his 11th career multihomer game. "That extra work helped a lot," Snow said. "When you can just go and concentrate and work, you learn a lot of things. I was relaxed tonight, and it showed." Benard, the Giants' embattled leadoff hitter, entered the game hitting .147 and had been subject to regular booing from the home fans. San Francisco reportedly has been looking to replace or trade him since spring training. But in the fifth inning, Benard rewarded Baker's continued faith by hitting a full-count pitch from Anthony Telford onto the portwalk in right field, barely missing the waters of McCovey Cove. Barry Bonds remains the only San Francisco player to put a homer into the water on the fly. Benard skipped a curtain call because he needed a bathroom break, but he might not have tipped his cap even if nature hadn't called. "I don't play this game for them. I play it for my teammates," Benard said. "Being a real fan means taking your bumps and bruises along the way. I've got more respect for them if they boo me every time ... instead of only cheering when I do something good." The Giants' unlikely power sources backed a strong outing from Shawn Estes (3-2). He allowed six hits in eight innings as the Giants won their second straight over the Expos, who lost their sixth in a row. Estes won for the third time in four starts, pitching out of several early jams thanks to three double plays. He got stronger as the night went on, allowing just one runner to reach second after the fourth inning. "We got induced into hitting into double plays by a smart pitcher," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "We've seen a lot of that lately. It's good to load the bases, but then you need to get an extra-base hit. We keep hitting into double plays." Benito Santiago drove in two runs, reached base four times and even stole third base for the Giants, who have scored 23 runs in their last three games after five weeks of inconsistent offense. Snow, who was hitting .211 with just six RBIs before the game, also had a run-scoring single in the third as San Francisco took a 3-1 lead. Santiago drove in the Giants' first two runs with a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk from Mike Thurman (2-4), who gave up nine hits, seven runs and six walks in 5 1-3 innings. In the fifth, Thurman allowed a single by Santiago, then walked Pedro Feliz and Estes before Telford came in to face Benard. "Every inning seemed like a struggle to find my command, and I wasn't able to throw good pitches," Thurman said. "I don't expect to be perfect every time, but I don't expect to give up seven runs in four innings, either." Fernando Tatis' second-inning sacrifice fly gave Montreal its only run. Vladimir Guerrero had two hits for the Expos, who have lost 20 of their last 26 after a 6-1 start. Game notesWith 38,123 fans at Pac Bell, the Giants had a record-low attendance for the second straight night. ... Benard's grand slam won $10,000 for Brad Foote of San Ramon, who was the lucky fan in the Giants' nightly fifth-inning radio promotion. ... 3B Russ Davis didn't start for San Francisco after being hit by a pitch on Monday night. He was available for pinch-hitting duty, however. ... Snow's first homer was the 200th at Pac Bell, while Benard's grand slam was the sixth -- all hit by the Giants -- at the 1-year-old park.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
| OTHER GAMES Baseball Scoreboard Montreal Clubhouse San Francisco Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 12 Seattle 4
San Francisco 9
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