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GAME LOG
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Javier Vazquez bunted as effectively as he pitched, and that made all the difference for the struggling Montreal Expos.
Lee Stevens and Vladimir Guerrero homered on consecutive pitches in the third inning, and the Expos defeated the San Francisco Giants 8-0 Wednesday night, snapping a six-game losing streak. Vazquez (3-4) allowed five hits in seven innings as the Expos won for the first time in eight tries against the Giants, dating to last May 23. "When you can get good pitching and have a big inning, that's what makes for winning baseball," Expos manager Felipe Alou said. "That's something we've been looking for the past two or three weeks. Javier came to the park looking determined to turn this thing. His two sacrifice bunts were the keys to our rallies." Vazquez struck out seven, including Barry Bonds three times, and walked two in stopping a personal three-game slide. Guillermo Mota and Scott Strickland finished the shutout, the first against the Giants at Pac Bell Park in 99 games, with an inning each. "We needed to score more runs and we needed to pitch better," Vazquez said. "We picked it up. I was struggling a little bit with my command the past few starts. I just hope we're done with this slump." Livan Hernandez (2-5) allowed seven runs, nine hits and four walks in six innings. "That one inning has been hurting him all year," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "We made an error behind him and that changed how he pitched." Stevens' sixth homer, a three-run shot off Hernandez, highlighted a five-run rally. Orlando Cabrera and Michael Barrett singled, Vazquez sacrificed the runners along, Curtis Pride hit an infield grounder to score a run, and Stevens homered over the center-field fence. Guerrero hit Hernandez's first pitch over the fence in left-center. "Some of the biggest rallies I've witnessed in all my years in baseball started with sacrifice bunts," Alou said. Pride got two more RBI on an infield single in the sixth. With two outs and runners on second and third, he bounced a high chopper over the mound that second baseman Jeff Kent fielded. His throw to first was late, and Barrett, who never slowed down, scored just ahead of J.T. Snow's throw. "The bats woke up and Javier stepped it up when we needed him," Stevens said. "We finally put together a big inning, and Javy did a great job of keeping them off the board." Fernando Tatis added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but Vazquez got Hernandez to ground into a double play. Russ Davis, who doubled and advanced on an infield grounder, was the only other Giants runner to reach third. Vazquez had allowed 19 runs -- 17 earned -- in his previous 13 innings. "He took it out on us," Davis said of Vazquez. "He had everything working." Game notes Expos OF Tim Raines, on the 15-day disabled list, received good news from an MRI performed on Tuesday. It revealed nothing more than a moderate contusion to his left shoulder. He'll begin taking batting practice on Thursday. He's eligible to return on May 19. ... Giants shortstop Rich Aurilia got two hits and leads the majors with 45. The Expos' Jose Vidro is second with 44. ... Hernandez now has four career losses in May, the fewest of any month. ... Vazquez was also involved in the Expos' only other shutout this season. He went seven innings in a 10-0 victory over the New York Mets at Shea Stadium on April 18. Scott Stewart and Ugueth Urbina each pitched an inning. ... Guerrero has 141 career homers without a grand slam, the most among active players. ... The Giants committed two errors and have made 35 errors in 33 games this year. ... Mota has not allowed a run in his last 11 2/3 innings on the road.  Send this story to a friend
| RECAPS Seattle 10 Boston 5
Montreal 8
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