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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) – No Canadian has more hits, home runs or RBI than
Larry Walker.
|  | | Russ Davis went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and a homer for the Giants. |
So when extra innings threatened to interfere with his Stanley
Cup viewing plans, Walker brought things to an expedient end.
Walker, an avid Colorado Avalanche fan, capped a four-run ninth
inning with a two-run homer off Chad Zerbe as the Colorado Rockies
rallied for a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on
Saturday.
The homer came minutes before the Avalanche and New Jersey
Devils started Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals.
"I looked at the clock. I saw the puck was going to be dropped
in about five minutes. I figured I better do something," Walker
said. "Seriously, it's good to get a win. We haven't had one like
this all year."
Walker, born in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, hit his 18th
homer of the season and gave him 53 RBI – two more than last year
when he missed 75 games because of elbow problems. He also
prevented Colorado (27-28) from dropping three games below .500 for
the first time this season.
"I'm sure he had some incentive," Rockies pitcher Denny Neagle
said. "He'll be in a lot better mood watching the game instead of
thinking about another tough loss for us."
While Colorado celebrated at home plate, the Giants were left to
ponder a wasted ninth-inning lead and their own ineptitude in the
clutch.
San Francisco, which has lost 12 of 17, went 3-for-16 with
runners in scoring position and stranded a runner at third base
five times, including the sixth, seventh and ninth innings.
"We had so many opportunities. We should have tacked on a few
more runs," manager Dusty Baker said. "This was a crappy loss in
a week of crappy losses. This has been a tough week for us."
For eight innings, it looked like the Giants would win without
much help from Barry Bonds, who leads the majors with 29 homers.
Bonds went 0-for-3 with two walks and two strikeouts as San
Francisco handed the ball to closer Robb Nen (2-2) with a 5-3 lead
in the ninth.
Brooks Kieschnick walked to open the inning and moved to third
on Juan Pierre's single. After Pierre stole second, Neifi Perez
salvaged what would have been a disappointing 26th birthday with a
two-run single to chase Nen.
Walker then hit a 1-0 pitch from Chad Zerbe over the left-center
field fence, setting off a helmet-pounding celebration at home
plate. Walker was bounced around by his teammates as if he had just
scored the game-winning goal to win the Stanley Cup.
"My nose was bleeding," Walker said. "Helton beat the crap
out of me. I'll get him back. He's going to hit a walkoff homer,
and I'm going to beat the living daylights out of him."
The Giants trailed most of the day but took a 4-3 lead in the
seventh on a pinch-hit RBI double by Armando Rios and a run-scoring
groundout by Ramon Martinez. The runs came after Bonds struck out
against sidearming left-hander Mike Myers with runners at first and
second.
After 55 games, Bonds still has a chance to reach 30 homers
faster than anyone in history. Babe Ruth reached the mark in 63
games with the New York Yankees in 1928.
While Bonds was quiet, Russ Davis went 4-for-4, homered and
scored four times for the Giants. Rios was 2-for-2, adding another
RBI double in the ninth.
"I have seen a lot of games like this here," Davis said.
"They are wild."
Jose Jimenez (2-0) got the final out in the ninth, stranding
runners at second and third. The out proved significant as the
Giants lost for the first time in 25 games when leading after
eight.
Davis hit a solo homer off Colorado starter Denny Neagle to pull
San Francisco to 3-2 in the fifth. Neagle's two-run double and an
RBI single by Todd Walker had given Colorado the early lead.
Game notes
Rockies hitting coach Clint Hurdle was ejected in the
second inning for arguing a close call at third base. ... To make
room for newly acquired OF Jacob Cruz, the Rockies designated IF-OF
Kevin Sefcik for assignment. ... The Giants recalled IF Edwards
Guzman from Triple-A Fresno. The move came one day after placing 1B
J.T. Snow on the 15-day DL (bruised rib). ... Shawon Dunston's RBI
double for San Francisco in the first was his 1,500th career hit in
the National League. ... Perez is 2-for-26 against Giants starter
Russ Ortiz. ... Colorado has won 26 games at Coors Field in the
ninth inning.
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RECAPS
NY Yankees 9
Cleveland 4
Baltimore 7
Oakland 0
Boston 2
Toronto 1
Chi. White Sox 5
Detroit 3
Texas 3
Minnesota 2
Anaheim 3
Kansas City 2
Seattle 7
Tampa Bay 4
St. Louis 8
Cincinnati 5
Colorado 7
San Francisco 5
Houston 2
Los Angeles 1
NY Mets 7
Florida 1
Chicago Cubs 10
Milwaukee 4
Montreal 12
Philadelphia 5
Atlanta 0
Pittsburgh 0
Arizona 2
San Diego 1
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