D-Backs walk Bonds three times
PHOENIX (AP) -- Barry Bonds strolled to a new major league walk
record, and the Arizona crowd didn't like it.
Bonds, who is two home runs shy of 700 for his career, walked
three times in the San Francisco Giants' 5-3 victory over the
Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
Each walk was booed, none more loudly than the intentional one
with one out and the bases empty in the seventh inning -- and the
Giants up 5-0.
Arizona manager Al Pedrique made no apologies.
"I understand the fans come to watch Barry, but pride is a big
issue," Pedrique said. "Not only that, I felt like we still had a
shot of coming back and winning the game."
A grumpy Bonds brushed aside questions about the walks.
"I'm just trying to win, man," he said. "The other guys lost.
We won. That's what we need to do is keep on going. The bottom line
is we played good today."
Bonds has walked 201 times this season, surpassing the record of
198 he set two seasons ago. His 104 intentional walks long ago
broke his single-season mark of 68 set in 2002.
Bonds singled in the third and struck out looking in the ninth
to go without a home run for the third game in a row. He fouled off
two pitches before striking out against Brian Bruney.
"Yeah, I came out of myself a little bit," Bonds said.
The victory kept the Giants (78-65) in a virtual tie with the
Chicago Cubs (76-63) atop the NL wild-card chase.
Rookie Noah Lowry (4-0) allowed four hits, struck out four and
walked three before leaving the game after Alex Cintron's leadoff
single in the eighth. The 23-year-old left-hander blanked Arizona
on two hits until Chad Tracy's pinch-hit home run off the
right-field foul pole with one out in the seventh.
Dustin Hermanson came in with runners at first and third with no
outs in the ninth. With the help of a bizarre play, he finished for
his 12th save in 14 opportunities.
Arizona had runners at second and third and no outs when Dustan
Mohr made a leaping catch of Tracy's line drive at the right-field
fence. Tracy kept running, though, diving into second as Arizona's
Scott Hairston raced back to the bag. Tracy appeared to knock
Hairston off the base, and he was tagged to make it a double play.
"Some young guys there in action," San Francisco manager
Felipe Alou said of the blunder.
Had he seen anything like it before?
"Oh yeah, I've seen it down in A ball," Alou said, "but I
didn't see a catch like that."
Mohr said he wasn't sure what was going on at second.
"I just caught it and threw it back in," Mohr said. "I was
confused. I didn't know what happened. I just saw people off bases
and walking around and I'm just pointing, `Tag him, tag him."
Pedrique blamed Hairston for taking off so far.
"In that situation, as a baserunner, you've got to tag,"
Pedrique said. "You cannot take off the way he did, knowing that
we were down three or four runs. That probably cost us the ballgame
right there."
A run scored from third on the play, then pinch-hitter Carlos
Baerga grounded out to end the game.
Marquis Grissom was 2-for-4 with a two-run double, and Ray
Durham went 2-for-4 with an RBI double.
The Giants took the lead in the first when Deivi Cruz singled
with two outs and Bonds drew his record-breaking walk. Edgardo
Alfonzo singled Cruz home. Grissom singled to load the bases, but
the inning ended when A.J. Pierzynski popped out.
Lowry retired the first eight batters before Arizona starter
Stephen Randolph doubled over the head of Grissom in center field
with two outs in the third. Randolph was stranded when Luis Terrero
flied out to the center-field wall.
The Giants made it 2-0 in the fourth. Mohr walked on four
pitches with one out, then scored from first on Durham's two-out
double off the wall above the 407-foot sign in center.
San Francisco chased Randolph (2-5) with a three-run fifth.
Bonds and Alfonzo walked, then Grissom doubled to left-center to
bring them both home. Pierzynski followed with an RBI single to
make it 5-0 and end Randolph's night.
Randolph allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 1-3 innings. He
struck out four and walked four.Game notes
Arizona LHP Mike Gosling, who pitched an inning of relief,
is scheduled for his first major league start Tuesday against
Colorado. He replaces rookie RHP Edgar Gonzalez (0-9) in the
rotation. ... Bonds alone has more than half as many walks as the
entire Arizona team's 398.
SF Wins 2-1
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Larry Vanover
- First Base Umpire - Paul Nauert
- Second Base Umpire - Lance Barksdale
- Third Base Umpire - Randy Marsh
2023 National League West Standings
Team | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Los Angeles | 98 | 61 | .616 | - | L1 |
Arizona | 84 | 75 | .528 | 14 | L1 |
San Diego | 79 | 80 | .497 | 19 | W2 |
San Francisco | 78 | 81 | .491 | 20 | L2 |
Colorado | 58 | 101 | .365 | 40 | W1 |