|
|
Scores Schedules Standings Statistics Transactions Injuries: AL | NL Players Weekly Lineup Message Board Minor Leagues MLB Stat Search Clubhouses |
Sport Sections |
|
|
Sunday, Jun. 18 4:05pm ET
Giants can't handle Astros in 11th | |||||
| ||||||
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Matt Mieske wasn't happy with the call. He was, however, happy with the result. J.T. Snow's 11th-inning error on Mieske's hard-hit grounder allowed two runs to score as the Houston Astros beat San Francisco 4-2 Sunday, snapping the Giants' five-game winning streak.
"At least we won. That's good." Moises Alou singled to open the 11th and Glen Barker reached on a sacrifice bunt when Robb Nen (1-3) threw the ball away at first, allowing Alou to move to third. Nen got Mike Meluskey to fly out, but Mieske, batting for Jay Powell (1-1), hit a sharp grounder against a drawn-in infield that went off Snow's glove into short right field. "There's no way you can practice that ball," said Snow, a five-time Gold Glove winner. "It took a nasty spin off the end of the bat. I can get that ball a hundred times and still not catch it. In extra innings, a screwy play is always involved." Houston first baseman Jeff Bagwell said the ball took a strange bounce. "It was just a lucky break for us," he said. "The ball bounced in the dirt in front of him, then took off on him. "That's not an error. To win with a lucky hop off the ground is a nice way to get luck back on our side. We haven't gotten many breaks at all." Powell pitched two scoreless innings of relief for his first victory since Sept. 7 at Philadelphia. "Wins really don't mean much to me," Powell said. "It would mean more if Shane (Reynolds) got the win. It just showed the bullpen was able to hold them down." Doug Henry got the final three outs for his first save since Sept. 23 at Pittsburgh as Houston ended a three-game losing streak. "I'll take them when I can get them," Henry said. "It's nice to do what we're supposed to do. Right now we have to get our closer (Billy Wagner) back on track. We just have to pick him up." Jeff Kent put the Giants ahead in the first with his 18th homer, a two-run drive off Reynolds. Kent leads the NL with 66 RBI, the most by a Giants player in the first half of the season since Barry Bonds had 68 in 1996. The San Francisco second baseman has at least one RBI in his last 10 games. Kent has driven in 22 runs in the first 15 games of June. Bill Spiers led off the game with a single for the Astros, but Joe Nathan did not allow another hit until Craig Biggio began the sixth with his fourth homer. Bagwell walked and scored when Daryle Ward hit a double to the deepest part of Pacific Bell Park, 421 feet in right-center. "Maybe the law of averages was on their side," Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "It's tough to lose a game like this. That's probably one of the toughest plays. The ball is spinning off the end of the bat." Nathan allowed four hits and six walks in 6 1/3 innings, while Reynolds gave up five hits and three walks in seven innings, striking out a season-high eight. After Spiers singled, Biggio walked, but Nathan got the next three batters. He retired 10 in a row before Biggio's home run. San Francisco loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth on a single and two walks, but Armando Rios grounded out. Kent flew out with the bases loaded in the 10th.
Game notes | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Houston Clubhouse San Francisco Clubhouse RECAPS Toronto 5 Boston 1
Houston 4
|