05/02/2006 2:35 AM ET
Big inning too much for Giants
Wright plunks leadoff batter in fourth, floodgates open
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
Jamey Wright was frustrated at losing focus after three shutout innings.
(Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO -- This hit-by-pitch "trend" seems to be getting out of hand --
like the pitcher's hand.
It's a manager's prerogative, and Giants skipper Felipe Alou reiterated his
stance on having one of his players -- say, Barry Bonds -- get hit by a pitch,
as he was Monday night, that it's OK to get even.
"Usually when your big guy is hit, it is expected whoever is the big guy at
the time to get hit," said Alou after seeing the Giants fall, 10-4, to the San
Diego Padres at AT&T Park and Bonds get his right pinkie hurt by a Jake Peavy
inside fastball in the third inning.
It looked scary, as Bonds walked partly to first before clutching his hand in
a crouch. Although hurting, there was no real damage, and the slugger went to
the bag and was OK to have one more at-bat in the sixth.
But in the fourth frame, San Francisco hurler Jamey Wright plunked leadoff
batter Brian Giles, and while home-plate umpire Jerry Layne immediately warned
both benches, there were no temper flareups.
"I'm always of the feeling, my belief, that if our guy gets thrown at or hit
instead of being walked like they usually do, [the pitchers] have the right to
retaliate. If they think the guy was hit intentionally, yeah."
But Alou added he would never order a pitcher to hit another batter. That
would be left up to the individual.
"I don't even know if my guy hit Giles intentionally," said Alou, who has
witnessed 11 Giants hit by pitches, including Colorado Rockies reliever Jose
Mesa purposely hitting shortstop Omar Vizquel on the upper back at Coors Field
on April 22.
Giants pitcher Matt Morris also hit two Rockies the next day, and Mesa was
subsequently hit by a fine and suspended for four games, while Morris received
only a fine.
While Wright said "I'm not going to say that" when asked if he struck Giles in
retaliation, the incident seemed to knock the right-hander out of his rhythm
and an avalanche of seven runs followed.
"I'm trying to throw in and it got away from me, and then the whole inning got
away from me," said Wright (2-2). "It was frustrating after going out there
and getting two runs in the bottom half of the [third] inning. And then for me
to give up seven runs in the top half of the [next] inning, that was 100
percent not doing my job."
Oddly enough, Wright hit Dave Roberts with a pitch in the sixth, but it was
clearly not on purpose.
Wright said he lost focus after three shutout frames and didn't mind throwing
into the sixth despite such a huge deficit.
"I would have been mad if he takes me out in eight innings and no runs or
giving up 10 runs in two -- I don't want to come out of a game," said Wright.
"It's my least favorite thing in the world."
Alou said Wright's usually tough sinker wasn't sinking this night, and the
right-hander agreed his pitches seemed to flatten out on the fourth. Three
more runs scored in the sixth, putting the game out of reach.
Padres starter Jake Peavy (2-3) skimmed through the Giants with five-hit
efficiency.
The Giants' first two runs came in the third when Wright singled and scored on
Vizquel's single, then Randy Winn came home on Peavy's wild pitch. They added
two runs in the ninth off reliever Alan Embree.
For San Diego, Giles went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Roberts drove in two
runs in the fateful fourth with a double. An error accounted for two unearned
runs.
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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