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Giants top D-backs to extend NL West lead
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com | 6/16/2011 2:30 AM ET
PHOENIX -- A key play at the plate, triples from some very unlikely sources
and two hits from newcomer Bill Hall led to a win for Madison Bumgarner and
Brian Wilson's Major League-leading 20th save.
The Giants are living large right now and, after beating the D-backs, 5-2, on
Wednesday night at Chase Field, have won for the fourth time in the last five
games to open a 2 1/2-game lead over second-place Arizona in the National
League West. The teams conclude the three-game series on Thursday night.
By the way, the triples were hit by Pat Burrell and Eli Whiteside, neither
noted for his speed. But that's the way the defending World Series champions
do it.
"It is," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We rely on our speed like Burrell.
But on the serious side, it's everybody helping out."
And it's the veteran Bochy pushing all the right buttons, which experts have
been saying since his stellar performance this past postseason. He gave
Miguel Tejada a rare start at shortstop. With the lead in the seventh, he
made a typical move, pulling the plodding Burrell and moving Aaron Rowand
from center to left field.
Wouldn't you know it, in the eighth, Rowand and Tejada combined on the
decisive defensive play of the game.
The Giants cut off the potential tying run to end the inning when Chris Young
doubled into the left-field corner with Kelly Johnson on first and two out.
Johnson sped around the bases, but Rowand made a perfect relay throw to
Tejada, who tossed a strike to Whiteside at the plate. Johnson was out by
several feet.
The score stood 3-2 and the run would've cost Bumgarner his third win in 11
decisions not to mention sending the game into the ninth inning tied.
Instead, the Giants plated a pair of insurance runs and Wilson came on to do
what he does best: save the game with his usual dramatic flair.
What most impressed Bochy about the relay play?
"Well, really, both guys getting rid of it," he said. "Rowand getting it to
Miggy in a hurry. And Miggy, what a quick release and a strong throw right on
the money. There was such speed on the bases and now he's gone. It took
perfect execution to get it done. Plus, Whitey holding on to the ball."
Considering the tightness of the game and the fact that 19 of the Giants' 39
wins have been by a single run, D-backs manager Kirk Gibson agreed with the
decision by third-base coach Matt Williams to send Johnson in that situation.
"Rowand made a really good play on it," Gibson said. "He went into the
corner, and as I saw it on TV, it looked like the ball popped right up to him
and they made a picture-perfect relay play. You have to give them credit for
that."
The left-handed Bumgarner has had hard times this season. But on Wednesday
night, he allowed only two runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out six
and walked one. The runs came on homers. Willie Bloomquist hit his second of
the season with one out in the third and Young cracked his 13th to open the
fourth.
Otherwise, Bumgarner pitched with little difficulty, winning for the third
time in his last six starts. He opened the season with six consecutive
losses. His toughest inning might have been the sixth when with one out,
Justin Upton was safe on an infield single and Young walked. But Bumgarner
dug in deep and struck out Stephen Drew and Xavier Nady to end the threat.
Bumgarner said he was fortunate to get out of there with the victory.
"I feel like I've thrown some better games before today," he said. "Today it
was a battle. We've had a tough time scoring in some of the games. It seemed
like if we scored a couple I'd give up a couple. That's the way it's been
going. Tonight it was the other way around. We scored enough. Everybody did
their part the whole game. We're playing the game the right way. It's fun to
watch."
Hall, starting his first game for the Giants at second base, would certainly
agree. He singled home Aubrey Huff in the sixth, plus doubled and scored in
the ninth. Hall was signed Saturday when Freddy Sanchez was placed on the
disabled list with a dislocated right shoulder. Hall, who was cut by the
Astros, said 30 minutes working off a tee with Giants hitting coach Hensley
Meulens gave him a new lease on life.
Hall knows he has a great opportunity with the Giants.
"Coming over here, I'm just trying to contribute as much as I can," he said.
"This was a great ballclub before me. It's going to be a great ballclub
whether I'm here or not. But I think I can do some things to help this team
win. We know the pitching is the key to this ballclub and that we have to
play good defense. Three or four runs can win us every ballgame with the
pitching staff we have."
Barry M. Bloom is a national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog,
Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject
to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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