Giants come back to sweep D-Backs
08/23/2006 8:19 PM ET
Giants come back to sweep D-Backs
Alfonzo's RBI triple in seventh brings in deciding run
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
Armando Benitez (right) worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 16th save on Wednesday
afternoon. (Eric Risberg/AP)
SAN FRANCISCO -- If there's a sense of incessant redundancy to Giants rookie
catcher Eliezer Alfonzo's game, keep it coming.
It seems almost a fairy tale, a cliche sports movie that goes straight to
video about an obscure, 10-year Minor League backstop toiling away in Double-
A Connecticut, a continent -- no, light years -- away from San Francisco.
Yet the 27-year-old from Anzoategui, Venezuela, continues to star for the
Giants since June when he replaced veteran Mike Matheny -- out for the year
with a concussion -- and showed the baseball world he belongs here.
Alfonzo's booming triple to right field in the seventh inning drove in Pedro
Feliz with the winning run in San Francisco's 7-6 victory over Arizona at AT&T
Park, giving the rookie catcher two consecutive game-deciding blows and
helping the Giants take a three-game sweep of the D-Backs.
Alfonzo provided the offensive clincher, but Feliz broke an 0-for-15 slump
with his two-run double to tie it at 6, then much-chastised closer Armando
Benitez saved it with a 1-2-3 ninth, his fireball pitches hitting 97 mph.
The Giants have now won eight of their last 10 games, and Alfonzo has been a
big part of it, knocking in four go-ahead or game-winning RBIs in the past 10
days. He also drove in the lone run in San Francisco's 1-0 victory over San
Diego on Aug. 14.
"I got three months here, and I don't believe I'm still in the big leagues,"
said Alfonzo. "I feel like it's still the Minors. It's a dream, and I don't
know if I'm going to stay here.
"I never feel like a veteran -- I'm still a rookie -- and what I do right now,
I just play hard," he said.
Giants manager Felipe Alou was impressed with Alfonzo -- a second cousin to
former third sacker Edgardo Alfonzo -- during Spring Training, especially with
his hitting, but he's also proved himself in the demanding job of everyday
action behind the plate.
"Many people say I've been in the game too long," said Alou, 71 years strong.
"But I got to say, I've been here long enough to know a player when I see one.
It is enjoyable to see somebody be successful who is a nice guy, who has been
bouncing around the lower Minor Leagues and in Independent baseball."
Alfonzo wasn't the only Giant with a potent late-inning game. Benitez
preserved a one-run lead on Tuesday, overcoming his recent struggles, which
feature a 7.71 ERA over his 12 previous outings.
Alfonzo sensed a different man when the closer they call "Big Papi" entered
the game with that tenuous one-run margin.
"When I saw him walking to the mound today, he seemed more focused," said
Alfonzo. "He threw 100 mph. That first baseball he threw was right where I put
my glove, and I said, 'Armando's got the game.'"
Benitez told reporters he expects to do what he did Wednesday -- succeed.
"I know the people don't expect it, but I've been trying to do my job the best
I can," Benitez said. "I've never [heard boos] from Giants fans, so I've been
surprised."
Alou stated Benitez remains the team's closer. Period.
"Whether he's throwing the ball like he did today or some other time, he's
still the guy," Alou said.
It was a rough outing for San Francisco starter Jason Schmidt, who tied a
season high with six earned runs. He gave up a two-run homer in a three-run
fourth that tied the game at 4, then he loaded the bases in the sixth, setting
up Eric Byrnes' two-run single.
It was the most runs the right-hander has given up since a 10-1 loss against
Milwaukee on July 17, when he yielded eight runs total, six earned.
Schmidt did strike out three batters for 1,033 while in a Giants uniform,
moving him into sole possession in ninth place in franchise history, ahead of
Mike McCormick's 1,030 Ks.
"It was one of those days," said Schmidt. "Obviously I made some bad pitches
they hit, but there were some good pitches they put in play, too. I just
didn't hit my spots and pulled off a lot of pitches.
"It was great [winning]," said Schmidt. "I just wish I could have kept it
closer on my end."
As for second baseman Ray Durham, it seemed business as usual.
The 12-year veteran cracked an Enrique Gonzalez pitch into the right-field
arcade in the first inning with a run already in, boosting the Giants into a
4-1 lead and giving him a team-high 13-game hitting streak.
He has already silenced critics who felt his best seasons were in fading
record books, but he's had a wonderful revival in 2006. His 20th homer ties
his career high, and Durham set a personal standard of 77 RBIs.
This season, the 34-year-old Durham is hitting .392 over his streak and he now
leads all Major League second basemen with a .531 slugging percentage.
Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
--
誠泰COBRAS是王道!!!
17李明進 34楊騏嘉 11林恩宇 15蔡士勤 18許竹見 42陳家鴻 43張賢智 35楊睿智
12郭銘仁 28王傳家 55謝佳賢 25丘昌榮 13鄧蒔陽 65吳昭輝 85周思齊 3施翔凱
53陳克帆 1黃高俊 24莊景賀 5黃仕豪 33陳致鵬 22翁再生 2賈西亞 29費南德茲
69塔尼 67吳復連
COBRAS COBRAS YA YA YA!
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 61.223.234.167
SFGiants 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章