[新聞] Ortmeier's heroics provide margin
04/10/2008 3:23 AM ET
Ortmeier's heroics provide margin
Pinch-hitter plates Davis with winning run; Sanchez dominant
By Chris Haft / MLB.com
SAN FRANCISCO -- Daniel Ortmeier didn't sound completely certain Wednesday
afternoon that he had given up switch-hitting. Even some of his teammates
knew nothing of his decision.
A few hours later, however, Ortmeier delivered a definitive answer.
Batting right-handed against a right-handed pitcher for the first time since
2000 -- his freshman year at the University of Texas-Arlington -- Ortmeier
doubled to deep center field with two outs in the ninth inning to score the
evening's lone run in the Giants' 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres.
The decision gave the Giants their first two-game winning streak of the
season and sealed a series victory over San Diego, which defeated them in 14
of 18 games last year and thrashed them, 8-4, on Monday.
"It's good to show some resiliency when you lose that first game, the home
opener, and you bounce back and play well the next two games," Giants manager
Bruce Bochy said.
The Giants (3-6) have recorded each of their victories by one run while
scoring a total of six runs. Wednesday's paid crowd of 30,310 was the lowest
ever at AT&T Park since it opened in 2000. But try feeding those dismissive
facts to the euphoric group that surrounded Ortmeier between second and third
base after his big hit drove home Rajai Davis.
"We're nine games in? Three-and-six. It's probably too early to tell,"
right-hander Tyler Walker said as he considered the state of the Giants. "But
it definitely feels nice in the meantime."
Bengie Molina, who won Tuesday night's game with an 11th-inning home run,
opened the Giants' winning rally by singling into the right-field corner off
Heath Bell (0-1). Davis, running for Molina, stole second base, but froze as
Bell retired Fred Lewis on a comebacker and Jose Castillo on a line drive to
second base. Bochy and numerous Giants praised Davis for remaining close
enough to the bag to return safely, since many baserunnners would have broken
for third on Castillo's scorcher.
Up came Ortmeier against Bell, who limited right-handers to a .157 batting
average last year and had allowed them to hit just .214 (3-for-14) so far
this year. Ortmeier launched a 1-0 slider that carried beyond rangy Padres
center fielder Jim Edmonds and bounced against the wall, giving the Giants
their first back-to-back walk-off victories since May 27-28, 2004.
"Anytime you see a guy like Jim Edmonds going back on a ball like that, you
don't feel good," Ortmeier said, referring to the eight-time Gold Glove Award
winner's penchant for corralling fly balls. "I didn't really feel any relief
until I saw the ball hit the ground."
Until recently, Ortmeier would have hit left-handed against Bell. But he,
Bochy and hitting coach Carney Lansford agreed earlier this week that he
should hit exclusively right-handed, which is his natural stroke. Ortmeier
actually hit .310 left-handed last season as a Giant, compared to .257
right-handed. But he homered four times in 70 at-bats right-handed,
contrasting with two homers in 87 at-bats as a lefty.
Nevertheless, Ortmeier admitted before the game that he needed to adjust to
seeing breaking pitches from right-handers. Thus, asked before the game which
side of the plate he'd step into against a right-handed pitcher, Ortmeier
said, "I don't know."
But Ortmeier received confidence by seeing a stream of curveballs and sliders
from Bochy, of all people, during extra batting practice. "I decided it was
something I felt very comfortable with," Ortmeier said.
Ortmeier's change happened with so little fanfare, and the ninth inning
unfolded so fast, that at least two Giants didn't grasp what he had done.
"Wow," Davis said. "I didn't realize that. He gave up [batting] left-handed?
My bad."
"Really? He did a heck of a job up there," left fielder Fred Lewis said.
"That's cool."
Other Giants coolly executed Bochy's pitching-and-defense plan for success.
Left-hander Jonathan Sanchez delivered the most impressive effort by a Giants
starter this season, striking out a career-high 10 while allowing three hits
in six-plus innings. Sanchez was especially impressive in the fifth inning,
when he escaped a second-and-third, nobody-out jam by striking out Josh Bard
and Justin Germano and coaxing Brian Giles' fly ball.
Such poise, said Bochy, was "one of the things [Sanchez] needed to work on."
Making only his 10th Major League start, Sanchez struck out two batters in
every inning but the third and the seventh, when he was relieved after
yielding singles to Edmonds and Khalil Greene.
Merkin Valdez relieved Sanchez and, after Scott Hairston's sacrifice bunt,
benefited from outstanding defense. Bard lifted a fly to left field, which
Lewis caught above his shoetops with a backhanded reach near the bullpen
mounds. Lewis' strong one-hop throw home beat Edmonds, who reached for the
plate with his right hand but already had been tagged by Bengie Molina.
"He saved us," Bochy said of Lewis. "Defense wins games for you."
Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the
approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 140.116.112.161
SFGiants 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章