[新聞] Belt's first homer negated by Giants' errors
http://0rz.tw/se4G8
Belt's first homer negated by Giants' errors
By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 4/2/2011 2:23 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- The Giants have a scheduled off-day Monday in San Diego. The
word "scheduled" should be emphasized.
Because at the current rate, manager Bruce Bochy might want to convene the
ballclub for a review of the fundamentals that have eluded them in the
season's first pair of games.
Another batch of errors, mental and physical, helped doom the Giants to a 4-3
loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose three-run uprising in the
sixth inning offset Brandon Belt's first Major League home run.
Belt's drive to straightaway center field, a three-run clout in the fourth
inning, gave San Francisco a 3-1 edge and provided the rookie first baseman
with an almost indescribable feeling. Asked whether his teammates said
anything memorable to him when he returned to the dugout, Belt said, "I don't
remember. I couldn't hear anything. I was in the zone."
Jonathan Sanchez struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings, demonstrating that he had
excellent stuff. But he could not hold the lead, as well as a comebacker that
accelerated the Dodgers' surge.
Sanchez's muff was one of two errors the Giants committed, hiking their total
to five in two games. They also neglected to cover third base during a
third-inning sequence that helped Los Angeles open the scoring.
"We're just shooting ourselves in the foot. It's pretty simple," Bochy said.
Losing a one-run decision in a mostly well-pitched game for the second day in
a row already has grown old for Bochy.
"Games like this, you need to play well defensively," he said. "Right now,
we're not."
The Dodgers jumped ahead in the third inning, which began with Sanchez
committing the egregious mistake of walking opposing pitcher Chad
Billingsley. Sanchez also issued a two-out walk to Ivan De Jesus before Matt
Kemp's ground-rule double scored Billingsley.
Belt's milestone gave the Giants a temporary boost. Buster Posey and Pablo
Sandoval singled before Belt batted with one out. He clobbered Billingsley's
2-0 fastball to straightaway center field, easily clearing the wall standing
395 feet from home plate. Belt remained outwardly cool as he circled the
bases, though the Giants exulted in the dugout. Belt finally beamed as
Sandoval hugged him near the bat rack.
"He said, 'It's like a dream,'" Sandoval said.
The Giants' euphoria evaporated in the sixth, along with their lead.
Kemp drilled a leadoff single and broke for second base as Marcus Thames
grounded out to Sandoval, who fielded the ball on the grass in front of third
base. Kemp barely hesitated as he rounded second and churned toward third,
which the Giants left uncovered. Sandoval and Sanchez scrambled to the bag,
but Kemp slid in ahead of Belt's throw. James Loney's sacrifice fly scored
Kemp.
Kemp already has begun to shed his reputation as an indifferent baserunner.
He's suddenly shrewd and opportunistic, due largely to the tutelage of
first-base coach Davey Lopes, a master on the basepaths and a Giants
tormentor in his day.
"Davey helped me a lot on the baases," Kemp said. "I continue to learn every
day. Sometimes you take chances and that's the chance I took."
Sanchez still could have escaped the inning with the lead preserved, but
never recorded the one out that he needed. Rod Barajas singled. So did Aaron
Miles, on a dribbler that Sandoval charged and barehanded before throwing
wildly past first base. Barajas moved to third while Miles took second.
Sanchez then botched pinch-hitter Hector Gimenez's comebacker between the
mound and third base, almost completely missing the ball in his
overeagerness. Barajas scored the tying run.
"That's an easy play for Sanchez," Bochy said. "He just whiffed on it."
That finished Sanchez, but not Los Angeles' rally as Rafael Furcal singled
home Miles with the eventual winning run.
The Giants loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against right-hander
Blake Hawksworth, who ended the threat by striking out Posey on a full-count
pitch.
The outcome muted the jubilation Belt should have felt over his initial
round-tripper.
"It's tough to enjoy," he said.
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: 114.27.99.183
SFGiants 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章