[新聞] Giants snap slide thanks to Ford's dash
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Giants snap slide thanks to Ford's dash
By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 4/27/2011 1:19 AM ET
PITTSBURGH -- Someday, Darren Ford will record his first Major League hit.
Until then, the Giants will remain content to let him win games for them
without wielding a bat.
All he needs is speed.
Ford added to his collection of greatest non-hits Tuesday as the Giants ended
their four-game losing streak with a 3-2, 10-inning triumph over the
Pittsburgh Pirates.
The rookie's bold dash from third base on an infield out broke a 2-2 tie and
enabled the Giants to capitalize on a squandered opportunity, if such a thing
was possible.
Pinch-hitter Nate Schierholtz doubled leading off the 10th against Joel
Hanrahan (0-1) on a ball that skipped past Matt Diaz in right field. Ford,
who entered the game in the eighth inning as a pinch-runner and replaced
Aaron Rowand in center field, tapped a bunt directly to charging Pirates
first baseman Lyle Overbay, who threw out Schierholtz at third.
But that put the fleet Ford on base. Returning a runner to scoring position
was imminent for the Giants. Indeed, Hanrahan unleashed a wild pick-off
attempt that enabled Ford to hustle to third base.
With Pittsburgh's infielders moved in to cut off Ford at the plate, Freddy
Sanchez rapped a grounder directly to second baseman Neil Walker, who threw
to Overbay for the out. Ford broke for home as Walker released the ball.
Overbay flung a low, rushed throw that darted past catcher Chris Snyder as
Ford slid safely headfirst.
"That's the most impressive display of speed I've seen on a baseball field,"
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.
Ford initially didn't plan on running, but changed his mind in a millisecond.
"He just glanced at me and didn't stop me," Ford said, referring to Walker.
"Once he just glanced at me and lobbed it over to first, I just took off and
tried to let my God-given talents take over. ... As soon as he turned his
head to look at first base to make the throw, I took off."
Ford likely would have scored even if Overbay had made an accurate throw.
"I saw the throw coming over the catcher's head. By that time, I was a
sliding in," said Ford, whose left knee was freshly skinned. "I guess it was
a situation where they didn't expect it. I bet next time they pay a little
closer attention to me."
Said Overbay: "I heard everybody yelling, 'Four,' before I caught the ball,
so it wasn't like I was surprised. Neil looked at him and stopped him and
threw it to me. He took off as soon as he threw it. At least if I get it up
the line, we have a shot. We have a chance anyway."
Warming up in the bullpen, Giants right-hander Brian Wilson believed Ford
would stay put.
"He faked me out," said Wilson, who issued a walk but blanked the Pirates in
the 10th for his sixth save. "He breaks for home, and I'm screaming, 'Get
'em, Fordy!'"
Like Wilson, Walker admitted that he thought Ford was frozen.
"I saw him, and he was stopped," Walker said. "I made the play at first,
probably could have thrown the ball a little firmer, but the guy can run.
That guy might be one of the fastest guys in the league. Aggressive? Yes. But
out of the ordinary for him? Maybe not."
In fact, this wasn't at all extraordinary for Ford, who teammate Mike
Fontenot has not-so-jokingly referred to as "the fastest man in America."
Last Sept. 1 in the eighth inning of a critical game against Colorado, Ford
entered the lore of the 2010 championship season by stealing second base,
darting to third on Ubaldo Jimenez's wild pitch and scoring the tiebreaking
run on catcher Miguel Olivo's accompanying throwing error.
Third-base coach Tim Flannery pointed out that this season, on April 19, Ford
stole second base in the seventh inning at Colorado and distracted reliever
Franklin Morales, who yielded Aubrey Huff's two-run homer in a 6-3 Giants
victory.
"He has another gear," Bochy said of Ford, who arrived from Triple-A Fresno
when center fielder Andres Torres went on the disabled list. That also was
evident in the eighth inning, when Ford caught up with Diaz's drive to deep
right-center field.
Ford's success also stems from his impetuous nature. "There's no fear there,"
Bochy said.
That's partly why Bochy used Ford to run for Rowand after the latter singled
to open the eighth. With the Giants trailing, 2-1, Ford sped to third on
Sanchez's hit-and-run single, a bouncer through the left side that shortstop
Ronny Cedeno vacated as he covered second base. One out later, Buster Posey's
first-pitch sacrifice fly off right-hander Jose Veras scored Ford.
"It's not that [Rowand's] that slow," Bochy said. "It's that this guy [Ford]
is that fast."
Ford breathed life into another Giants effort that appeared doomed. Their
0-for-11 futility with runners in scoring position wasted a decent
performance by starter Matt Cain, who surrendered both Pittsburgh runs and
four hits in six innings after rain delayed the game's start for 46 minutes.
"It prevented us from playing past midnight," Wilson said. "Every time we
come to Pittsburgh, there's a rain delay and an extra-inning game."
Chris Haft 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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