[新聞] Nate is great as Giants top Cards
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Schierholtz the star in Giants' comeback win
By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 6/2/2011 2:36 AM ET
ST. LOUIS -- Nate Schierholtz made each one of his three singles count
Wednesday night.
His first one led off the sixth inning and started the Giants' three-run
uprising that tied the score.
His next hit tied the score in the ninth inning after San Francisco had two
outs with nobody on base.
Schierholtz's final hit was the most conclusive -- another two-out single,
which he delivered in the 11th inning. It broke the tie he created and
propelled the Giants to a strenuous but satisfying 7-5 triumph over the St.
Louis Cardinals.
In typical Giants fashion, nothing came easily for them. Though they amassed
a season-high 16 hits -- eclipsing the 15 they had against St. Louis in the
April 8 AT&T Park opener -- they stranded 13 runners, trailed 3-0 through
four innings and endured the shock of Tim Lincecum squandering a
seventh-inning lead.
Somebody had to establish order. Schierholtz seized that role, earning him
praise throughout the Giants clubhouse.
"This guy's really starting to turn into a Major Leaguer," first baseman
Aubrey Huff said. "He's getting a lot of at-bats this year and he's taking
advantage of them."
Closer Brian Wilson, who initially played alongside Schierholtz in 2004 with
low-Class A Hagerstown, has waited for the right fielder's skills to emerge.
"I think he's starting to get a litle bit more comfortable, in that he's able
to show off the skill set that I've seen," said Wilson, who earned his 15th
save after weathering a 16-minute delay in the 11th inning when a portion of
a bank of stadium lights towering over first base went dark.
Schierholtz made his presence felt in the ninth inning, two innings after
Allen Craig's two-run homer -- the first pinch-hit homer off Lincecum in 135
Major League appearances -- put St. Louis ahead, 5-4. Lincecum struck out
nine in 6 1/3 innings but surrendered five runs, equaling a season high, and
10 hits, which matched a career worst.
The Giants appeared destined for their second consecutive one-run defeat when
Huff, whose seventh-inning homer briefly gave the Giants a 4-3 lead, coaxed a
walk from Cardinals closer Fernando Salas. Emmanuel Burriss ran for Huff and
stole second base on a 1-2 delivery to Schierholtz, correctly guessing that
Salas would throw an offspeed pitch that would give him extra time to run.
Schierholtz then rapped a 2-2 changeup into center field to tie the score.
Schierholtz happened to hit a bloop double off Salas in the Giants' 4-3 loss
Tuesday night. Asked if that experience helped him gain familiarity with the
right-hander, Schierholtz said, "I think so. For sure. I knew what he was
coming with. A lot of changeups. That's his pitch."
Schierholtz received another opportunity against Ryan Franklin (1-4) with two
outs in the 11th inning and Freddy Sanchez on second base via a ground-rule
double. This time, Schierholtz rapped the first pitch into right field.
Sanchez scored while Schierholtz hustled to second base on the throw home.
Brandon Crawford added another RBI single after Franklin intentionally walked
Cody Ross, who was 4-for-5.
Three of the Giants' four victories over St. Louis this season have been
last-at-bat decisions against Franklin.
Huff and the rest of the Giants sensed that Schierholtz would duplicate his
ninth-inning deed.
"As soon you do that and you come up later in a game, you pretty much know
you're going to get another one," Huff said.
Schierholtz, who entered the game batting only .217 (5-for-23) with runners
in scoring position, acknowleged that repeating the experience of clutch
stuations "definitely helps. I think every time following the first time, you
feel a little less pressure and you can relax a little bit more. I wasn't
pressing to get a big hit. I was just focusing on hitting the ball up the
middle and having a good at-bat."
The evening took an odd turn with two outs in the bottom of the 11th and
Daniel Descalso on first base. After Wilson missed with his 1-1 pitch to
Craig, the lights suddenly malfunctioned, stopping play. Midway through the
delay, the Busch Stadium public-address system hilariously blared the Journey
hit "Lights," which of course is a paean to San Francisco.
Wilson wasted no time once play resumed, needing only one pitch to retire
Craig on a groundout.
"That was really awkward, pretty anti-climactic to have the lights go off
like that, but I guess that's just part of the game and a tough loss," Craig
said.
Predictably, Wilson had a brighter outlook.
"I've had some pretty interesting innings before, but that's at the top of
the charts," he said. "It kind of felt like coming in in the eighth inning,
sitting down and coming back out there."
The Giants' second victory of the series generated echoes of their 2010 World
Series-winning season. But Sergio Romo (3-0), who pitched a scoreless 10th,
downplayed such comparisons.
By June, ballclubs and ballplayers are focused on what's ahead.
"It does kind of remind you of what we went through last year," Romo said.
"But at the same time, you kind of have to turn the page on last year and
concentrate on this year."
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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