[新聞] DeRosa the hero as Giants win in 12th inning
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DeRosa the hero as Giants win in 12th inning
By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 9/14/2011 3:43 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO -- Maybe the season has lasted a little too long for the
Giants. But the duration suits Mark DeRosa.
Finding a way to cope with his injured left wrist, DeRosa has thrived in his
sporadic appearances since leaving the disabled list in early August. His
latest deed was Tuesday night's two-out, tiebreaking single in the 12th
inning that lifted the Giants to their third consecutive victory, a 3-2
decision over the San Diego Padres.
Cody Ross singled up the middle to open the Giants' half of the 12th against
Brad Brach (0-2), San Diego's fifth reliever. Brach wild-pitched Ross to
second base. After Andres Torres popped up, Carlos Beltran, who was 3-for-5,
drew an intentional walk. Pablo Sandoval's sharp grounder to second base
forced out Beltran and advanced Ross to third. DeRosa then lined a 1-2 pitch
off the glove of second baseman Orlando Hudson, who leaped for the ball and
got his glove on it but couldn't hold on.
"Line-drive leap, just off the top of the glove. Probably as close as you can
get," San Diego manager Bud Black said, praising Hudson's effort.
DeRosa, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning and
stayed in the game to play first base, drew upon his savvy as an 11-year
veteran to deliver San Francisco's 12th walk-off triumph of the season.
Referring to Brach, DeRosa said, "He's thrown about three or four sliders in
the dirt. I had a feeling he didn't want to throw that pitch again with a man
on third. He's throwing the ball 93 to 95 [mph]. So I was on the heater."
DeRosa has maintained that simple hitting approach since his activation,
hitting .379 (11-for-29) in 18 games since Aug. 4. His oft-injured wrist,
which has limited him to 65 games as a Giant since he signed a two-year, $12
million contract as a free agent before the 2010 season, has diminished his
power.
"I think earlier this year, [I had] visions of grandeur thinking I could do
more," said DeRosa, who hit 44 homers in 2008-09. "This second go-round, I
realized my limitations. You can tell I'm not trying to drive the ball out of
the stadium. I'm trying to stay short, stay up the middle, work counts, and
for some reason it's working right now."
The Giants felt overjoyed for DeRosa, a popular figure who has received
constant credit for his leadership ability even while being sidelined.
"We're so pumped for DeRo," right-hander Matt Cain said. "He's been such a
great clubhouse guy for the past two years."
Giants manager Bruce Bochy was realistic, given DeRosa's physical struggles.
"I'll be the first to admit I'm surprised, with all he went through," Bochy
said. "I'm sure at some point, he thought his career was over."
DeRosa might have entertained those thoughts, but never yielded to them.
"The alternative was unacceptable, as Pat Burrell would say," DeRosa said.
"When I got hurt I thought of nothing else but trying to get back and help
the team."
Numerous others also contributed to the Giants' 11th victory in 17 games this
season over the last-place Padres.
Cain worked 6 1/3 innings, departing with a 2-0 lead, to pace an airtight
pitching effort. After San Diego's Jason Bartlett ripped a two-run double off
Guillermo Mota to tie the score in the seventh, Giants relievers held the
Padres to two hits in the final 5 1/3 innings while striking out 10.
Sandoval rapped a first-inning RBI single, matched Beltran's three hits and
continued his ascent past the .300 mark, elevating his batting average from
.301 to .304.
The outcome kept the Giants 6 1/2 games behind Atlanta in the National League
Wild Card race. St. Louis remained in between the Braves and Giants at 4 1/2
games back. NL West-leading Arizona maintained its 8 1/2-game bulge over San
Francisco.
Simple mathematics indicate that the Giants should give up. But they refuse
to do so.
"Obviously the odds are extremely tough for us right now," Cain said. "We
still have to play good ball and you never know what can happen. We still
have to go out there and show the fans that we appreciate everything that
they've come out and gone through with us. That's part of being a
professional athlete. You have to go out there with that pride. You can't
just mail it in."
"We're all professionals in here and we care about how we represent the city
and the fans," DeRosa said. "We want to finish strong and never forget that
we're the defending champs. I think you have to be mindful of all those
things, but at the same time I sit there for seven innings and watch the
Braves win and Arizona win. And St. Louis won as well. If we were going to
keep any pulse, we had to win tonight."
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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