[新聞] Giants ride Panda's cycle past Rockies
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Giants ride Panda's cycle past Rockies
By Nick Kosmider / MLB.com | 9/16/2011 1:09 AM ET
DENVER -- This time, the run support came early and often for Ryan Vogelsong.
Pablo Sandoval became the first Giants player to hit for the cycle since 2007
and Vogelsong added to his stellar season with another strong outing, as the
Giants hung on to beat the Rockies, 8-5, on Thursday night in front of 34,364
at Coors Field.
The victory was the fifth straight for the Giants, who cut the idle D-backs'
lead in the National League West to seven games.
Sandoval homered in the first, singled in the second, doubled in the fifth
and legged out a triple to complete the cycle -- in his first four at-bats --
in the sixth. He became the first Giant to hit for the cycle since Fred Lewis
accomplished the feat on May 13, 2007, also at Coors Field.
Sandoval's triple was a scorched line drive that sailed just over the glove
of right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, who crashed into the wall and fell to the
ground. That gave Sandoval the time he needed to scamper to third base. The
sprint left him winded, but he was too excited to worry about catching his
breath.
"I was tired, but I was happy," said Sandoval, whose cycle was the 25th in
Giants history. "It was my first time [hitting] a cycle in the big leagues,
so I had to be happy. No matter what, if I'm tired, I'm still going to be
happy."
Vogelsong had received just three runs of support over his last five outings
entering Thursday's start, but the Giants wasted no time backing the
right-hander on a cool, crisp night in the Mile High City.
Sandoval followed Carlos Beltran's two-out single in the first with a mammoth
two-run home run -- his 20th of the season -- to right field.
"The homer was supposed to be in and down but it was in the middle and high,"
said Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin, who was charged with seven runs (four
earned) over 5 2/3 innings.
The Giants capitalized on a pair of Rockies errors for three unearned runs in
the second. After Brandon Crawford walked and Vogelsong followed with his
first of two singles, Cody Ross hit what appeared to be a double-play ball at
shortstop Tommy Field. But Field -- a rookie replacing the injured Troy
Tulowitzki (hip) -- sailed his throw to second baseman Mark Ellis into right
field, allowing Crawford to score.
Jeff Keppinger drove in the second run of the frame with a sacrifice fly to
center, and Ross scored when rookie first baseman Jordan Pacheco committed an
error on a Beltran ground ball.
The Giants added a pair of runs in the sixth, highlighted by Ross' RBI
double. Sandoval capped his big night by belting a pitch from Chacin off the
right-field wall. As the ball caromed toward center field, Sandoval churned
his way around second and slid headfirst into third, inciting a raucous cheer
from the Giants dugout.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he playfully rubbed Sandoval's legs after his
double in the fifth, telling the third baseman, "I've got to get these things
lose for a triple. ... Sure enough, he hit the perfect ball."
For his part, Sandoval said a triple was the furthest thing from his mind.
"I didn't even think about it; I swear," Sandoval said. "They told me you
need a triple for the cycle, but I said, 'You know what, I was just going to
have a great at-bat.' That's what I was looking for."
Vogelsong allowed two runs on four hits over 5 1/3 innings, while striking
out eight against four walks. He limited damage in the third by getting Ty
Wigginton to hit into a bases-loaded double play. The win snapped a string of
five straight losing decisions for Vogelsong, though that streak would have
likely never been as long if he had been receiving the type of support he was
afforded on Thursday.
"We swung the bats great tonight, especially early," Vogelsong said. "It was
great to jump on top like that. It definitely takes some of the pressure
off."
The Rockies rallied for three runs in the seventh off Steve Edlefsen, keyed
by Chris Iannetta's leadoff home run, cutting the deficit to two runs. But
Brandon Belt hit a solo shot in the ninth and the Giants bullpen closed the
door to preserve the victory.
Nick Kosmider is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not
subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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