Snow Sends Giants Home as Winners

J.T. Snow’s opportunity to drive in the winning run was taken away in the 10th inning. No matter, he became a hero in the 12th.

Snow hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the 12th inning, giving the San Francisco Giants a 6-3 win over the Expos at Montreal.

“It’s just good to come through like that,” Snow said. “We were battling out there all day long. The whole key in those situations is to stay as relaxed as you can and if you get a good pitch do something with it.”

With the score tied, 3-3, pinch-hitter Stan Javier hit a leadoff double in the Giant 12th and Barry Bonds was intentionally walked. After Javier took third on a passed ball, Jeff Kent walked to load the bases.

With the infield playing in, Snow hit a 2-and-0 pitch from Marc Valdes (3-3)--Montreal’s seventh pitcher--up the middle for a 5-3 lead. Rich Aurilia followed with an RBI single.

The Giants had a chance to take the lead in the 10th. Snow was batting with two outs when Jose Vizcaino, after stealing second, was caught trying to take third.

“Jose went on his own,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “We didn’t know where he was going. We were shocked when we looked up and saw he was running. Maybe he got carried away after he stole second.”

“I don’t know what Jose was doing,” Snow said, “but I’m not going to get upset. In that situation, you’d like to come through with the runner on second. That didn’t happen. You just try to come through the next time.”

The Giants finished a 10-game trip at 7-3 and increased their lead in the NL West to 2 1/2 games over the Dodgers. The Giants won five of the first six games on the trip.

“It was a good game for us to win,” Baker said. “We needed this game--6-4 would have been a disaster after the way we started. I think 7-3 sounds a lot better.”

Julian Tavarez (5-3), the Giants’ fifth pitcher, tossed 1 1/3 perfect innings for the win. Doug Henry got three outs for his third save.

Bonds went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. He was 0 for 11 in the series with five strikeouts and is hitless in his last 17 at-bats.

Montreal, 12-17 since the All-Star break, finished a 10-game homestand at 5-5 and fell to 1-9 in extra-inning games.

Florida 4, Atlanta 2--Edgar Renteria and Gary Sheffield had RBI singles with two outs in the 10th inning at Atlanta as the Marlins won for the eighth time in 11 games against the Braves.

The Marlins cut Atlanta’s lead in the NL East to 4 1/2 games. The teams meet for the final time in the regular season tonight, with Greg Maddux facing Kevin Brown.

Jay Powell (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the victory, and Robb Nen earned his 29th save by striking out the side in the 10th. Brave reliever Mike Bielecki (3-7) took the loss.

Florida’s Jeff Conine hit a home run--his 10th of the season--in the fourth inning, and Bonilla made it 2-0 with a home run--his 13th--in the sixth.

Atlanta tied it, 2-2, in the eighth on Chipper Jones’ two-run single.

Colorado 8, Pittsburgh 7--Rookie Neifi Perez singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Rockies completed a three-game sweep of the Pirates at Denver.

Dante Bichette hit a home run in a game that was delayed 21 minutes because of rain.

Pinch-hitter Eric Young singled to start the eighth against Marc Wilkins (7-3). After a sacrifice bunt by Quinton McCracken, Perez had an RBI single for his third hit of the game.

Curtis Leskanic (3-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Jerry Dipoto pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Philadelphia 8, St. Louis 0--Scott Rolen hit a home run and had three RBIs and Curt Schilling pitched a three-hitter at St. Louis.

The Phillies, who trail first-place Atlanta by 32 games in the NL East and are 40-75, have won 10 of 13. St. Louis has lost nine of 11.

Schilling (12-10) didn’t allow a runner past first base and won for the first time in five starts. He had eight strikeouts, ending his streak of four consecutive double-digit strikeout games.

The Phillies got 10 of their 15 hits in the first three innings off Matt Morris (8-7), who endured the worst start of his rookie season.

Houston 11, New York 8--Darryl Kile won his ninth consecutive decision despite giving up two home runs to John Olerud as the Astros held off the Mets at New York.

Kile (16-3) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in seven innings, striking out eight. Tom Martin got five outs for his second save.

Olerud hit a solo home run in the third inning, and highlighted a four-run seventh with a two-run home run, his 16th, as New York closed to 11-8.

The Astros scored five times in the first inning against Rick Reed (10-5), and Derek Bell hit a solo home run in the fourth.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

Player: John Olerud

Team: New York

Performance: 3 for 5, two home runs, 3 RBIs, 2 runs

Team’s Result: Loss

*

Player: Chris Stynes

Team: Cincinnati

Performance: 4 for 4, home run, 1 RBI, 3 runs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Eduardo Perez

Team: Cincinnati

Performance: 2 for 3, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 2 runs

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Dale Sveum

Team: Pittsburgh

Performance: 3 for 5, home run, 3 RBIs, 2 runs

Team’s Result: Loss

PITCHING

Player: Curt Schilling

Team: Philadelphia

Performance: Three-hit shutout, 8 strikeouts, 1 walk

Team’s Result: Win

*

Player: Mike Remlinger

Team: Cincinnati

Performance: Four-hitter, 1 run, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks

Team’s Result: Win