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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, September 19, 2009

Giants on move in NL wild-card race


    Associated Press

     • Twins close to three of Tigers' Central lead

    LOS ANGELES — The San Francisco Giants just keep hanging around, figuring it's not too late to salvage the NL West wild card race.

    Eugenio Velez and Pablo Sandoval homered and pinch-hitter Fred Lewis doubled home the go-ahead run, sending the Giants over the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 last night for their fourth win in five games.

    The Giants' 80th victory — their most since winning 91 in 2004 — moved them 2 1/2 games behind Colorado in the wild-card race. The Rockies lost 7-5 at Arizona and still trail the first-place Dodgers by 5 games in the division.

    "No one wants to give in," reliever Jeremy Affeldt said. "When you're this close in the pennant race, whatever team gets hot usually gets it."

    The Giants lost two of three at home to the Dodgers last weekend, and San Francisco hasn't forgotten.

    "This was a big game for us as a pitching staff," Affeldt said. "You can't take them too lightly. To win this first game is big."

    Lewis doubled over left fielder Manny Ramirez's head with two outs in the sixth, scoring Travis Ishikawa. Velez then doubled home Lewis as the ball again went over Ramirez's head, giving the Giants a 6-4 lead. Velez homered to lead off the game.

    "Their leadoff guy starting the game got to a 3-2 count, we just kept challenging him and he finally got a ball that he could handle," Martin said.

    Ramirez homered and drove in three runs as the Dodgers' three-game winning streak ended.

    PHILLIES 9, BRAVES 4

    Ryan Howard homered twice and Jimmy Rollins hit a three-run shot as visiting Philadelphia won its sixth straight, while ending Atlanta's seven-game winning streak.

    MARLINS 4, REDS 3

    John Baker's RBI single highlighted a four-run rally in the ninth inning as Florida won for only the first time in its past 10 games in Cincinnati.

    NATIONALS 6, METS 5

    Ryan Zimmerman hit his 30th homer, Josh Bard drove in three runs, and visiting Washington held off New York, which dropped 22 games below .500.

    PIRATES 5, PADRES 1

    Charlie Morton (4-8) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, helping host Pittsburgh win for only the third time in its past 20 games.

    CARDINALS 3, CUBS 2

    Matt Holliday homered off Aaron Heilman (3-4) leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting St. Louis over Chicago to reduce its magic number for clinching the NL Central to six.

    BREWERS 3, ASTROS 2

    Casey McGehee singled in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Milwaukee sent Houston to its fifth straight loss

    DIAMONDBACKS 7, ROCKIES 5

    Gerardo Parra doubled in the go-ahead runs, Brandon Allen and Ryan Roberts homered, and host Arizona rallied to hand NL wild-card leader Colorado its fifth loss in six games.