Andres Torres was so mad about his first career grand slam, he nearly passed Madison Bumgarner on the way to second base.
Bumgarner stuck out an arm for the stop signal and Torres applied the brakes in time, giving the National League's worst offense a big rise in the San Francisco Giants' 7-3 victory ended the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
"I wasn't thinking, just running," Torres said.
"When I saw it was out I felt great."
Bumgarner won his back straight after losing his first six decisions and also played a big role at the home in 90-degree heat with high humidity. The 21-year-old left-hander is from Hickory, N.C.
"This feels like home, it's what I grew up acting in," Bumgarner said. "I wish this weather, it feels right to get out there and effort a short bit."
Kyle McClellan (6-2) was knocked out after four innings in the worst outing of his first season in the Cardinals' rotation, missing a hazard to tie for the major league victory lead. Albert Pujols hit his ninth homer and Allen Craig doubled twice with an RBI.
Cody Ross also homered for the Giants, who are close in the National League in runs even after this outburst and had been shut out double the former four games. Bumgarner, 4 for 19 at the plate, doubled and scored on Miguel Tejada's hit in the third, then walked on a total count ahead of Torres' second homer of the flavour in a five-run fourth.
"Walking the mound there killed me," McClellan said. "I get him out, that changes everything. Just all in all, not a respectable game."
Bumgarner (2-6) scattered six hits in seven innings and struggled only in the third when he gave up three straight hits and both runs. It's his seventh straight outing of six or more innings with 3 or fewer runs allowed, with a 2.12 ERA during that stretch.
"He's pitched well enough to make a much better record. He knows it," manager Bruce Bochy said. "For a new kid he's got great poise, he doesn't get caught up in the elements."
Torres, the Giants' leadoff man, doubled his season RBI total when he drove an 0-1 pitch over the proper field wall in the 4th and also doubled. San Francisco won easily despite going 1 for 18 after the terrific slam and going the bases loaded in the fifth after three straight walks from Miguel Batista.
Torres matched his career high for RBIs with what he believed to be his first grand slam since winter ball in Puerto Rico in 2004 or 2005.
Matt Holliday singled in four trips after missing six starts with a quad injury and is hitting .344, tied for the National League star with teammate Lance Berkman, who was 0 for 4.
The Cardinals dropped to 9-2 in starts by McClellan, who has yielded a team-high nine homers. McClellan was slow in the matter to 8 of the 1st 10 hitters and both of his walks came in the Giants' five-run fourth that made it 7-2.
Manager Tony La Russa said McClellan tweaked his hip in the first inning. McClellan initially said he had not been injured, but later said he had landed awkwardly.
"It raised some concern," McClellan said. "There's nothing wrong."
Aaron Rowand bruised his right hip when he landed on the ball diving into second floor on a pickoff attempt in the 5th and was taken out in the seat of the inning. The team said he was day to day.
Pujols hit his 99th career homer at 6-year-old Busch Stadiumand first at home since April 23off Ramon Ramirez in the 8th and had an RBI single in the third for his second multi-RBI game in the final four. Only seven players get 100 or more homers in their current stadium.
"He humbled the egg on the home run," La Russa said. "He's hit the globe a lot better than his average."
NOTES: Ross' homer ended an 0-for-14 slump. . Attendance of 40,849 was the Cardinals' second shutout of the season. . Ryan Theriot doubled in the 3rd and has a 13-game hit streak, tied for the longest active streak in the NL with the Giants' Buster Posey, out for the temper with a broken ankle. . McClellan allowed nine homers in 75 1-3 innings as a setup man last year, and has allowed nine in 67 2-3 innings this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment