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Holm's First Career Homer Propels Giants Past Phillies

POSTED: 8:31 pm EDT May 11, 2008

(Sports Network) - Steve Holm's first major league home run in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in the winning run, as the San Francisco Giants edged the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series at AT&T Park.

Jonathan Sanchez gave up three runs on four hits with five walks in 4 1/3 innings. Jack Taschner (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up the win.

Bengie Molina doubled and scored two runs for the Giants, who have won two straight on the heels of a season-high five-game skid. John Bowker went 2- for-3 and knocked in a run.

Adam Eaton gave up two runs on five hits with five walks and four strikeouts over five-plus innings. J.C. Romero (3-1) allowed two runs in the seventh to absorb the loss.

Ryan Howard had an RBI triple for the Phillies, who have dropped three of their last four games. Philadelphia was limited to only six hits in the loss.

"We definitely are not hitting the ball," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We've got to hit better than we've been doing to win."

Trailing 3-2 in the seventh, Randy Winn lined a two-out single off Romero to keep the inning alive. Holm then hammered the first pitch he saw from Romero over the wall in left field.

"He (Holm) picked a perfect time to get his first home run," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "A game winner. It was a game where it would have been frustrating not to win with all the chances we had."

Brian Wilson worked around a one-out single by Greg Dobbs in the ninth to notch his 11th save of the season.

The Giants jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Molina led off with a single, advanced to second on a walk to Aaron Rowand and crossed the plate when Bowker hit a bloop single over the outstretched left arm of shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

A two-out double by Pedro Feliz in the top of the fourth put runners on second and third and the Giants decided to intentionally walk Carlos Ruiz with Eaton due up next. The move proved costly as Eaton drew a walk to bring in Pat Burrell, who was given a free pass earlier in the frame.

San Francisco loaded the bases in the home half and reclaimed the lead when Jose Castillo grounded into a 4-3 double play.

The Phillies answered with two runs in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead. Chase Utley drew a one-out walk and Howard followed with a stand-up triple that chased Sanchez from the game. Billy Sadler took over on the mound and Burrell greeted him with a sacrifice fly to put the visitors ahead.

The Giants squandered a glorious opportunity with the bases loaded in the sixth. Eaton's first pitch of the inning nailed Molina and Emmanuel Burriss entered as a pinch runner. Rowand then sliced a double over the head of Jayson Werth in right. Durbin relieved the maddeningly inconsistent Eaton and hit Bowker to load the bases.

Castillo lined a scorcher to Howard, who turned the unassisted double play. Following an intentional walk to Omar Vizquel, Durbin struck out pinch- hitter Ray Durham to end the threat.

Game Notes

Howard recorded his first triple since June 20, 2006...The two clubs split the season series, 3-3...San Francisco improved to 9-9 in games decided by one run...The Giants left nine men on base, while the Phillies stranded seven...Attendance was 35,999.

MLB Headlines

MLB
Jolbert Cabrera's game-winning RBI single capped a three-run ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds came back to shock the Chicago Cubs, 4-3, in the rubber match of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park. With the Reds trailing 3-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth and Kerry Wood (4-4) on the mound for the Cubs, Edwin Encarnacion led off the frame with a single and Jay Bruce walked. Following a fielder's choice groundout by Ryan Hanigan, Javier Valentin drew a free pass to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson then stepped to the plate and hit a sharp grounder up the middle that couldn't be handled by shortstop Ronny Cedeno, allowing two runs to score and the Reds to tie the contest, 3-3. The play was initially scored as an error, but was changed to a base hit after the game. Cabrera then hammered an 0-1 fastball to left, scoring pinch-runner Wilkin Castillo with the winning run. Cabrera finished 1-for-5, while Corey Patterson knocked in a run for Cincinnati, which has won three of its last four. Aaron Harang started for the Reds, but didn't figure in the decision. The veteran righty gave up three runs on six hits while fanning five and walking three over seven innings. Francisco Cordero (5-4) earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth. Cedeno and Mike Fontenot each knocked in a run for the Cubs, who have lost seven of their last eight games. Despite the setback, Chicago remains four games ahead of Milwaukee for first place in the National League Central. The Brewers lost 10-1 to San Diego on Sunday. Sean Marshall pitched six solid innings in earning a no-decision. The left-hander allowed one run on three hits, while striking out three and walking two.


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