November 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Bill Swift returns with solid three-hit, five-inning effort

SAN FRANCISCO – Jose Melendez knew he had a tough act to follow. Three Padre pitchers before him had combined to hold the Giants to one hit in 10 innings.

It all ended so quickly. Melendez’s first pitch of the 11th inning was stroked down the left-field line by Robby Thompson for a double, and Kevin Bass won the game with a pinch single one out later for a 1-0 San Francisco victory Sunday.

“He (Thompson) got jammed on the ball and stroked it,” Melendez said. “I thought it was a good pitch to get a ground ball.”

Bass’ game-winning hit, after a sacrifice by Kirt Manwaring, was nothing more than a routine fly to center on a 1-2 pitch. But with a drawn-in outfield, it wents into the box score as an RBI single.

“I kind of thought they’d walk me to get the force,” Bass said. “A cold guy coming off the bench who hdn’t hit since yersterday, I guess they figured they’d take the chance. All I did was try and hit it in the air.”

The teams combined for a total of eight hits in 11 innings and featured two starting pitchers making their returns from the disabled list. One pitcher, the Giants’ Bill Swift, survived with five strong innings.

San Diego’s Greg Harris wasn’t so lucky. He left he game in the top of the third when he fractured the middle finger of his pitching hand trying to bunt the ball.

“We had him off the DL for an hour, at least,” Manager Greg Riddoch said. “We’re back to the drawing board again. We’re good at that.”

Swift said he was sorry to see Harris go.

“I felt bad for him,” Swift said. “I know he just came off the DL, too. And the ball broke his finger. I hope he’s OK.”

Swift had his own scare – on the batter before Harris in the third – when Kurt Stillwell hit a line drive off Swift’s leg. But he was able to walk it off after being examined by trainers and finished with a strong, 65-form. The Giants are 10-0 in Swift’s starts this season.

“It looked like he’d never been gone, the way he pitched,” San Francisco Manager Craig said. “Since we’ve won every game Swift has started, I’m going to start him tomorrow.”

The Giants were held hitless by Harris and lefthander Rich Rodriguez for six innings, but Cory Snyder’s two-out single in the seventh broke up the no-hitter. Snyder hit a hard grounder in the hole that skipped just past shortstop Tony Fernandez and into left field.

“Cory surprised me by pulling the ball,” Rodriguez said. “I told Greg (Sheffield, third baseman) to shade the line because I was going to pitch him inside. One thing I forgot to do was tell Tony (Fernandez).”

Riddoch will be glad to get his team out of San Franisco, where this four-game series started with an all-out beanball brawl on Thursday night that left Sheffield and Fred McGriff with nagging injuries. McGriff is still day-to-day. And now, Harris. Could anything more go wrong?

“We could have had a wreck on the bus the way the Angels did,” Riddoch said.

Notes: McGriff said his sore rib cage felt better and that he hopes to return to the lineup Monday. Riddoch was not as optimistic. McGriff was not well enough to even pinch hit Sunday. … Jackson has allowed one earned run over his last six appearances, covering nine innings. … Snyder made his 15th straight start in the cleanup spot. … Matt Williams has not homered in 91 at-bats since May 22. … Melendez’s loss was his first out of the bullpen. He was 0-3 as a starter.


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