Daniel Brown - MercuryNews
Let's play 2,584!
Omar Vizquel broke a longevity record in appropriately grueling fashion Sunday, starting both ends of the Giants' emotionally and physically draining doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Florida Marlins.
Vizquel's celebration was muted by the scores: The Giants lost 8-6 in the first game and 5-4 in the second, the latter defeat coming on Dan Uggla's bases-loaded, tiebreaking single with two out in the ninth.
By appearing in both games, Vizquel set the record for most games played at shortstop - a mark held by Luis Aparicio, who capped his career starting both ends of a doubleheader at Fenway Park on Sept. 28, 1973.
"It's sad because it doesn't really let you have as much fun as you want," Vizquel, 41, said in an otherwise silent clubhouse. "It was a pretty big moment for me. Very emotional. But I'm not going to enjoy this very much. . . . Maybe next week."
Instead, Uggla and the Marlins did the celebrating. The second baseman hit his major-league-leading 16th home run (a two-run shot) for the go-ahead runs in Game 1 before getting mobbed for his heroics in Game 2.
His final swing concluded a day that took 7 hours, 17 minutes from the first pitch to the last (including a 29-minute rain delay).
The Giants wasted not only Vizquel's milestone moment, but also an epic afternoon from Bengie Molina, who went 6 for 7 with four doubles and four RBIs and threw out Hanley Ramirez trying to steal. In the three-game series, the catcher went 9 for 12 and has raised his average to .327.
"He did everything today," Manager Bruce Bochy said of Molina.
Still, it wasn't enough, as the Giants were undone by more ill-timed mistakes in suffering their first doubleheader sweep since 1996.
With the Giants leading 5-3 in the third inning of Game 1, for example, starter Patrick Misch walked in one run, then balked home another; suddenly it was 5-5 without a Marlins hitter needing to move a muscle.
When they did swing, it was worse. Misch gave up three home runs and seven earned runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He has yet to win any of his 25 major league appearances, including nine starts.
"I really wasn't in control of too many pitches," Misch said. "It all kind of ballooned on me."
The Giants got a better start in Game 2, but - and this should sound familiar - they wasted Matt Cain's solid performance. (He has won only twice in 11 starts.)
This time, the right-hander gave up two runs over six innings and left leading 4-2. But relievers Keiichi Yabu, Jack Taschner, Tyler Walker and Brian Wilson failed to execute the jobs they were summoned to do.
Last in line was Wilson, who came in with Wes Helms at second and the score 4-4. The crushing mistake was a two-out walk to light-hitting Alfredo Amezaga to load the bases and set the stage for lava-hot Uggla.
"Walks hurt us," Bochy said. "They're killing us."
The twin losses resulted in a bittersweet afternoon for Vizquel. To his surprise, the Giants let him take his position virtually alone before the bottom of the sixth, after the game had become official. As the scoreboard flashed a congratulatory message, the crowd of 14,674 cheered - as did players from both teams.
"I felt pretty proud, pretty emotional at that moment," Vizquel said.
The Hall of Fame requested a few mementos from the record-breaking day. Aparicio will attend the Giants' return to San Francisco on Friday to salute Vizquel in person.
Still, even Vizquel, the 11-time Gold Glover, stumbled as he climbed the last rungs of the ladder. He went 0 for 11 in the series.
In Game 1, he committed his first error of the season.
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