No slow start for Zito this year

Giants lefty strikes out two while tossing two shutout frames

Chris Haft
MLB.com
In one respect, Barry Zito already has improved vastly over last Spring Training.

Zito faced 72 Cactus League batters in 2008 before recording a strikeout. On Saturday at the Peoria Sports Complex, Zito slipped a called third strike past Ronny Cedeno, the second batter he faced. The left-hander remained stingy during his two hitless innings against the Seattle Mariners, walking one, striking out two and allowing one ball to be hit out of the infield.

Zito's effort, Fred Lewis' first-inning homer and the growing intensity of the second-base competition salvaged the Giants' 6-4 exhibition loss. San Francisco broke a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning before the Mariners scored three runs off Alex Hinshaw in their half of the eighth.

Zito attributed his success to late movement on his fastball. That, in turn, came from "being loose [and] being relaxed," he said. "... When you're not loose and you're a little tense, [hitters] can see everything right when it comes out of your hand."

Zito spent the offseason training with Giants closer Brian Wilson, a noted workout-aholic. Their regimen included long-distance catch, known within the game as "long toss," at a distance of 300 feet.

"I just let the ball go," Zito said. "Then I apply the same thing and let it go at 60 feet."

Zito also indicated that he no longer feels mentally burdened by last season, when he finished 10-17 with a 5.15 ERA after opening the year 0-6 with a 7.53 ERA in seven starts.

"I definitely came through a lot, so it just feels good to be myself once again and prove to myself that it was in there last year," Zito said.

Lewis, who was limited to two at-bats by discomfort in his surgically repaired right foot, explained that the scar tissue in his foot has begun to break up, forcing him to continue to play every other day for now.

"We just have to be cautious," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Lewis gave Zito a 1-0 lead with a two-out homer off Mariners starter Carlos Silva in the first inning, but was removed by Bochy after lining out to deep left field in the third. "Coming in today, knowing that my at-bats were limited -- swing hard," Lewis said, describing his hitting approach.

Eugenio Velez, who had played the previous three games in the outfield, started his first Cactus League game at second base and made an immediate impression in the first inning by charging leadoff batter Endy Chavez's bunt, barehanding the ball and firing it to first for the out.

"There aren't a lot of guys who can make that play," Zito said. "That just shows what he's capable of."

Not to be outdone, Kevin Frandsen, another second-base candidate, dove to his right to smother Cedeno's low fifth-inning line drive and record the out at first. Frandsen also manufactured the Giants' go-ahead run in the eighth by singling with one out, coaxing a balk from reliever Stephen Kahn, advancing to third on a fly ball and scoring on Pablo Sandoval's single.

Then Hinshaw yielded Chris Woodward's homer to christen the Mariners' eighth. Four of the next five hitters collected hits as Seattle pulled away.

Hinshaw, who looked promising in 48 appearances last year, is on the 40-man roster, which conceivably gives him an edge over the legion of non-roster invitees competing for a relief role. But Bochy indicated that he won't base his decisions on roster status.

"We're staying open-minded," he said.

From: MLB.com

San Francisco	Seattle 6, San Francisco 4 Today's Boxes 2/28/09 ATL 6, TOR 3 BAL 4, FLA 2 BOS 14, NEU 0 DET 7, NYM 2 PIT 6, HOU 5 PHI 12, TB 5 STL 9, WSH 2 MIN 7, NYY 3 MIL 5, LAA 3 CHC 13, CWS 0 OAK 1, CLE 0 SD 2, KC 2 TEX 6, ARI 4 LAD 13, COL 5 BOS 16, CIN 5	Seattle
	February 28, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E San Francisco 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 10 2 Seattle 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 X 6 10 0
	Standings | Recap: SEA

San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Winn, CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Torres, CF 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .167 Velez, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .222 Frandsen, 2B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .800 Lewis, LF 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 .400 Bowker, LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .111 Sandoval, P, 3B 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 .333 2-Rohlinger, PR-3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Ishikawa, 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .556 McClain, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rowand, DH 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 .333 1-Bocock, PR-DH 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Gillaspie, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Schierholtz, RF 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .400 Downs, RF 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .333 Uribe, SS 3 0 2 1 0 0 0 .364 Burriss, SS 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .429 Holm, C 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .167 Whiteside, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 b-Phelps, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Totals 36 4 10 3 0 1 10 a-Flied out for Bocock in the 9th. b-Grounded out for Whiteside in the 9th. 1-Ran for Rowand in the 7th. 2-Ran for Sandoval, P in the 8th. BATTING 2B: Uribe 2 (3, Silva, Hernandez, G), Rowand (1, Hernandez, G), Downs (1, Messenger). HR: Lewis (1, 1st inning off Silva, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Frandsen; Lewis 4; Sandoval, P 2; Ishikawa; Rowand 2; Schierholtz; Downs 2; Uribe 4. RBI: Lewis (2), Uribe (3), Sandoval, P (1). 2-out RBI: Lewis; Sandoval, P. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rowand; Velez; Phelps. Team LOB: 5. FIELDING E: Bowker (1, fielding), Schierholtz (1, fielding). Seattle AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Chavez, LF 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 .000 Woodward, LF 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .667 Cedeno, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .143 Tuiasosopo, M, 3B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Branyan, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 .333 Shelton, 1B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .400 Lopez, J, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .167 Crabbe, 2B 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .600 Clement, C 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Moore, C 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 .250 Gutierrez, F, CF 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 .500 Redman, CF 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 .375 Carp, DH 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 .429 a-LaHair, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .400 Halman, RF 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 .286 Wilson, RF 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 .250 Corona, SS 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 .333 Navarro, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 33 6 10 5 1 8 11 a-Struck out for Carp in the 8th. BATTING 2B: Tuiasosopo, M (2, Hinshaw). HR: Woodward (1, 8th inning off Hinshaw, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Woodward 4; Tuiasosopo, M 2; Lopez, J; Crabbe; Moore; Gutierrez, F; Redman; Carp; Halman; Corona. RBI: Corona (2), Chavez (1), Woodward (2), Moore (1), Redman (1). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Branyan; Wilson. SF: Chavez. Team LOB: 5. FIELDING PB: Moore (1). Outfield assists: Woodward (Uribe at 3rd base). San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Zito 2.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0.00 Martinez, J (H, 1) 2.0 3 2 2 0 2 0 9.00 Ray (BS, 1) 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 0 9.00 Sosa 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Medders 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Hinshaw (BS, 1)(L, 0-1) 0.2 5 3 3 0 1 1 21.60 Matos, O 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Seattle IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Silva 2.0 5 2 2 0 0 1 9.00 Batista 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Corcoran 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Hernandez, G (BS, 1) 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 4.50 Kahn 0.2 2 1 1 0 1 0 13.50 Lugo (W, 1-0) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Messenger (S, 1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Martinez, J pitched to 2 batters in the 5th. Balk: Kahn. Groundouts-flyouts: Zito 3-1, Martinez, J 2-1, Ray 1-1, Sosa 1-1, Medders 1-1, Hinshaw 1-0, Matos, O 0-1, Silva 4-2, Batista 3-3, Corcoran 3-0, Hernandez, G 3-2, Kahn 0-1, Lugo 1-0, Messenger 1-2. Batters faced: Zito 7, Martinez, J 9, Ray 5, Sosa 3, Medders 3, Hinshaw 7, Matos, O 1, Silva 11, Batista 6, Corcoran 3, Hernandez, G 7, Kahn 4, Lugo 1, Messenger 4. Inherited runners-scored: Ray 2-2, Matos, O 2-0, Lugo 1-0. Umpires: HP: Dan Bolino. 1B: Jeff Macias. 2B: Jake Uhlenhopp. 3B: Mike Muchlinski. Weather: 78 degrees, sunny. Wind: 5 mph, Out to CF. T: 2:29. Att: 6,021. February 28, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner

Giants notes: Sanchez impresses

Andrew Baggarly
Mercury News

Jonathan Sanchez departs Monday to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. By the looks of things, the rest of Pool D is in trouble.

Sanchez didn't look like a No. 5 starter as he mowed through the Kansas City Royals on Friday. The left-hander appeared in total control, pumping his mid-90s fastball while striking out four in three innings of a 6-1 exhibition loss at Scottsdale Stadium.

The Giants wanted Sanchez to reach 45 pitches before he hopped on a plane for San Juan, and that's exactly what he did. He'll be on a limit of 45 pitches in his first WBC game and 65 pitches the next time out. Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said pitching coach Dave Righetti has spoken with Puerto Rico Manager Jose Oquendo to make sure Sanchez maintains his throwing schedule.

"It will be a great experience for him," Bochy said. "It'll only help. He'll be stronger this year and a little smarter."

Sanchez followed Randy Johnson, who hit 90 mph on the radar gun and struck out two in two innings. Johnson had trouble with his split-finger fastball, hitting a batter with one and bouncing another for a wild pitch, but otherwise was pleased with the day's work.

"Other than my senior moment there, I felt pretty good," Johnson, 45, said. "This time the last two years I wasn't pitching in games. It's a nice position to be in. I know I'll wake up feeling good."

Kevin Frandsen broke up the Royals' shutout bid with a home run inside the left-field pole in the eighth inning. He said it hasn't been a struggle to regain his timing after missing nearly all of last season. "My swing is short and simple," Frandsen said. "There's not a lot going on with it."

Buster Posey received the day's loudest ovation when he made his Cactus League debut in the ninth inning. Posey showed good discipline when he took a pair of two-strike breaking balls, but he then struck out on a fastball away.

From: MLB.com

February 27, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Kansas City 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 6 8 0 San Francisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 1

Standings | Recap: KC | SF

Kansas City AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Callaspo, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Hernandez, L, 2B 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.000 Aviles, M, SS 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 .333 1-Lisson, PR-SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Butler, DH 3 1 0 0 1 1 2 .333 a-Clark, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Shealy, 1B 2 2 1 3 0 0 0 .500 Ka'aihue, 1B 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 .500 Olivo, C 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 .600 House, C 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Suomi, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Smith, Cor, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 .000 Hulett, 3B 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 .000 Maier, CF 3 0 0 1 0 2 2 .143 Robinson, D, CF 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1.000 Murphy, LF 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .400 Lubanski, RF 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 .333 Duarte, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 Totals 33 6 8 6 3 8 16 a-Grounded into a double play for Butler in the 9th. 1-Ran for Aviles, M in the 7th. BATTING 2B: Olivo (1, Ortiz). 3B: Murphy (1, Sanchez). HR: Shealy (1, 6th inning off Ortiz, 2 on, 0 out). TB: Hernandez, L; Aviles, M 2; Shealy 4; Olivo 3; Murphy 3; Lubanski. RBI: Maier (3), Aviles, M (1), Shealy 3 (3), Robinson, D (1). 2-out RBI: Aviles, M. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Callaspo; Murphy 2. SF: Robinson, D. GIDP: Clark. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING CS: Olivo (1, home by Johnson/Molina, B). FIELDING DP: (Lisson-Hernandez, L-Ka'aihue). San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Velez, LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 Rohlinger, 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 Renteria, SS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .167 Bocock, SS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Posey, B, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Aurilia, 1B 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .500 McClain, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Molina, B, C 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .143 Whiteside, C 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Williams, C 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1.000 Bowker, RF 3 0 0 0 0 2 3 .143 Downs, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Phelps, DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Uribe, 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 Guzman, J, 3B-LF 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Burriss, 2B 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Frandsen, 2B 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 .750 Torres, CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 .200 Totals 30 1 5 1 2 5 6 a-Struck out for Bocock in the 9th. BATTING 2B: Molina, B (1, Tejeda). HR: Frandsen (1, 8th inning off Hamulack, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Molina, B 2; Williams; Burriss; Frandsen 4; Torres. RBI: Frandsen (3). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Bowker 2; Phelps. GIDP: Rohlinger. Team LOB: 4. BASERUNNING CS: Burriss (1, 2nd base by Tejeda/Olivo). FIELDING E: Guzman, J (1, fielding). PB: Whiteside (1). DP: (Bocock-Frandsen-McClain). Kansas City IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Greinke (W, 1-0) 2.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Tejeda (H, 1) 2.0 2 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 Wright, J (H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Soria 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Lowery 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 Hamulack 1.0 2 1 1 0 1 1 9.00 Wright, M 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Johnson (L, 0-1) 2.0 1 1 1 0 2 0 4.50 Sanchez 3.0 3 1 1 0 4 0 3.00 Ortiz 1.0 2 3 2 1 1 1 18.00 Wilson 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Taschner 1.0 0 1 1 2 1 0 9.00 Sadler 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 WP: Johnson, Taschner. HBP: Shealy (by Johnson), Lisson (by Sadler). Groundouts-flyouts: Greinke 3-2, Tejeda 2-2, Wright, J 2-1, Soria 1-1, Lowery 2-1, Hamulack 2-0, Wright, M 0-2, Johnson 1-2, Sanchez 2-3, Ortiz 2-0, Wilson 1-2, Taschner 1-1, Sadler 2-1. Batters faced: Greinke 6, Tejeda 8, Wright, J 3, Soria 3, Lowery 4, Hamulack 4, Wright, M 4, Johnson 7, Sanchez 12, Ortiz 7, Wilson 4, Taschner 5, Sadler 4. Umpires: HP: Paul Schrieber. 1B: Ted Barrett. 2B: Angel Campos. 3B: Delfin Colon. Weather: 75 degrees, sunny. Wind: 5 mph, Out to RF. T: 2:38. Att: 5,384. February 27, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner

Cain strong, Rowand homers in loss

Hurler allows just one hit, a dinger, in spring debut vs. Dodgers

Chris Haft

MLB.com

DODGERS 16, GIANTS 7
at Scottsdale, Ariz.
Thursday, Feb. 26

Dodgers at the plate: After Russell Martin homered in the first inning, Los Angeles temporarily made the game lopsided with a five-run second inning. Martin contributed a two-run double before Blake DeWitt, Delwyn Young and Xavier Paul added RBI singles. The Dodgers received insurance in the seventh inning on Mitch Jones' sacrifice fly and run-scoring doubles by Juan Castro, Jamie Hoffman and Paul. Valentino Pascucci and Chin-lung Hu homered during a six-run ninth.

Giants at the plate: Held hitless for four innings, the Giants roused themselves to score four runs in the fifth. Aaron Rowand's leadoff homer preceded doubles by Travis Ishikawa and Kevin Frandsen, Rich Aurilia's single, Randy Winn's sacrifice fly, Edgar Renteria's single and Fred Lewis' RBI single. The Giants narrowed the difference to 6-5 on Aurilia's ground-rule double and John Bowker's RBI single in the sixth. Juan Uribe added a two-run double in the seventh.

Dodgers on the mound: Starter Randy Wolf worked two perfect innings, throwing 15 strikes in 21 pitches. Scott Strickland halted the Giants' fifth-inning rally, surviving an error and working out of a bases-loaded jam.

Giants on the mound: Matt Cain looked strong, except for the poorly located pitch to Martin. Rookie right-hander Kevin Pucetas worked two scoreless innings. Half of the team's new relief tandem thrived, as Bob Howry pitched a scoreless sixth, but Jeremy Affeldt yielded four runs in the seventh.

Cactus League records: Giants 1-1; Dodgers 1-1

Up next: San Francisco will host Kansas City on Friday at 12:05 p.m. PT. Randy Johnson will oppose Royals right-hander Zach Greinke. The Dodgers will visit Seattle, as right-hander Chad Billingsley opposes left-hander Erik Bedard.

From MLB.com

LA Dodgers	LA Dodgers 16, San Francisco 7 Today's Boxes 2/26/09 WSH 2, DET 1 ATL 8, HOU 7 MIN 10, CIN 4 PIT 3, BOS 2 BAL 11, STL 3 TOR 6, PHI 2 NYM 9, FLA 0 NYY 5, TB 1 ARI 15, CLE 9 CHC 7, MIL 4 LAA 3, OAK 1 SEA 4, SD 4 KC 7, TEX 2 CWS 4, COL 1	San Francisco
	February 26, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LA Dodgers 1 0 5 0 0 0 4 0 6 16 17 1 San Francisco 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 0 7 12 1
	Standings | Recap: LAD | SF

LA Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Furcal, SS 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 .000 De Jesus, I, SS 3 0 0 0 0 2 2 .000 Hudson, 2B 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 .500 1-Hu, PR-2B 3 1 1 3 0 0 0 .333 Martin, C 2 2 2 3 1 0 0 1.000 Ellis, C 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 .333 Loretta, 1B 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 .333 Pascucci, 1B 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 .667 DeWitt, 3B 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 .333 Castro, J, 3B 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 1.000 Young, LF 3 0 1 1 0 2 0 .200 Jones, M, LF 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 .000 Repko, CF 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 .250 Hoffmann, RF 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 .667 Paul, RF-CF 5 1 3 3 0 0 1 .500 Abreu, DH 5 1 0 0 0 0 3 .143 Totals 43 16 17 16 4 4 11 1-Ran for Hudson in the 4th. BATTING 2B: Martin (1, Misch), Castro, J (1, Affeldt), Hoffmann 2 (2, Affeldt, Romo), Paul (1, Romo). HR: Martin (1, 1st inning off Cain, 0 on, 2 out), Pascucci (1, 9th inning off Romo, 0 on, 0 out), Hu (1, 9th inning off Romo, 2 on, 2 out). TB: Hudson; Hu 4; Martin 6; Ellis; Loretta; Pascucci 5; DeWitt; Castro, J 3; Young; Hoffmann 4; Paul 4. RBI: Martin 3 (3), DeWitt (2), Young (1), Paul 3 (3), Castro, J (1), Jones, M (1), Hoffmann 2 (2), Pascucci (1), Hu 3 (3). 2-out RBI: Martin; Paul 2; Hoffmann; Hu 3. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Abreu 2. SF: Jones, M. GIDP: Loretta. Team LOB: 5. FIELDING E: Young (1, fielding). DP: 2 (Castro, J-Hu-Pascucci, De Jesus, I-Hu-Pascucci). San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Winn, RF 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 .000 Bowker, RF 2 0 1 1 0 1 2 .250 Renteria, SS 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 .250 Uribe, SS 3 0 2 2 0 0 1 .333 Wald, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Lewis, LF 3 0 1 1 0 0 1 .333 Velez, LF 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .667 Molina, B, C 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Holm, C 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .333 Whiteside, C 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Sandoval, P, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 .200 Rohlinger, 3B 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .500 Rowand, CF 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 .333 Torres, CF 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 .000 Ishikawa, 1B 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 .800 Phelps, 1B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Frandsen, 2B 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 .667 Burriss, 2B 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Aurilia, DH 3 1 2 0 0 0 1 .667 1-Bocock, PR-DH 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Guzman, J, PH-DH 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 .000 Totals 37 7 12 7 4 4 18 a-Walked for Bocock in the 8th. 1-Ran for Aurilia in the 6th. BATTING 2B: Ishikawa (1, Stults), Frandsen (1, Stults), Aurilia (1, Broxton), Rohlinger (1, Mota), Uribe (1, Garate). HR: Rowand (1, 5th inning off Stults, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Bowker; Uribe 3; Lewis; Velez; Rohlinger 2; Rowand 4; Ishikawa 2; Frandsen 2; Burriss; Aurilia 3. RBI: Rowand (1), Frandsen (2), Winn (2), Lewis (1), Bowker (1), Uribe 2 (2). 2-out RBI: Bowker; Uribe 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rowand 2; Torres; Velez. SF: Winn. GIDP: Holm; Rohlinger. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Lewis (1, 2nd base off Strickland/Ellis). FIELDING E: Rohlinger (1, fielding). DP: (Sandoval, P-Ishikawa). LA Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Wolf (W, 1-0) 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Weaver 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 Stults 1.1 6 4 4 1 0 1 27.00 Strickland (H, 1) 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Broxton (H, 1) 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 9.00 Mota 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Garate 1.0 2 2 2 1 1 0 18.00 Martinez, E 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Cain (L, 0-1) 1.2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5.40 Misch 0.2 4 5 5 2 0 0 67.50 Joaquin 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Pucetas 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 Howry 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Affeldt 1.0 5 4 4 0 0 0 36.00 Matos, O 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Romo 1.0 5 6 3 0 1 2 27.00 WP: Garate. Groundouts-flyouts: Wolf 1-5, Weaver 0-2, Stults 0-4, Strickland 0-1, Broxton 1-2, Mota 2-0, Garate 1-1, Martinez, E 2-1, Cain 3-1, Misch 2-0, Joaquin 0-2, Pucetas 4-1, Howry 1-1, Affeldt 1-2, Matos, O 3-0, Romo 0-2. Batters faced: Wolf 6, Weaver 4, Stults 11, Strickland 3, Broxton 5, Mota 4, Garate 6, Martinez, E 3, Cain 7, Misch 8, Joaquin 3, Pucetas 7, Howry 3, Affeldt 8, Matos, O 3, Romo 9. Inherited runners-scored: Strickland 2-0, Misch 1-0, Joaquin 2-1. Umpires: HP: Jeff Macias. 1B: Gary Darling. 2B: . 3B: Brian Reilly. Weather: 76 degrees, sunny. Wind: 3 mph, Out to CF. T: 3:08. Att: 5,803. February 26, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner

Homers get Giants off to good start

Ishikawa belts two long balls; Schierholtz also goes yard

Tom Singer
MLB.com

Giants 10, Indians 7
at Goodyear, Ariz.
Feb. 25, 2009

Giants at the plate: First baseman Travis Ishikawa, expected to be the Giants' first baseman, made that projection look brilliant by going 3-for-3 including two homers that drove in three runs. Nate Schierholtz added a two-run homer in the sixth to break open a tight game.

Indians at the plate: Mark DeRosa properly introduced himself to Indians fans with a three-run blow in the third inning off Keiichi Yabu. Cleveland's offense kept featuring the long ball -- Stephen Head snapped a 4 1/3-inning hitless string by Giants pitchers with a foul-line-hugging solo homer in the seventh, and Michael Aubrey added another solo shot in the eighth. Trailing 10-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, the Indian got the tying run to the plate with two outs, but Michael Brantley grounded out.

Giants on the mound: Consider Tim Lincecum's short-but-sweet outing a tease; the National League Cy Young Award winner pitched only a scoreless first, starting off with a strikeout of Grady Sizemore and brushing aside a two-out single by Jhonny Peralta. Brandon Medders (two innings) and Luis Perdomo combined for three hitless innings.

Indians on the mound: Starter Jeremy Sowers struggled in a high-pitch-count first, then had a snappy second. The next three pitchers also were scored upon until non-roster invitee Vinnie Chulk, who spent the last 2 1/2 seasons with the Giants, pitched a hitless seventh.

Cactus League records: Giants 1-0; Indians 0-1.

Up next: The NL West rivalry enters a new dimension Thursday as the Giants host the Arizona-newcomer Dodgers in their Cactus League home opener; Matt Cain is set to start against left-hander Randy Wolf. The Indians stay home to host the D-backs; left-hander Aaron Laffey will start against Arizona's Dan Haren, with seven other Tribe hurlers slated to work.

From MLB.com

San Francisco	San Francisco 10, Cleveland 7 Today's Boxes 2/25/09 DET 5, ATL 4 BOS 7, BC 1 CIN 7, TB 0 FLA 5, STL 5 NYY 6, TOR 1 NYM 9, BAL 3 PIT 8, PHI 2 HOU 6, WSH 3 LAA 12, CWS 3 TEX 12, KC 7 CHC 5, LAD 3 OAK 3, MIL 3 SD 4, SEA 3 ARI 5, COL 3 MIN 3, BOS 2	Cleveland
	February 25, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E San Francisco 1 0 0 1 1 4 0 3 0 10 11 0 Cleveland 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 3 0 7 10 0
	Standings | Recap: SF | CLE

	San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Winn, RF 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 Bowker, RF 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Renteria, SS 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 .333 Bocock, SS 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Sandoval, P, 3B 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 .500 Guzman, J, 3B 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Molina, B, C 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 Holm, C 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1.000 Ishikawa, 1B 3 2 3 4 0 0 0 1.000 McClain, 1B 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Rowand, CF 3 0 1 0 0 1 2 .333 1-Velez, PR-LF 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 1.000 Schierholtz, LF 3 1 1 2 0 1 0 .333 Torres, CF 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 .000 Burriss, 2B 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Frandsen, 2B 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 .500 Uribe, DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 a-Whiteside, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Totals 36 10 11 10 1 5 7 a-Grounded into a double play for Uribe in the 8th. 1-Ran for Rowand in the 6th. BATTING 2B: Renteria (1, Sowers), Burriss (1, Perez, R). HR: Ishikawa 2 (2, 4th inning off Jackson, 0 on, 1 out; 6th inning off Mujica, 1 on, 1 out), Schierholtz (1, 6th inning off Mujica, 1 on, 1 out). TB: Renteria 2; Sandoval, P; Holm; Ishikawa 9; Rowand; Velez; Schierholtz 4; Burriss 2; Frandsen. RBI: Ishikawa 4 (4), Winn (1), Schierholtz 2 (2), Velez (1), Torres (1), Frandsen (1). 2-out RBI: Ishikawa. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Rowand. SF: Torres. GIDP: Whiteside. Team LOB: 2. BASERUNNING SB: Velez (1, 2nd base off Mujica/Gimenez). FIELDING Pickoffs: Yabu (Francisco at 1st base). Cleveland AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Sizemore, CF 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 .333 1-Brantley, PR-CF 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 .500 DeRosa, 3B 3 1 1 3 0 0 1 .333 Hodges, 3B 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Peralta, SS 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Valdez, SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Martinez, C 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 Gimenez, C 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 .000 Garko, 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 .500 Aubrey, 1B 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 .500 Francisco, LF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 LaPorta, LF 3 1 1 0 0 1 3 .333 Carroll, 2B 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Barfield, 2B 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 .500 Santana, C, DH 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 .000 a-Espino, D, PH-DH 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 .500 Crowe, RF 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 Head, S, RF 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1.000 Totals 36 7 10 7 4 4 13 a-Grounded out for Santana, C in the 7th. 1-Ran for Sizemore in the 5th. BATTING 2B: Garko (1, Yabu), Sizemore (1, Yabu), Barfield (1, Pichardo), Espino, D (1, Pichardo). HR: DeRosa (1, 3rd inning off Yabu, 2 on, 1 out), Head, S (1, 7th inning off Hinshaw, 0 on, 2 out), Aubrey (1, 8th inning off Pichardo, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Sizemore 2; Brantley; DeRosa 4; Peralta; Garko 2; Aubrey 4; LaPorta; Barfield 2; Espino, D 2; Head, S 4. RBI: DeRosa 3 (3), Head, S (1), Aubrey (1), Barfield (1), Espino, D (1). 2-out RBI: Head, S; Aubrey; Barfield; Espino, D. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Brantley; LaPorta. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING PO: Francisco (1st base by Yabu). FIELDING DP: (Valdez-Barfield-Aubrey). San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Lincecum 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00 Yabu (BS, 1) 2.0 3 3 3 1 0 1 13.50 Medders (W, 1-0) 2.0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0.00 Perdomo 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 Hinshaw 1.0 2 1 1 0 0 1 9.00 Pichardo 0.2 4 3 3 0 1 1 40.50 Beltran (H, 1) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.00 English (S, 1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 Cleveland IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Sowers 2.0 3 1 1 0 2 0 4.50 Jackson 2.0 1 1 1 0 0 1 4.50 Perez, R 1.0 1 1 1 0 0 0 9.00 Mujica (L, 0-1) 1.0 3 4 4 1 0 2 36.00 Chulk 2.0 3 3 3 0 1 0 13.50 Herges 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00 WP: Chulk. HBP: Gimenez (by Beltran), Aubrey (by English), McClain (by Chulk). Groundouts-flyouts: Lincecum 1-1, Yabu 3-2, Medders 3-3, Perdomo 0-2, Hinshaw 2-1, Pichardo 0-1, Beltran 1-1, English 0-1, Sowers 1-3, Jackson 4-2, Perez, R 3-0, Mujica 2-1, Chulk 4-1, Herges 1-0. Batters faced: Lincecum 4, Yabu 9, Medders 7, Perdomo 4, Hinshaw 5, Pichardo 6, Beltran 5, English 2, Sowers 9, Jackson 7, Perez, R 4, Mujica 7, Chulk 9, Herges 3. Inherited runners-scored: Beltran 1-0, English 1-0. Umpires: HP: Ted Barrett. 1B: Bill Miller. 2B: Cory Blaser. 3B: David Rackley. Weather: 75 degrees, sunny. Wind: 1 mph, Out to LF. T: 2:53. Att: 4,181. February 25, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner