Sandoval lofts giant tribute to McCovey

Henry Schulman
MLB.com
On the 50th anniversary of Willie McCovey's major-league debut, Pablo Sandoval blasted a ball into the cove named for the Hall of Famer and was honored to do it.

"I'm happy right now because McCovey was here," Sandoval said. "I just wanted to do that. We talk every time he's in the clubhouse. I get the support of Willie Mays and Willie McCovey all the time. That's important for me."

It was important for the Giants, too. Riding four RBIs from Sandoval and three more from rampaging Eugenio Velez, they overcame a shortage of key players and beat the World Series champion Phillies 7-2 in the opener of a four-game series.

The Giants improved to 4-0 on a homestand that followed a 3-7 trip. They did so without new second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who will not play before Saturday, Aaron Rowand, who hopes to return tonight, and at the outset Randy Winn, who did not start because his father-in-law died but was pressed into service after Andres Torres reinjured his left hamstring running the bases.

"This series is a good test for us," said Sandoval, who used his bat all evening to say "I told you so" to Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. Manuel bypassed Sandoval for a late opening on the National League All-Star team in favor of his own right fielder, Jayson Werth.

Sandoval's response was a first-inning sacrifice fly, the third-inning homer (that he watched for a good spell) and a two-run double as part of a four-run fourth, all those runs unearned after a Pedro Feliz throwing error.

Sandoval insisted the All-Star snub did not motivate him, saying, "I don't care what happened in the past."

This week, the present looks good for the Giants. The future might look better when Sanchez finally joins the lineup and Rowand returns.

The immediate future brings today's 1 p.m. trade deadline. General manager Brian Sabean did not sound confident he will acquire a starting pitcher or another bat.

He said the hitters he wants (Josh Willingham?) were not available and the list of available pitchers "isn't very enticing against what the cost of doing business is. Unless something happens that I don't anticipate, I don't see that being an option."

Sanchez, his latest acquisition, has a sprained left knee, according to one of his agents. Manager Bruce Bochy said only that Sanchez has "some soreness and inflammation, and he'll be ready in a couple of days."

The Giants' other Sanchez, Jonathan, collected his fourth win of the year and first since his July 10 no-hitter. He performed nicely into the sixth against a Phillies lineup that brought 116 homers into the game, compared with 39 for the Giants.

He allowed two runs in 52/3innings that included a Chase Utley homer to end an eventful sixth-inning at-bat.

Sanchez threw the first pitch over Utley's head, and Utley stared him down. Utley then called a late timeout that seemed to upset the left-hander, who got a calm-down visit from Sandoval, Bengie Molina and Edgar Renteria.

Sanchez called the pitch an accident, and Bochy said, "It got away from him. We've got a five-run lead (actually six). We're trying to get outs. We'd be the only team in baseball trying to hit somebody there."

Maybe the Phils were convinced, maybe not. An inning later, former Giant Tyler Walker drilled Ryan Garko in the back, prompting warnings for both teams. Garko doubted Walker threw at him, but when Bochy was asked if the pitch looked intentional, he said, "It certainly looked like it."

Garko was in good enough spirits later to praise Sandoval as "a great player. He's got that special ability to put the barrel on the baseball no matter where the ball is. He reminds me a lot of Victor Martinez, with probably a little more power."

From: MLB.com

Philadelphia (58-42) Lost 2	San Francisco 7, Philadelphia 2 Today's Boxes 7/30/09 NYM 7, COL 0 BAL 7, KC 3 SD 7, CIN 4 BOS 8, OAK 5 MIL 7, WSH 3 CHC 12, HOU 3 ATL 6, FLA 3 COL 4, NYM 2 TEX 7, SEA 1 CWS 3, NYY 2 LAD 5, STL 3	San Francisco (56-46) Won 4
	July 30, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Philadelphia 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 3 San Francisco 2 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 X 7 9 0
	Standings thru 7/30/09 | Recap: PHI | SF | Wrap | Gameday

Philadelphia AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Rollins, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 0 .236 Utley, 2B 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 .305 Werth, RF 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 .265 Howard, 1B 4 0 1 1 0 1 2 .268 Ibanez, LF 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 .305 Francisco, B, CF 4 0 1 0 0 2 2 .250 Feliz, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 .291 Ruiz, C 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 .223 Lopez, Ro, P 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 a-Bruntlett, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .123 Kendrick, K, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 b-Dobbs, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .260 Walker, T, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 32 2 5 2 3 9 10 a-Struck out for Lopez, Ro in the 5th. b-Flied out for Kendrick, K in the 7th. BATTING 2B: Howard (23, Sanchez, J), Rollins (27, Sanchez, J), Francisco, B (22, Miller, Ju). HR: Utley (23, 6th inning off Sanchez, J, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Rollins 2; Utley 4; Werth; Howard 2; Francisco, B 2. RBI: Howard (78), Utley (70). 2-out RBI: Howard. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Francisco, B; Howard; Feliz 2. Team RISP: 0-for-5. Team LOB: 6. BASERUNNING SB: Rollins (20, 3rd base off Sanchez, J/Molina, B). FIELDING E: Werth (3, fielding), Feliz (10, throw), Utley (8, fielding). DP: (Feliz-Utley-Howard). San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Torres, CF 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 .247 Winn, CF-RF 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 .273 Velez, E, RF-CF 5 2 3 3 0 1 1 .294 Sandoval, P, 3B 4 1 2 4 0 0 2 .331 Molina, B, C 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 .262 Garko, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 .277 Valdez, M, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Howry, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Lewis, F, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .251 Renteria, SS 4 1 2 0 0 0 2 .255 Uribe, 2B 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 .279 Sanchez, J, P 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 .000 Miller, Ju, P 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .000 Ishikawa, 1B 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .268 Totals 33 7 9 7 4 6 13 BATTING 2B: Velez, E (3, Lopez, Ro), Sandoval, P (30, Lopez, Ro). HR: Sandoval, P (16, 3rd inning off Lopez, Ro, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Torres; Velez, E 4; Sandoval, P 6; Molina, B; Renteria 2. RBI: Velez, E 3 (5), Sandoval, P 4 (63). 2-out RBI: Velez, E 2; Sandoval, P 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Molina, B; Renteria; Sandoval, P. SF: Sandoval, P. GIDP: Velez, E. Team RISP: 3-for-7. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Torres (5, 2nd base off Lopez, Ro/Ruiz). CS: Velez, E (1, 2nd base by Lopez, Ro/Ruiz). Philadelphia IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Lopez, Ro (L, 3-1) 4.0 8 7 3 2 2 1 3.62 Kendrick, K 2.0 1 0 0 1 1 0 6.75 Walker, T 2.0 0 0 0 1 3 0 3.00 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Sanchez, J (W, 4-9) 5.2 3 2 2 3 7 1 4.81 Miller, Ju 1.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2.11 Valdez, M 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 4.89 Howry 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.55 WP: Walker, T. HBP: Garko (by Walker, T). Pitches-strikes: Lopez, Ro 72-46, Kendrick, K 22-14, Walker, T 40-23, Sanchez, J 99-61, Miller, Ju 14-9, Valdez, M 15-11, Howry 10-8. Groundouts-flyouts: Lopez, Ro 3-6, Kendrick, K 2-3, Walker, T 0-4, Sanchez, J 6-4, Miller, Ju 2-2, Valdez, M 0-2, Howry 0-2. Batters faced: Lopez, Ro 22, Kendrick, K 7, Walker, T 10, Sanchez, J 23, Miller, Ju 5, Valdez, M 4, Howry 3. Inherited runners-scored: Miller, Ju 1-0. Umpires: HP: Bill Welke. 1B: Todd Tichenor. 2B: James Hoye. 3B: Dale Scott. Weather: 61 degrees, cloudy. Wind: 15 mph, Out to CF. T: 2:45. Att: 36,603. July 30, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner

Club parts with righty Alderson for '06 NL batting champ

Club parts with righty Alderson for '06 NL batting champ Chris Haft MLB.com
An entirely new right side of the infield is the result of the Giants' efforts to improve the roster before Friday's Trade Deadline.

Wednesday's acquisition of second baseman Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates complemented Monday's deal with the Cleveland Indians for first baseman Ryan Garko. Like Garko, Sanchez is regarded as not only a potential offensive catalyst for the club's postseason push, but also as a performer who can help the team at least through next season.

To obtain Sanchez, a three-time All-Star who won the National League batting championship in 2006, the Giants yielded Double-A right-hander Tim Alderson, one of their most prized pitching prospects. But the Giants believe that they possess enough organizational pitching depth to withstand the losses of Alderson and Class A left-hander Scott Barnes, who was dealt for Garko.

"To think that we got two players of this caliber for two Minor League pitchers -- albeit they're probably going to pitch in the big leagues -- we're very fortunate," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said.

Speculation regarding a Sanchez deal intensified through the week as the Giants entertained the Pirates in a three-game series at AT&T Park. Sanchez's inflamed left knee, which sidelined him for the series, reportedly concerned the Giants enough to jeopardize the deal. But a re-examination of the 31-year-old on Wednesday allayed the club's fears.

Sanchez, who batted .296 with six home runs and 34 RBIs in 86 games, wasn't certain when he'll be able to resume playing. "It could be a day, two days or after the weekend," he said.

The uncertainty explained why a corresponding roster move to Sanchez's acquisition wasn't announced. He technically has 72 hours to report to the Giants, and they might use part of that time to let him heal and attend to personal matters.

When Sanchez does take the field for the Giants, he'll likely bat second, a berth that nine different players have inhabited this season. He'll also be easy to spot. Unlike most of the Giants, who swing freely and rarely work deep counts, the right-handed-batting Sanchez is what baseball people call a "professional hitter" who can hit to the opposite field proficiently and adjust to various situations.

"That's something I feel this club needs," manager Bruce Bochy said.

"When a guy is on second base, I do whatever I can to get him over," Sanchez said. "When a guy is on first base, I'll do everything I can to get him over."

Having joined the Pirates in 2004 after beginning his career in the Boston organization, Sanchez is unaccustomed to participating in the postseason -- which the Giants, who hold a half-game lead in the NL Wild Card standings, hope to sustain. But Sanchez, a lifetime .300 hitter with a .995 fielding percentage this season, sounded ready for the challenge.

"I'm not saying I can come in here and be a savior and hit .300 or .400," Sanchez said. "I'll tell you this: There won't be any plays where I'm not giving 100 percent."

Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand hailed Sanchez's arrival. "It's definitely a huge addition, offensively and defensively," Rowand said. "You're adding a true baseball player and a guy who cares to this team."

Sanchez is enduring a 3-for-34 slump. But he won't have to improve much to fill San Francisco's offensive void at his position. Giants second basemen entered Wednesday ranked last in the NL with 25 RBIs and next-to-last with a .604 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage), a .285 on-base percentage, a .229 batting average and 36 runs scored. The league averages for second basemen in those respective categories were 44, .744, .336, .268 and 53.

Sanchez is also relatively affordable. San Francisco will owe him approximately $2 million this year, the pro-rated portion of his $6.1 million salary. His $8.1 million option for 2010 becomes guaranteed if he reaches 600 plate appearances. He has 382. Even if he fell short, Giants officials indicated that they'd sign him for a similar figure. That should be well within the Giants' budget, since they could be shedding the seven-figure salaries of free-agent eligibles such as Bengie Molina, Randy Winn, Rich Aurilia, Noah Lowry, Juan Uribe and the already retired Dave Roberts.

"We expect [Sanchez] to be with us next year," Sabean said.

The day was a whirlwind for Sanchez. Not only did he leave the club with which he had played 676 games, but earlier Wednesday, he also watched the Pirates trade shortstop Jack Wilson to Seattle in a seven-player deal. The Pirates had offered modest contract extensions to both players, which neither seriously considered.

"Seeing him go made this move a lot less emotional for me," Sanchez said of Wilson. "He was my double-play partner and my best friend."

Alderson, a first-round selection (22nd overall) in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, was ranked as the Giants' fourth-best prospect by Baseball America entering this season. He was 7-2 with a 3.65 ERA in 18 starts for Double-A Connecticut and Class A San Jose. Sabean employed one of his signature phrases to describe parting with Alderson, calling it "the price of doing business."

Giants sweep Bucs on Winn's walk-off hit

Cain hurls nine shutout innings, lowers ERA to NL-low 2.12

Chris Haft MLB.com

Before the Giants acquired Freddy Sanchez on Wednesday, they spent the afternoon making themselves a more attractive destination for him.

Randy Winn's RBI single with two outs in Wednesday's 10th inning broke a scoreless tie and lifted the Giants to a 1-0 victory over the Pirates.

The decision assured the Giants of at least retaining a share of the National League Wild Card lead. It also completed San Francisco's first three-game sweep of the Pirates since April 29-May 1, 2005, at Pittsburgh.

Minutes after the game, the Giants announced the acquisition of Sanchez, who sat out the series with an injured left knee, in exchange for Minor League left-hander Tim Alderson.

The Giants hope that Sanchez can help generate the offense they lacked against the Pirates, who held them to eight runs in the series. Fortunately for the Giants, they made virtually every run count, especially Wednesday's solitary tally.

Eugenio Velez singled sharply up the middle to open the Giants' uprising against Pirates right-hander Matt Capps. Juan Uribe's sacrifice bunt moved Velez to second base before pinch-hitter Fred Lewis struck out. Andres Torres prolonged the inning with a walk.

Up came Winn, who grounded Capps' first pitch down the first-base line past a diving Steve Pearce to score Velez easily. Winn happens to be San Francisco's leading hitter with runners in scoring position, owning a .358 average (29-for-81) in such instances.

"I thought Torres did a good job drawing the walk and setting up that situation," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But you like it when Randy's up there with the game on the line."

In a sense, the game was on the line in every inning for Matt Cain, since the Giants couldn't score for him. Cain responded with yet another sterling effort, blanking Pittsburgh on three hits through nine innings. He allowed only two Pirates to advance as far as second base and retired 20 of the final 22 batters he faced.

"We won the game because of him, even though he didn't get the win," Bochy said. Brian Wilson struck out two Pirates while pitching the 10th inning to earn the decision.

The Giants' inability to score for Cain prevented him from becoming the Major Leagues' first 13-game winner. Cain was rewarded nevertheless, as he trimmed his ERA from 2.27 to a league-leading 2.12. His ERA in six July starts is 0.94.

Cain, whose fastball reached 96 mph in the ninth inning on AT&T Park's velocity readings, lobbied Bochy to pitch the 10th.

"I said I felt fine," Cain said. "It's a game where you know it's going to be tough, and obviously the way it was going, you have to stay in there the whole way. I tried to tell him that, but it didn't work."

Cain thrived despite striking out only four batters -- a marked contrast with co-ace Tim Lincecum, who struck out 15 Pirates on Monday. Though Cain remains capable of accumulating high strikeout totals, he has gained an appreciation for preserving his valuable 24-year-old arm.

"You're trying to find different ways to get guys out quicker, where maybe you don't have to exert as much energy," Cain said. "It's nice to strike out a lot of guys, but I figured I'd waste a lot of pitches."

Another arm the Giants must try to save is Edgar Renteria's. The shortstop, who turns 34 on Aug. 7, will need surgery after the season ends to remove a bone spur from his right elbow. Renteria made strong throws on a pair of sparkling ninth-inning plays, but Bochy announced that the veteran likely won't play consecutive games when a night game-day game sequence arises.

Meanwhile, Velez continued his bid to stick with the Giants, who face roster moves to accommodate Sanchez and infielder Rich Aurilia, when the latter returns from the disabled list. Velez, who homered and hit an RBI double Tuesday night, is 5-for-10 since his recall Monday from Triple-A Fresno.

"He's got a lot of confidence going," Bochy said of Velez. "That started in Fresno, the way he's been playing, and he brought it up here with him."

From: MLB.com

Pittsburgh (43-58) Lost 5 San Francisco 1, Pittsburgh 0 Today's Boxes 7/29/09 CHC 12, HOU 0 LAA 9, CLE 3 SEA 3, TOR 2 BAL 7, KC 3 NYY 6, TB 2 FLA 6, ATL 3 OAK 8, BOS 6 SD 7, CIN 1 DET 13, TEX 5 MIL 7, WSH 5 MIN 3, CWS 2 LAD 2, STL 2 ARI 4, PHI 0 San Francisco (55-46) Won 3 July 29, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E Pittsburgh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 San Francisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 8 0 Standings thru 7/29/09 | Recap: PIT | SF | Wrap | Gameday Pittsburgh AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG McCutchen, A, CF 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .275 LaRoche, An, 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .256 Young, De, 2B 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 .316 Jones, G, LF 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .323 Pearce, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 1 .184 Moss, RF 4 0 1 0 0 2 1 .250 Vazquez, R, SS 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 .237 Jaramillo, J, C 4 0 1 0 0 0 2 .255 Capps, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Duke, P 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .205 a-Salazar, Je, PH 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .067 Grabow, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Doumit, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .255 Totals 32 0 3 0 2 6 10 a-Walked for Duke in the 8th. BATTING TB: Jones, G; Moss; Jaramillo, J. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Vazquez, R; LaRoche, An. S: Duke. Team RISP: 0-for-4. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING SB: Jones, G (5, 2nd base off Cain/Molina, B). CS: Jones, G (1, 2nd base by Cain/Molina, B). FIELDING E: LaRoche, An (9, throw). DP: 2 (Vazquez, R-Young, De-Pearce, Vazquez, R-Young, De). San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Torres, CF 4 0 0 0 1 0 2 .241 Winn, RF 5 0 1 1 0 1 0 .273 Sandoval, P, 3B 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .329 Molina, B, C 4 0 1 0 0 0 1 .262 Garko, 1B 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .280 Renteria, SS 4 0 1 0 0 1 4 .252 Velez, E, LF 4 1 2 0 0 0 2 .261 Uribe, 2B 3 0 1 0 0 0 2 .284 Cain, P 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 .200 Wilson, B, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Lewis, F, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .255 Totals 34 1 8 1 2 4 15 a-Struck out for Wilson, B in the 10th. BATTING TB: Winn; Sandoval, P; Molina, B; Garko; Renteria; Velez, E 2; Uribe. RBI: Winn (41). 2-out RBI: Winn. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Renteria; Torres; Cain. S: Cain; Uribe. GIDP: Velez, E. Team RISP: 1-for-10. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Uribe (3, 2nd base off Duke/Jaramillo, J). Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Duke 7.0 6 0 0 1 1 0 3.26 Grabow 2.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.42 Capps (L, 2-6) 0.2 2 1 1 1 1 0 6.15 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Cain 9.0 3 0 0 2 4 0 2.12 Wilson, B (W, 3-4) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.11 WP: Duke, Wilson, B. Pitches-strikes: Duke 87-59, Grabow 20-16, Capps 16-9, Cain 111-75, Wilson, B 18-13. Groundouts-flyouts: Duke 15-4, Grabow 0-4, Capps 1-0, Cain 9-13, Wilson, B 1-1. Batters faced: Duke 27, Grabow 6, Capps 5, Cain 31, Wilson, B 4. Umpires: HP: Dale Scott. 1B: Delfin Colon. 2B: Mike DiMuro. 3B: Ron Kulpa. Weather: 68 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 14 mph, Out to CF. T: 2:32. Att: 37,582. July 29, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner

Velez leads Giants to victory over Pirates

Andrew Baggarly MercuryNews

Giants second basemen have been among the least productive units in baseball. A league-average player would represent a huge upgrade, to say nothing of a former batting champion like the Pittsburgh Pirates' Freddy Sanchez.

The Giants think that's a bright idea, too, but club officials were not close to a trade that would keep Sanchez in town past today's series finale at AT&T Park. Their first choice remains Florida's Dan Uggla, but the Marlins are four games over .500 and have been hesitant to put their players on the market.

In the meantime, Eugenio Velez was stunningly successful while playing the keystone Tuesday night. Called up a day earlier from Triple-A Fresno and starting at second base for just the third time this season, Velez hit a solo home run in the second inning and a tiebreaking double in the sixth, leading the Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates at China Basin.

At 33-15, the Giants have the best home winning percentage in the major leagues.

Nobody was suggesting Velez could be the answer to a prayer. But then again"...

"He's got all the tools," Giants Manager Bruce Bochy said. "This guy can run, throw, he's a switch hitter, he can play the outfield and second base — all the skills you like to see in a player."

Sanchez, for all he would cost in talent and salary, is no sure upgrade. He did not play for the second consecutive night because of left-knee soreness, and sources confirmed reports that the Giants' medical staff examined him Tuesday afternoon. It is not unusual, though, for an ailing player to be seen by the opposing team's doctor on the road.

Sanchez also is stuck in a miserable 3-for-34 streak over his past eight games, sending up another red flag.

The Giants are almost certain to deal for a middle infielder, though — especially after learning that shortstop Edgar Renteria will require right-elbow surgery after the season. Renteria intends to play through a painful bone spur with the aid of cortisone shots, but Juan Uribe is expected to spell him often.

Giants second basemen had combined for a .585 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) entering Tuesday's game; only Minnesota has received less production from second base, and the Twins were discussing Sanchez with the Pirates as well.

For one night, the Giants got some surprising power from the position. Velez's home run into the right-field arcade was just the second homer by the Giants in 12 games since the All-Star break and the fifth by Giants second basemen this season. It was Velez's first of the season and his second as a major leaguer.

Velez was the starting left fielder Monday, when he made a diving catch behind Tim Lincecum.

"He's comfortable and relaxed out there," Bochy said. "He's shown good discipline, which is a key for him. He got a lot of playing time at Fresno and sometimes that's all a guy needs."

The Giants featured a new right side of the infield. First baseman Ryan Garko, acquired Monday from the Cleveland Indians, was cheered in each at-bat but otherwise had a quiet night. He flied out twice, grounded out and was unlucky in the sixth, when he hit a hard line-out at second baseman Ramon Vazquez.

Barry Zito survived 52/3 innings and couldn't have scattered nine hits any better if he were Johnny Appleseed. He did not look pleased when he handed the ball to Bochy in the sixth.

"I definitely support the team, but yeah, I didn't expect to be taken out," said Zito, who yielded to Sergio Romo. "I support Boch's decisions. And it worked out."

Romo, who had been relegated to the back of the bullpen after a couple of rough outings, struck out Andrew McCutchen on three snappy pitches — fastball, slider, curve.

Jeremy Affeldt gave up a run for the first time since May 7, ending a streak of 271/3 scoreless innings — the longest by a Giants reliever in 40 years of measurable data, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Closer Brian Wilson pitched around Pablo Sandoval's error to record his National League-best 26th save.

From: MLB.com

Pittsburgh (43-57) Lost 4	San Francisco 3, Pittsburgh 2 Today's Boxes 7/28/09 KC 4, BAL 3 TB 6, NYY 2 FLA 4, ATL 3 NYM 4, COL 0 OAK 9, BOS 8 SD 3, CIN 2 TEX 7, DET 3 HOU 11, CHC 6 WSH 8, MIL 3 MIN 5, CWS 3 STL 10, LAD 0 PHI 4, ARI 3 LAA 7, CLE 6 SEA 4, TOR 3	San Francisco (54-46) Won 2
	July 28, 2009 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Pittsburgh 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 10 0 San Francisco 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 X 3 10 1
	Standings thru 7/28/09 | Recap: PIT | SF | Wrap | Gameday

Pittsburgh AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG McCutchen, A, CF 5 1 1 0 0 2 3 .281 Young, De, RF 4 0 2 1 1 0 0 .323 Jones, G, LF 5 0 1 0 0 0 3 .323 Doumit, C 5 0 2 0 0 2 3 .255 Pearce, 1B 3 0 0 0 1 1 3 .206 LaRoche, An, 3B 3 1 1 0 1 0 3 .259 Vazquez, R, 2B 4 0 1 0 0 1 1 .244 Cruz, L, SS 3 0 2 1 0 0 2 .429 Morton, P 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 .083 Chavez, J, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Moss, PH 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .250 Hanrahan, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 36 2 10 2 3 10 22 a-Struck out for Chavez, J in the 8th. BATTING 2B: McCutchen, A (13, Zito), Jones, G (7, Zito), LaRoche, An (19, Affeldt). TB: McCutchen, A 2; Young, De 2; Jones, G 2; Doumit 2; LaRoche, An 2; Vazquez, R; Cruz, L 2. RBI: Young, De (24), Cruz, L (1). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: LaRoche, An 2; McCutchen, A. SF: Cruz, L. Team RISP: 2-for-7. Team LOB: 11. San Francisco AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG Torres, CF 4 1 1 0 0 1 1 .253 Winn, RF 3 0 0 0 1 0 2 .274 Sandoval, P, 3B 4 0 2 1 0 1 2 .330 Molina, B, C 4 0 2 0 0 1 3 .262 Lewis, F, LF 4 1 1 0 0 1 3 .256 Garko, 1B 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .280 Wilson, B, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Velez, E, 2B 3 1 2 2 1 0 0 .238 Uribe, SS 4 0 2 0 0 1 3 .284 Zito, P 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 .125 Romo, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 a-Guzman, Je, PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .143 Affeldt, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 Medders, P 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 b-Ishikawa, PH-1B 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .268 Totals 33 3 10 3 3 6 21 a-Popped out for Romo in the 6th. b-Struck out for Medders in the 8th. BATTING 2B: Velez, E (2, Morton), Torres (4, Chavez, J). HR: Velez, E (1, 2nd inning off Morton, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Torres 2; Sandoval, P 2; Molina, B 2; Lewis, F; Velez, E 6; Uribe 2. RBI: Velez, E 2 (2), Sandoval, P (59). 2-out RBI: Velez, E. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Uribe; Molina, B; Guzman, Je; Garko; Winn. S: Winn. Team RISP: 2-for-11. Team LOB: 11. BASERUNNING SB: Lewis, F (8, 2nd base off Morton/Doumit), Uribe (2, 2nd base off Hanrahan/Doumit). FIELDING E: Sandoval, P (8, fielding). Outfield assists: Winn (Young, De at 2nd base). Pittsburgh IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Morton (L, 2-3) 6.0 6 2 2 3 5 1 3.72 Chavez, J 1.0 3 1 1 0 0 0 3.70 Hanrahan 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 0 6.70 San Francisco IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Zito 5.2 9 1 1 2 6 0 4.54 Romo (W, 3-1) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 6.00 Affeldt (H, 22) 1.1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1.33 Medders (H, 6) 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.38 Wilson, B (S, 26) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3.18 HBP: Torres (by Hanrahan). Pitches-strikes: Morton 107-65, Chavez, J 13-8, Hanrahan 21-11, Zito 100-71, Romo 3-3, Affeldt 22-14, Medders 8-4, Wilson, B 17-11. Groundouts-flyouts: Morton 4-9, Chavez, J 2-1, Hanrahan 0-2, Zito 3-7, Romo 0-0, Affeldt 2-2, Medders 0-1, Wilson, B 0-1. Batters faced: Morton 27, Chavez, J 6, Hanrahan 5, Zito 27, Romo 1, Affeldt 6, Medders 2, Wilson, B 4. Inherited runners-scored: Romo 2-0, Medders 1-1. Umpires: HP: Ron Kulpa. 1B: Dale Scott. 2B: Delfin Colon. 3B: Mike DiMuro. Weather: 57 degrees, cloudy. Wind: 14 mph, Out to CF. T: 3:01. Att: 35,972. July 28, 2009 Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner