Chris Haft
MLB.com
The Giants' 2-1, 14-inning loss on Friday night to the Pirates surely will renew the cries for San Francisco's front office to obtain a hitter to bolster the offense.
But that sentiment will rise from the Giants' fan base and the team's critics, not from the clubhouse.
Garrett Jones' second home run of the game -- a leadoff blast off reliever Bob Howry -- broke a 1-1 tie in the 14th and gave the Giants an ominous start to the season's second half.
One or two timely hits might have settled the outcome in San Francisco's favor long before Howry's fateful confrontation with Jones. Yet after mustering seven hits and going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, the Giants, whose run production has improved incrementally as the season has lengthened, felt no need to campaign for a deal by the July 31 Trade Deadline that would strengthen their postseason bid.
"Look at where we were in the first half. We were playing great ball," said right-hander Tim Lincecum, who displayed his All-Star form by recording his 16th career double-digit strikeout game. "I think if we do the same things ... good things will happen."
Outfielder Randy Winn echoed Lincecum.
"I believe in the guys we have in this room," Winn said. "Up to this point, we've played very good baseball. There's no reason we can't continue that through the rest of the season."
Nor did the Giants, who lead the National League Wild Card standings, allow themselves to believe that beginning the season's theoretical second half with a defeat bodes ill for them.
"We played an excellent ballgame," closer Brian Wilson said. "The other team played an excellent ballgame as well. They ended up winning. That's not going to change our way of playing or thinking at all. We're still an excellent team; we're going to continue to play like we are."
"I don't think you can panic after one game," Winn said.
The four-day All-Star break didn't dull the Giants' pitching.
Lincecum sustained a typical effort. His seven innings featured 10 strikeouts and was marred only by Jones' two-out homer in the first.
"I had trouble finding my rhythm. That's obviously a key for me," the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner said. "I think I found a little bit better rhythm as the game went on, especially the later innings."
Once Lincecum departed, having thrown 118 pitches, five relievers combined to no-hit Pittsburgh from the eighth through the 13th innings. None of them needed more than 19 pitches to complete his outing -- a critical factor for the Giants, since their bullpen is bound to be tested on this three-city, 10-game excursion.
"You don't like to start a trip with guys working as much as they did tonight, but we're fine," manager Bruce Bochy said.
San Francisco's defense also remained sharp. With the score tied at 1, Pittsburgh nearly grabbed the lead in its half of the seventh. Brandon Moss, whose two-out single prolonged the inning, advanced to second base as Andy LaRoche struck out on a wild pitch and tried to score on Jack Wilson's single to right field. But Winn's strong one-hop throw beat Moss to the plate. Catcher Bengie Molina applied the tag and held onto the ball despite being bowled over by Moss.
Meanwhile, Pirates starter Paul Maholm retired 18 of San Francisco's first 19 batters -- a stretch interrupted only by Juan Uribe's second-inning single -- until the Giants pulled even in the seventh inning. Winn singled leading off before Pablo Sandoval legged out an infield hit. Maholm retired Molina on a line drive to shortstop. After Winn stole third base, Edgar Renteria was retired on a popup. Then Maholm's 0-1 pitch to Uribe skipped away from catcher Ryan Doumit, prompting Sandoval to dash for second base. Freddy Sanchez couldn't hold onto Doumit's throw as Sandoval slid in, enabling Winn to score as the ball trickled away.
That was essentially it for the Giants' offense, though Nate Schierholtz doubled with two outs in the 10th inning, and they had runners on first and second with one out in the 13th.
"You're not going to win games without a hit with runners in scoring position unless you hit the ball out of the ballpark," Bochy said.
Jones comprehended that logic. He concluded the extended affair, which was prolonged by a 45-minute pregame rain delay, by mashing Howry's 0-1 pitch over the right-center-field seats and into the Allegheny River on one hop. A rookie promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 30, Jones has homered in four consecutive games.
"I threw him a split and it didn't dive enough," said Howry (0-5). "It was down, but right in his wheelhouse, I guess."
From: MLB.com
 San Francisco (49-40) Lost 2 | Pittsburgh 2, San Francisco 1 |  Pittsburgh (39-50) Won 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 7/17/09 | Recap: SF | PIT | Wrap | Gameday |
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