It might have been the slowest home run trot in major league history, but Bengie Molina meant no disrespect.
He simply couldn't go any faster.
Molina certainly quickened hearts on a chilly night at China Basin. Out of the lineup again because of a sore right quadriceps, he came off the bench and delivered a three-run home run in the eighth inning, sending the Giants to a sudden and significant 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night.
Molina, pinch hitting for Ryan Garko, drilled an 0-2 slider from Chad Qualls high into the foggy air, and after a seemingly interminable wait, it settled into the first row of the left-field bleachers.
A smallish crowd of 27,645 erupted and wouldn't stop chants of "Ben-gee" until Molina acknowledged them with a curtain call. Worn down by a heavy workload over the weekend at Coors Field and miscast for two seasons in the cleanup spot, Molina's swing might have been his biggest in three years as a Giant. "It's been a battle for me," said Molina, who wasn't sure if he would be in the lineup today. "I've played more than usual. I haven't gotten many days off to refresh myself. But I feel good. "I have a feeling I'll finish strong." And what about those chants from the stands? "Unbelievable," Molina said. "I haven't gotten that feeling the whole year. The fans, believe it or not, are a big part of this. I hope they understand that. They can pump you up big-time." Or they can voice disapproval. They exercised that right when Justin Miller relieved Jonathan Sanchez to begin the eighth inning. "Oh yeah, I can hear it," said Miller, who fueled Monday's crushing defeat at Coors Field in which he walked Colorado pitcher Adam Eaton with the bases loaded. "I understand where they're coming from, but I'm ready to help this team. What's in the past is in the past." Miller moved forward with a scoreless eighth to receive the victory. It was the wonder drug he needed after he failed to retire any of the last nine hitters he faced in Colorado. "I woke up in my bed (Tuesday), saying, `What the hell happened?' " Miller said. "I felt like I fell off a third-story building. It was physically and mentally exhausting. "But I knew what I was capable of. Those two games, it wasn't me." Sanchez allowed a leadoff home run to Ryan Roberts to begin the game but gave the Giants exactly what their weary bullpen needed. He pitched seven innings and his only two walks — one intentional — came during the Diamondbacks' two-run rally in the sixth inning. With closer Brian Wilson unavailable after throwing 70 pitches over the previous two nights, Brandon Medders retired the final three hitters — against his former team, no less — to record his first career save. Medders wasn't supposed to be Wilson's understudy, but Sergio Romo couldn't get loose in time. That's how suddenly Molina's shot changed the game. Soft-tossing left-hander Doug Davis dominated a lineup that lacked Molina and Pablo Sandoval, who had a respiratory ailment in addition to a bruised right calf. But Edgar Renteria quietly began the winning rally with a two-out, seven-pitch walk in the eighth, and Randy Winn followed with a soft single. Qualls relieved Davis, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't hesitate to replace Ryan Garko with Molina, who was 3-for-5 against the Diamondbacks closer. Qualls threw three consecutive sliders. The third one stayed in Molina's happy zone. The Giants took their team photo Wednesday afternoon. Then they took the field knowing that a victory would improve their playoff picture one way or the other. As it turned out, the Los Angeles Dodgers won at Colorado, allowing the Giants to move within three games of the Rockies in the wild-card race. From: MLB.com
 Arizona (55-72) Lost 2 | San Francisco 4, Arizona 3 |  San Francisco (69-58) Won 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Standings thru 8/26/09 | Recap: ARI | SF | Wrap | Gameday |
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