Saturday, April 10, 2010

Undefeated Giants open at home with a bang


Henry Schulman SFGate/San Francisco Chronicle In brute-force impact, Aaron Rowand's belly-first slide was the TNT equivalent of his nose-first meeting with the center-field fence in Philadelphia years ago.

"Violent," manager Bruce Bochy said.

"Fitting," reliever Sergio Romo called it. "Fitting for that type of game, fitting that he goes head-first into first base and we're now 4-0."

Indeed, the majors' only undefeated team remained so with a 5-4, 13-inning victory over Atlanta in a home opener Friday that will be remembered for two deafening cymbal crashes.

The first was Edgar Renteria's two-run homer with one out in the ninth, on a hanging slider from Billy Wagner, that tied the game 4-4 and actually prompted the new Atlanta closer to say, "He's not hitting .700 for no reason."

The second was Rowand's slide on his two-out infield hit in the 13th that scored Juan Uribe from third to end a 4-hour, 1-minute fight of attrition - Bochy used his entire bench and bullpen - and the longest home opener by innings in San Francisco history.

"Great team win," said Bochy, who would have had Barry Zito throw next had he needed to replace winner Jeremy Affeldt.

There are no trends this early in a season. The sample size is too small. You look at signs, and a lot of the Giants' are positive.

They went to Houston and swept an inferior team.

They rebounded from a 3-0 deficit to win Friday. Last year, it took the Giants 108 games to win a game when they were trailing by at least three.

They beat a good Braves team despite not playing their best. They hit into two first-pitch double plays against Tim Hudson to erase the only baserunners they had in the first six innings. Giants pitchers walked nine, but the offense did not draw one until Uribe's one-out pass in the 13th, which started the winning rally against Kris Medlen.

Though Uribe had only 10 steals over the last five seasons and 13 innings of wear on his legs, Bochy had him run with Rowand up and two outs. Rowand swung at the 0-1 pitch and hit catcher Brian McCann in the chest with his backswing, forcing McCann's throw into center field. That allowed Uribe to take third.

McCann argued for interference, but home-plate umpire Tim Tschida said no, Rowand did nothing wrong. Manager Bobby Cox might have earned his record 154th ejection arguing that call had he not earned it in the top of the inning arguing a strike call.

Medlen's next pitch was the game's last. Rowand grounded one deep into the hole at short. Yunel Escobar gloved it and heaved a high throw to first. Rowand would have beaten it standing up but took no chances, and thus his hard belly slide.

"I had no idea how close it was," Rowand said. "I had no idea where the ball was. I knew he went deep into the hole. As soon as I saw him glove it, I put my head down. I still don't know how close it was."

It was close enough that any little contribution helped. Dan Runzler walked home a run in the eighth to give the Braves a 4-2 lead but retired the next two hitters with the bags full to keep it close. Eugenio Velez opened the ninth with a double against Wagner that made Renteria's homer a tying one.

And so on.

"We're just trying to keep things rolling," Rowand said. "Everybody's having fun, and 4-0 is not too bad."

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