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GAME LOG
DENVER (AP) -- His team pounded out 15 hits and raised its run
total in the four-game series to 50, but all Colorado manager Buddy
Bell wanted to talk about was the Rockies' pitching.
Following six consecutive losses, Masato Yoshii (4-7) posted his
third straight victory, allowing four runs and nine hits in seven
strong innings, as the Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 11-4
Thursday.
|  | | Rockies starting pitcher Masato Yoshii delivers in the second inning at Coors Field on Thursday. |
The Rockies, in the midst of 21 games in 20 days, needed Yoshii
to pitch deep into the game to rest the bullpen.
"Yoshii gave us a big day," Bell said. "He gave us exactly
what we needed. We expect that out of him because of the way he
works and his competitiveness."
Yoshii drew motivation from a bad play after he failed to cover
first on a ball hit to first baseman Todd Helton in the third
inning.
"I thought I almost lost the game with that stupid play, a play
even a Little Leaguer wouldn't do," Yoshii said. "However, right
after that, there was a liner to shortstop and I got the double
play. So I thought, 'OK, this is going to be my time."'
Added Bell, "I think the time he didn't cover first really
bothered him. I think it got him going. He is so proud of the way
his game is fundamentally."
A key inning for the Rockies came in the eighth, when the
Giants, trailing 9-4, loaded the bases on three straight singles
with no outs off Gabe White. But Stan Belinda struck out the next
three batters -- pinch-hitters Ellis Burks and Felipe Crespo -- plus Marvin Benard.
"As a reliever, that situation right there is the tops,"
Belinda said. "That's as good as it gets, no question. Gabe has
been carrying this whole bullpen all year long, so it was nice to
help. I've been struggling, and hopefully this game gets me on a
roll so I can contribute every day just like the other guys."
Jeff Cirillo had three hits and drove in three runs as Colorado
took three of four games from the Giants. Neifi Perez, Brent Mayne
and Larry Walker each added two RBIs.
The Rockies, extending the best home record in the majors to
28-9, overcame a 3-2 deficit with three runs in the fifth,
highlighted by Cirillo's two-run double.
Cirillo had seven hits and nine RBIs in the last two games. On
Wednesday night, Cirillo had three homers among his four hits,
drove in six runs and scored five in Colorado's 17-13 win.
"We were throwing the ball pretty good until we got here,"
Giants manager Dusty Baker said. "It's been a frustrating four
days. They're one of the best teams in baseball at home."
Barry Bonds put the Giants up 1-0 in the first with a towering
homer off Yoshii.
Bonds' 449-foot shot was the 11th to reach the third deck in
Coors Field and the second this season -- both by Bonds. His 28th
homer, tying Mark McGwire for most in the majors, gave him 800 RBIs
since coming to the Giants in 1993.
Colorado tied it in the second on Mayne's RBI single and went
ahead 2-1 in the third when Terry Shumpert tripled off Joe Nathan
(4-2) and scored on Walker's sacrifice fly.
San Francisco's Ramon Martinez and Armando Rios had back-to-back
triples in the fourth, with Martinez reaching when right fielder
Jeffrey Hammonds lost his long fly ball in the sun.
In the fifth, Bonds singled and scored on Jeff Kent's double.
Colorado went ahead 5-3 in its half. Perez led off with a
single, was sacrificed to second and scored on Tom Goodwin's hit to
center that was stretched into a double. Shumpert was hit by a
pitch before Cirillo doubled down the right-field line, reaching
third on Rios' error. But Nathan then struck out Todd Helton.
Nathan, a converted shortstop, hit his second homer of the
season in the sixth.
In the Rockies' half, Mayne doubled and scored on Perez's single
for a 6-4 lead.
Colorado scored three more times in the seventh off Aaron Fultz.
Walker doubled, Cirillo laid down a bunt single and Helton lined an
RBI single. Mayne followed with a sacrifice fly and Perez an RBI
single.
Walker and Cirillo added RBI singles in the eighth off Alan Embree.
Game notes
Before the game, the Rockies honored the 50th anniversary
of the Korean War, introducing several veterans. Four jets from the
Colorado National Guard participated in a flyover. ... When Nathan
homered in the sixth, it marked the second straight game in which a
Giants starting pitcher homered. Livan Hernandez did it Wednesday
night. ... Bonds had 556 RBIs with Pittsburgh. ... When Belinda
rescued White, it kept White's scoreless streak intact at 24
innings -- the longest in club history and the longest in the majors
this season.
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