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  Monday, Aug. 7 10:15pm ET
Hernandez chips in two hits, two RBI
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Livan Hernandez fell short of his first career shutout. The victory was still as sweet.

Livan Hernandez
Hernandez

Hernandez went 2-for-3 with two RBI and took a shutout into the ninth inning Monday night, leading the San Francisco Giants over the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1.

Hernandez (11-8), who doesn't have a shutout in 103 career starts, allowed nine hits in 8 1/3 innings, struck out seven and walked one, leaving after Henry Blanco's RBI double in the ninth.

"What can I say? One day it will come," said Hernandez, who has taken a shutout into the eighth inning in three of his last four starts. "Today was a big opportunity. Oh well, I'll just get ready for my next start."

When manager Dusty Baker went out to pull Hernandez, the ball was loose on the grass. Baker picked it up and when Hernandez reached out for it, Baker shook his hand instead and they both laughed. Hernandez left to a standing ovation.

"Livan was awesome all the way around," Baker said. "Great pitching, excellent at the plate and a Gold Glove in the field. It was Livan's night. He thinks like a hitter and that's why he pitches so well. He knows he can hit and that's half the battle."

Hernandez has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games.

San Francisco, which remained one game ahead of Arizona in the NL West, has won six of eight. The Giants stopped Milwaukee's three-game winning streak.

Hernandez hit a two-run single in the second, sacrificed in the fourth, singled in the sixth and lined out in the seventh. He is hitting .311 (19-for-61) with eight RBI, leading NL pitchers in hits.

"Forget the pitching, the guy can hit," Giants outfielder Marvin Benard saud. "Any time he goes out there we all feel comfortable because he gives you six or seven innings and he helps himself with the bat. You've got to root for a guy who goes out and pitches the way he does and handles the bat like that."

John Snyder (3-6) allowed five runs, five hits and six walks in four innings.

"My first inning was good. The rest was pretty bad," said Snyder, 0-4 in eight starts since June 22. "I just need to throw more strikes. I need to keep it simple."

San Francisco took a 3-0 lead in the second. Jeff Kent and Ellis Burks walked, Rich Aurilia singled in a run and after Bobby Estalella walked, loading the bases, Hernandez then singled to right-center field.

"He makes good contact every time he puts the ball in play," Estalella said.

Burks' sacrifice fly in the third and Benard's RBI double in the fourth made it 5-0.

"I can't think about anything good to say about what happened," Brewers manager Davey Lopes said. "It was a study in how not to pitch. If you can't throw strikes at this level, you're not going to win."

Bonds doubled home a run in the sixth and Aurilia hit a two-run homer off Rafael Roque in the seventh.

Hernandez escaped a second-and-third, two-outs jam in the seventh when Blanco grounded out and another in the eighth when Richie Sexson bounced out.

Game notes
Giants RHP Joe Nathan is scheduled to make his second rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Fresno in Tacoma. ... Roque, the Brewers' opening-day pitcher in 1999, made his 2000 debut on Monday. ... The Brewers have not won more than three games in a row this season. They have had four three-game winning streaks. ... The 13 walks by Brewers' pitchers were the most to the Giants this year.
 


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