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Sunday, Aug. 20 5:00pm ET
Witasick's hits end decade-long drought | |||||
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GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO -- If Jay Witasick sticks to schedule, his next hit should come in 2010. Witasick hit two run-scoring singles -- his first two big league hits and RBI -- to help himself to his first National League victory as the San Diego Padres beat the Montreal Expos 5-4 Sunday. His last hit came in his one and only at-bat during his senior year of high school in 1990. "A home run, dead center. My high school coach will verify it," Witasick said. There was no need for verifying his hits Sunday. Both came with two outs, following intentional walks to Wiki Gonzalez. His second single capped the four-run third, in which only one run was earned because of first baseman Lee Stevens' error. Actually, now that he's in the NL, Witasick probably will pick up his hitting pace a little bit. "It's just an incredible feeling to know you're able to help this team with the bat," said Witasick, who spent his first 4½ seasons in the American League and came into this game 0-for-16 in his career. "That's a whole new aspect of the game I have to learn. It's one of those things where you have to get it done because it could cost you the ballgame." Witasick's first hit was a liner to right that fell in front of Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero thought he might have a play at first, but Stevens didn't cover the bag, irritating Guerrero. "Somebody told me, if you go to right field, happen to punch it through the hole, be careful because he can throw you out at first base," Witasick said. "I had that feeling like, 'Hey, this might be a snap throw right here, I better get down the line.' And I kind of stumbled out of the box." Expos manager Felipe Alou wasn't thrilled that Witasick got his first two hits off his staff. "We've got to make better pitches there," Alou said. Witasick was pulled after allowing Jose Vidro's two-run homer in the seventh that pulled the Expos to 5-4. Vidro, who went 3-for-4, homered for the second consecutive game and has 20 on the season. Witasick (1-1) pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, and 10 hits while striking out seven and walking two. Witasick had a blister on his middle finger that developed sometime after his last start. "I'm just glad it didn't get any more irritated as the game went along," he said. Trevor Hoffman pitched 1 1/3 innings for his 33rd save in 39th opportunities. He came on with a runner on first and two outs in the eighth and struck out Fernando Seguignol. The Expos have lost nine of 10. Montreal took a 1-0 lead in the second on Brian Schneider's run-scoring double and the Padres tied it in the bottom of the inning when Witasick hit an opposite-filed single to right with two outs to score Bret Boone, aboard on a leadoff single. The Padres scored four runs on four hits and an error in the third. With runners on first and second and one out, Stevens let Boone's grounder roll under his glove for an error, allowing Ryan Klesko to score from second. John Mabry hit a run-scoring double, Ruben Rivera had an RBI groundout and after Gonzalez again was intentionally walked, Witasick singled to center to score Mabry. "The biggest play was the groundball that eluded Stevens," Alou said. "That was play of the game." Stevens claimed he had no chance on the ball. "It moved a couple of times and it just took off. There wasn't much I could do about it." Expos starter Felipe Lira (3-3) lasted just three innings, allowing five runs, two earned, on six hits while walking three. He was making just his second start of the year, taking Mike Johnson's place in the rotation. Game notesVidro tied Mike Lansing's 1997 club record for most homers by a second baseman. ... The Padres finished 5-4 against the Expos, just the second time in 11 seasons they've won the season series. ... Lira went longer in his last appearance, four innings of relief against San Francisco on Tuesday night, than he did in his start Sunday. He also lost against San Francisco. | ALSO SEE Baseball Scoreboard Montreal Clubhouse San Diego Clubhouse RECAPS Cleveland 12 Seattle 4
San Diego 5
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