Reds Edge Giants on Davis Dash : He Scores From First on Wild Pickoff Attempt

Eric Davis scored all the way from first base on a wild pickoff attempt in the top of the 10th inning Wednesday, giving the Cincinnati Reds a 5-4 victory over the Giants at San Francisco.

Davis led off with a single to left and reliever Scott Garrelts (5-5) threw the ball away while attempting to pick Davis off first base. When first baseman Will Clark had trouble picking up the ball, Davis scored.

“He (Clark) knew Eric was running and that’s what happens when a guy can run,” said Cincinnati Manager Pete Rose.

“I felt we would win the game once we tied it up,” said a disappointed Giant Manager Roger Craig. “Garrelts normally doesn’t throw a ball away like that and then we should have been able to handle it. We struck out the next two batters so the runner never should have made it home.”

John Franco (4-1) pitched 1 innings for the victory.

“It’s pretty amazing,” said Franco of his 1987 season. “I’ve been pretty lucky so far. I’m not doing anything different from last year. I’m just getting the outs when I have to.”

San Francisco tied the score, 4-4, in the ninth on Rob Thompson’s suicide squeeze. Bob Brenly reached second on an error charged to third baseman Buddy Bell, who mishandled his grounder. Eddie Milner pinch ran and moved to third on a groundout. Bob Melvin walked and Thompson bunted to the right of the mound. Franco barehanded the ball and threw home, but his throw was too late to get Milner.

San Francisco tied the score in the third. Matt Williams led off with a pop fly single that second baseman Ron Oester lost in the sun. Grant then reached first on a bunt single--his first major league hit--and Thompson bounced into a forceout. Thompson stole second before Jeffrey Leonard delivered a sacrifice fly to center field. Will Clark then doubled to right to score Thompson with the tying run.

The Reds went ahead, 4-2, in the sixth. Parker reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Chris Brown and Bell doubled to send Parker to third. Bo Diaz drove in Parker with a groundout and, one out later, Oester was walked intentionally. But pitcher Guy Hoffman ruined the strategy by singling to right to score Bell.

Leonard hit his 13th home run of the year and first since May 31 in the sixth inning to make it 4-3.

Oakland 4, Kansas City 2--Mike Davis drove in three runs and Curt Young and Dennis Eckersley combined on a five-hitter to spark the Athletics over the Royals at Oakland.

Young (9-4) gave up two runs on four hits and struck out five over seven innings. Eckersley worked two innings to earn his third save.

“Curt is tough,” said A’s Manager Tony LaRussa. “We call him Cy Young over here. When he gets on the hill, we expect to win.”

Danny Jackson (3-10) allowed eight hits in 5 innings to become the major leagues’ first 10-game loser.

“To me, Danny Jackson pitched an excellent game today,” Davis said. “We got some cheap hits off him, but we also got some big hits.”