BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Giants Really Stole That No-Hitter

It was a managerial maneuver designed simply to make something happen on the basepaths, nothing more, nothing less.

It might have been even silly. After all, when San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker gave the sign Saturday night to Mark Carreon to start running on a 2-and-2 pitch to Royce Clayton with two out in the seventh, Carreon had to look twice.

This is a guy who has not stolen a base since 1993, but he was given the steal sign. Carreon shrugged his shoulders, took off running, and Clayton slapped a high forkball into the hole.

“If [Carreon] isn’t running, I got him easy at second,” Dodger shortstop Jose Offerman said.

Offerman, with no choice but to throw to first, missed getting Clayton by a half-step. It proved to be the difference in Hideo Nomo throwing a no-hitter and ending up with a one-hitter.

“We sure weren’t getting many baserunners,” Baker said, “so I figured we’d get the infielders moving. I was hoping to get that one hit, the next stop was to end the shutout, and then the next stop was to win the ballgame. Well, it stopped there, but we didn’t get no-hit.”

Said Carreon: “It turned out to be a great move. If we don’t do that, we’re still talking about a no-hitter.”

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The Giants may have faced Nomo three times now, but the uncanny part, Baker said, is that Nomo is getting better and better. The Giants are batting only .056 against Nomo, and .036 since Darren Lewis’ leadoff single in start No. 2.

“He’s looking better every time we see him,” Baker said. “What do we have, four hits in 23 innings?”

Maybe not everyone is impressed with Nomo.

“You guys think he’s invincible or something,” Giant all-star left fielder Barry Bonds said. “He’s not invincible, man. He’s no [Greg] Maddux. He’s no Cy Young winner. He may win rookie of the year, but that’s about it.”

Bonds, by the way, is hitless in nine at-bats against Nomo with four strikeouts.

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Third baseman Tim Wallach, who has played only two innings in the last five days because of a stiff lower back, showed considerable improvement Sunday and is expected to return to the lineup today or Tuesday.