Vizcaino an Unlikely Star for Giants

Jose Vizcaino has so few career homers that he can easily rank them by importance. His 15th is at the top of the list.

Vizcaino’s two-run homer tied the score in the eighth inning Sunday at Cincinnati, and the San Francisco Giants sent 11 batters to the plate in a five-run 10th inning for an 8-3 victory over the Reds.

The Giants rallied from a three-run deficit--their 31st come-from-behind victory--to move into first place in the West, a game ahead of the Dodgers.

“We have a knack to come back in these games,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “That’s something we’ve done for most of the year.”

Not like this. Vizcaino, a light-hitting shortstop with only 14 career homers, hit a two-run shot in the eighth off Stan Belinda to tie it, 3-3. Vizcaino had only two other homers this season and none since June 27, a span of 128 at-bats.

“I guessed right,” Vizcaino said. “I guessed he would throw me a first-pitch fastball. I never do that. I guess I’m going to have to start guessing more often.”

No one would have guessed that Vizcaino would turn the game on a homer. Until Sunday, his most memorable shot was a game-winning homer in extra innings in 1993.

“With the pennant race, for me this is the bigger one,” Vizcaino said.

Florida 8, Atlanta 4--The Marlins finally got something out of the leadoff spot from slumping Devon White, who had four hits and three RBIs as the Marlins took three of four from the Braves at Miami.

The Marlins cut the Braves’ lead in the East to 5 1/2 games. The teams play four times at Atlanta next weekend.

White had been two for 28 with nine strikeouts since coming off the disabled list July 28. Making his seventh consecutive start in the leadoff spot, he went four for five and stole a base.

Florida’s Alex Fernandez (13-8) tied a career high with 10 strikeouts in eight innings, and won his third consecutive start. The Marlins scored seven runs in the first three innings against rookie Kevin Millwood (2-3).

Houston 3, New York 2--The Astros overcame some tough luck to win this one at Houston.

In the fifth inning, Houston’s Sean Berry led off with a long drive to left which hit a speaker hanging from the Astrodome ceiling. The ball bounced back toward the infield and Berry reached second with a double. He was stranded there, and the game went into the bottom of the ninth tied, 2-2.

But Greg McMichael’s 0-2 pitch hit Luis Gonzalez with the bases loaded and two outs to force home the winning run.

“We were fortunate to win this one,” said second baseman Craig Biggio, who scored the winning run.

With two outs in the ninth, Biggio singled to center and stole second before McMichael (7-9) walked pinch-hitter Thomas Howard and Jeff Bagwell to load the bases. McMichael then hit the left-handed hitting Gonzalez on the right leg.

The Astros have won 20 of 25 games and retained a six-game lead over Pittsburgh in the Central.

Pittsburgh 8, Colorado 4--Kevin Polcovich’s bad-hop ground ball double traveled barely 150 feet but scored two runs in the eighth inning as the Pirates rallied again against the Rocky bullpen at Pittsburgh.

Tony Womack went four for four, reached base five times and finished off the Pirates’ five-run eighth against relievers Steve Reed and Curt Leskanic with a two-run homer.

Leskanic also gave up Kevin Young’s decisive three-run homer Thursday as the Pirates came back to win, 4-1.

The Pirates are 7-1 against the Rockies, rallying to win in all but one victory while going 5-1 against them in Three Rivers Stadium.

This time, Reed (3-5) inherited a 4-3 lead in the eighth from Jamey Wright but couldn’t hold it, hitting Randa and walking Mark Smith before Keith Osik put down his first sacrifice bunt of the season.

Polcovich’s grounder against an in-tight infield then skipped under rookie shortstop Neifi Perez’s glove into short left field, scoring Randa and Smith standing up.

Turner Ward followed with a run-scoring double before Womack homered, giving Matt Ruebel (3-2) the victory even though he gave up Larry Walker’s go-ahead RBI single in the seventh.

Walker was three for four to finish 10 for 16 with four homers, three doubles, six RBIs and seven runs scored in the four-game series, raising his average to a major league-leading .393.

Philadelphia 10, St. Louis 1--Mark Leiter pitched a seven-hitter in his first complete game in almost a year as the Phillies routed the Cardinals at Philadelphia.

Leiter hit Mark McGwire with a pitch in the first inning, then retired the Cardinals’ new slugger on a groundout, pop out and strikeout.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Result Tony Womack Pittsburgh 4 for 4, Win homer, 2 RBIs Tony Barron Philadelphia 4 for 4, Win double, 3 runs Devon White Florida 4 for 5, double, Win 2 runs, 3 RBIs Samy Sosa Chicago 2 for 6, 3 RBIs, Win game-winning homer

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Result Pedro Martinez Montreal 9 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, Win 10 strikeouts, 3 walks Mark Leiter Philadelphia 9 innings, 7 hits, 1 run, Win 6 strikeouts, 1 walk

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