Giants Come Storming Back in a Big Way

Russ Ortiz and Barry Bonds made sure the San Francisco Giants escaped Shea Stadium with at least one victory.

Ortiz shut out the Mets on one single for seven innings, Bonds had a season-high four hits and the Giants averted a four-game sweep Monday night with an 11-1 romp over the New York Mets.

Bonds, held to one single in 11 at-bats in the opening three games of the series, went four for four. His luck, and the Giants’ fortunes, seemed to change as soon as he lined a single in his first at-bat.

“I got to first base and told Todd [Met first baseman Zeile] that I was bound to get a hit sooner or later,” Bonds said.

The National League West leaders ended a five-game winning streak for the Mets. The Giants even had fans at Shea--where the Mets had won 12 of 13--booing the home team in the late innings.

“It may not sound like much, but it’s nice to get out of here without getting swept,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said.

Ortiz (8-10) held the Mets hitless until Mike Bordick’s leadoff single in the sixth. The right-hander won his third consecutive start and extended his scoreless streak to 19 innings.

“I can’t control what happened before in the other games,” he said. “I didn’t feel any extra pressure to win.”

Ortiz worked around six walks, twice getting Mike Piazza to ground into double plays, and improved to 4-0 lifetime against the Mets.

Limited to one earned run in 32 innings in the series, the Giants broke loose for five runs in the sixth against Rick Reed (7-3) and added six more in the seventh off Dennis Cook.

Bonds singled to set up both big innings, while Ortiz capped the Giants’ scoring with a two-run single.

Aaron Fultz relieved Ortiz to start the eighth and served up a home run to Jay Payton on his second pitch. Robb Nen pitched the ninth to complete the two-hitter.

Reed, with just one loss in his previous 14 starts, blanked the Giants on three singles for five innings.

But after singles by Bill Mueller and Bonds to start the sixth, Reed--one of the majors’ best control pitchers--made his biggest mistake when he hit Jeff Kent with a pitch to load the bases with no outs.

J.T. Snow’s sacrifice fly broke the scoreless tie, Ellis Burks and Rich Aurilia followed with RBI singles and Bobby Estalella’s two-run double made it 5-0.

“It was one of those games where they did everything right and we didn’t do anything right,” Reed said.