Colon Seizes Opportunity

Bartolo Colon took a look at San Francisco’s batting order and let out a sigh of relief. Then he pitched the Montreal Expos past the Giants, 7-2, Saturday.

Facing a lineup without Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Rich Aurilia, Colon stretched his streak of shutout innings to 18 before giving up two runs in the sixth.

“I felt relieved when I saw they weren’t playing,” Colon said through an interpreter. “That put me more at ease. There’s only a few guys over there I’ve faced, so that was probably to my advantage.”

Colon (7-2) gave up five hits in six innings. He is 14-3 since May 4, including his time in the American League before Cleveland traded him.

Colon came out after six innings when his back stiffened. Vladimir Guerrero had three hits, scored twice, drove in a run and stole a base for the Expos.

Montreal has won four of five against the Giants after going 2-3 last year. Overall, the Expos have won six of nine, and the Giants have lost six of 10.

Livan Hernandez (8-14) gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He started the season 4-0.

“Livan was pitching good and lately we’ve had a couple of plays, not necessarily errors, just bad plays, that have turned into runs by them,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve got to make the plays to back up the pitcher.”

Bonds didn’t start because of sore knees and Kent didn’t start because of a strained left quadriceps. Aurilia was given the day off but entered in the seventh.

Guerrero put Montreal ahead with a run-scoring single in the sixth, and the Expos added three runs in the inning with the help of a throwing error by left fielder Tom Goodwin.

“I was trying to walk Guerrero,” Hernandez said. “I threw him a slider down and away and he hit it.”