Baker Makes the Right Move for Giants

Forced to choose between having closer Robb Nen face Albert Pujols or Tino Martinez, San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker chose Martinez.

Baker made the right choice.

Nen got Martinez to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded, completing the Giants’ 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night at St. Louis.

“You’re caught between a rock and a hard spot,” Baker said. “You don’t really want to face Albert.”

Jeff Kent tied the score with a home run in the eighth inning and Benito Santiago connected for a go-ahead homer in the ninth, rallying the Giants from a three-run deficit.

In the ninth, Fernando Vina led off with a single. Placido Polanco bunted but Kent dropped Nen’s throw at first base. Nen got Jim Edmonds to fly out to center but both runners advanced when center fielder Tsuyoshi Shinjo threw to third.

Baker elected to walk Pujols, who went three for four with a two-run home run, to load the bases and have Nen face Martinez.

“[Martinez] battles,” said Nen, who earned his 25th save. “I tried to keep the ball in. Tino’s not the fastest runner. I just wanted to keep the ball in on him and try to have him roll over on something. It worked.”

Arizona 12, Colorado 3--Curt Schilling became the first pitcher in the majors to reach 16 victories, and Luis Gonzalez drove in five runs at Denver.

Schilling (16-3) gave up three runs and 10 hits in seven innings to win his 10th in a row on the road. He struck out six and has 197 on the season, most in the majors.

Schilling is 14-1 against National League teams this year, and has won 10 in a row against National League West teams in two seasons. He is 9-2 in 19 career starts against Colorado.

Atlanta 10, Florida 0--Greg Maddux pitched seven shutout innings and Gary Sheffield had three hits for the Braves at Atlanta.

The Braves won their second in a row after a three-game losing streak, their first since mid-May. The Marlins have lost a season-high seven in a row.

Maddux (9-2), who hasn’t lost in his last 15 starts, gave up six singles and threw only 85 pitches, but was replaced by Kevin Gryboski to start the eighth.

New York 9, Montreal 6--Mo Vaughn had a run-scoring single, and Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run double to spark a five-run eighth inning at Montreal and give the Mets their fourth consecutive victory.

Vladimir Guerrero went four for five, homering in his first two at-bats. He raised his home run total to 25 with his fifth multihomer game this season.

Vaughn hit his third consecutive single with one out in the eighth against Scott Stewart (3-2) to put the Mets ahead, 5-4, and Alfonzo followed with a two-run double. Roger Cedeno’s sacrifice fly and Rey Ordonez’s run-scoring single made it 9-4.

Expo Manager Frank Robinson was ejected for the second time this season.

Pittsburgh 6, Cincinnati 3--Pokey Reese drove in four runs with a two-run homer and a single at Pittsburgh.

Reese put the Pirates ahead, 2-1, in the second inning with a single that followed Kevin Young’s leadoff single and Chad Hermansen’s double.

His second homer this season came in the sixth.

With Jimmy Anderson (7-10) lasting seven innings for only the second time in his last 11 starts, the Pirates improved to 6-1 since the All-Star break.

Philadelphia 4, Chicago 3--Pat Burrell went three for four with a home run and helped Philadelphia score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning with heads-up baserunning.

The Phillies tied the score with two runs in the ninth inning against Antonio Alfonseca.

With runners on first and third and one out in the 10th, Burrell was intentionally walked by Jeff Fassero (3-6). Travis Lee hit a grounder to second baseman Mark Bellhorn. Burrell stopped and Bellhorn chased him back toward first.

While Bellhorn was chasing Burrell, Lee reached safely and Jason Michaels scored the winning run.

Houston 7, Milwaukee 3--Wade Miller gave up one hit in seven innings at Milwaukee and he also ignited two rallies with leadoff singles.

Miller (6-3) improved to 9-1 with a 2.76 earned-run average in his career against the Brewers and is 7-1 in 10 starts since returning from the disabled list after sitting out because of a pinched nerve in his neck.

Matt Stairs hit a one-hop double to the wall in left-center in the fifth inning for the only hit against Miller.

Miller sparked the Astros’ four-run third inning with a single, the first hit against Glendon Rusch (5-9), and singled against Nelson Figueroa in the seventh. He scored both times.