This Time, Feliz Wins It for Giants

Pedro Feliz hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning for the second game-ending shot in two days by the San Francisco Giants, who defeated the San Diego Padres, 5-2, Friday night at Pacific Bell Park for their ninth consecutive win.

Feliz started in left field in place of Barry Bonds, who missed the game to be with his father, Bobby, 57, who underwent open-heart surgery at a Bay Area hospital earlier in the day.

Team spokesman Jim Moorehead said Bobby Bonds, who has been battling lung cancer, had been in the hospital for at least three days but possibly longer.

No further details were immediately available.

Bonds hit a game-ending homer Thursday and also made a run-saving throw to the plate on his 39th birthday.

Feliz came up with runners on second and third and one out and was mobbed at home plate by his teammates after hitting his 10th homer of the season on a 3-2 pitch from Jay Witasick (2-2).

Edgardo Alfonzo hit a two-run double and Kirk Rueter pitched six strong innings in his first outing off the disabled list for San Francisco.

The Giants’ winning streak is their longest since winning nine in a row from July 25-Aug. 3, 2001. The reigning National League champions finished the 2002 season by winning eight straight.

San Francisco has won 14 of 17 to remain undefeated on its 11-game homestand to start the second half.

Chicago 5, Houston 3 -- Carlos Zambrano pitched into the ninth inning and hit a two-run homer at Houston.

Zambrano (8-8) pitched 8 1/3 innings, the longest outing of his career. He gave up five hits and three unearned runs. He had seven strikeouts and one intentional walk.

Moises Alou broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run homer in the eighth inning and finished with three RBIs to help the third-place Cubs move to within 4 1/2 games of the Central Division-leading Astros.

Florida 11, Philadelphia 5 -- Consecutive bases-loaded walks by relievers Mike Williams and Carlos Silva forced home the tying and go-ahead runs for the Marlins, who scored eight times in the bottom of the eighth inning.

In all, Florida drew five walks in the inning against Williams and Silva to take the lead, then broke the game open on consecutive run-scoring singles by Miguel Cabrera, Alex Gonzalez, Todd Hollandsworth and Juan Pierre.

Montreal 9, Atlanta 8 -- Ron Calloway hit a tying, two-out double in the ninth inning off John Smoltz, and Orlando Cabrera scored on a wild pitch in the 11th inning at Montreal.

After the Expos overcame an 8-2 deficit to tie the game on Calloway’s double, Cabrera hit a one-out double off Jung Bong (6-2) in the 11th.

It was Smoltz’s first blown save since June 19, and only his third in 40 opportunities this season.

Colorado 7, Milwaukee 3 -- Chin-hui Tsao became the majors’ first Taiwanese pitcher and won in his debut. It was only the third win for the Rockies in nine games since the All-Star break. The Brewers opened a 10-game road trip with their seventh straight loss at Coors Field.

Dodger outfielder Chin-Feng Chen was the first Taiwanese player in the majors last September, also at Coors Field.

New York 3, Cincinnati 1 -- Al Leiter pitched seven scoreless innings at Shea Stadium to win for the first time in more than a month.

Leiter (9-5) gave up six hits and two walks, ending his personal three-game losing streak. He had not won since June 18 at Florida.

Pittsburgh 10, St. Louis 5 -- Reggie Sanders and Brian Giles homered and the Pirates scored six runs in the eighth at St. Louis.

Jose Hernandez had three hits, including a leadoff double in the eighth, as the Pirates capitalized on a variety of physical and mental mistakes by the Cardinals.