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Molina launches two homers, Giants end slide

Jul 23, 2008 - 6:14 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Bengie Molina hit two home runs to help the San Francisco Giants claim a 6-3 victory over the lowly Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Molina's blasts helped starter Barry Zito (5-12) claim his third win in five starts for the Giants, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Only two pitchers in the major leagues have posted more victories after the All-Star break since 2000 than Zito (5-12), who improved to 65-31 during that span. The former Cy Young Award winner allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings, walking three while striking out five.

"I was bad for a few hitters and then good when I had to be," Zito said. "The boys came out swinging it. Bengie looked amazing. Those guys really did it tonight."

San Francisco opened the scoring with a pair of home runs off Nationals starter Jason Bergmann (1-7) in the first inning. Fred Lewis stroked a leadoff shot and Molina clubbed a two-run blast to deep left-center field three batters later.

Zito recorded two quick outs in the second, but the Nationals cut the deficit to 3-1 as Jesus Flores tripled and Paul Lo Duca doubled down the left field line.

"We just couldn't get the big hit today," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "We didn't make some plays we should have made, and that helped them a little bit."

Lo Duca added an RBI single in the fourth to bring Washington within one run.

But Molina opened the fourth with a solo blast to left, his eighth homer of the season, giving the veteran catcher his second multi-homer game of 2008 and fifth career. Omar Vizquel delivered a two-out RBI double to right later in the frame to stretch the lead to 5-2.

"I'm seeing the ball well the last couple days," Molina said. "I lost something in the middle of July. I couldn't see the ball. I couldn't pick it up in time on the fastball. Sometimes I found myself guessing too much. To have a day like today doesn't say anything about how you're going to end up. Hopefully, it can keep going."

"He's done a nice job through the skid," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "I'm sure he felt better the last game or two. The way he was swinging the bat, I knew he was coming out of it."

Bergmann allowed five runs - four earned - and five hits with one strikeout in five innings.

"I gave up three home runs I was really unhappy with, and it really was the difference in the game. The runs were there for us," Bergmann said. "Molina had my number today. I felt great. I had one of my best fastballs of the year. My slider was nonexistent, and I kept trying to throw it for some reason. Not very smart."

"He pitched behind and they hit those balls well," Acta said. "They don't hit that many home runs, but you fall behind in the count and they got good pitches to hit and they hit them out."

Willie Harris homered to right to lead off the fifth inning for the Nationals, but Aaron Rowand sealed the victory in the eighth, slapping an RBI single down the left field line to give the Giants a 6-3 advantage.

Brian Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth for his 26th save of the season. The All-Star has converted each of his last 17 opportunities.