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Bowker's blast helps Giants top Tigers

Jun 17, 2008 - 6:48 AM By Ryan McCrary PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Rookie John Bowker's three-run home run capped a five-run eighth inning to power the San Francisco Giants to an 8-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.

Randy Winn opened the frame with a single and advanced to third on a one-out base hit by Aaron Rowand off Tigers reliever Freddy Dolsi (0-2), summoning Fernando Rodney from the bullpen.

Bowker stroked a 1-2 offering from Rodney, who was activated from the disabled list earlier on Monday, into the seats in right field for his seventh home run of the season, erasing a 4-3 deficit for the Giants.

"It was pretty cool," Bowker said. "I knew he was going to throw me some changeups. I got down 0-2 and he came with the high fastball. I thought he was going to come with a changeup and he left it up to hit. I knew I hit it good. I didn't think it was going to go over but I thought it would at least be off the wall and score the guy from third."

San Francisco added two more runs on a two-out double from Fred Lewis to take an 8-4 lead.

Closer Brian Wilson surrendered two runs in the ninth before getting Placido Polanco to ground out with runners at first and second, preserving the win for Keiichi Yabu (3-3), who pitched a perfect eighth inning.

The victory is the Giants' first against the American League this season and is just the fourth home win for San Francisco in its last 15 games at AT&T Park. The Giants last interleague win came last June 24 against the New York Yankees.

In what was supposed to be a featured pitching matchup between righthanded flame-throwers Justin Verlander and Tim Lincecum, each team clubbed two home runs on a cold night.

Marcus Thames got the Tigers on the board with a solo shot to deep left with two outs in the second. It was the 11th homer of the season for Detroit's outfielder, who now has left the yard in a career-best four consecutive games.

Thames snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-run shot to left in the fourth off Lincecum, who had only given up three home runs entering Monday's contest and none since May 15.

"The kid's got good stuff," Thames said. "He just hung a breaking ball the first time and another changeup the second time. I didn't miss it, and that's what you've got to do. He's got really, really good stuff. You can't miss them when you get them. I saw it hanging, and my eyes got a little big and I put a good swing on it."

"You make mistakes to those guys, and they're going to hit them," Lincecum said. "Those are pretty big mistakes in the game considering how close it was the whole time. Both of those were probably around letter-high and begging to get hit, so I guess it takes that to show me don't throw the ball there anymore."

Lincecum allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings, walking three while striking out three.

"I thought he threw the ball well," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He made a couple mistakes to the same guy, but overall he gave us a great effort, and we won the game because of it."

Aurilia's RBI single in the fourth pulled the Giants within one before Lewis' sixth home run of the season knotted the score, 3-3, in the fifth inning.

Ivan Rodriguez tripled to deep right center to open the seventh and scored on a controversial sacrifice fly to shallow right by pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria.

Catcher Bengie Molina managed to apply the tag to Rodriguez's back in time, but was ruled safe by home plate umpire Tom Hallion. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the ensuing argument - his third of the season.

"It was a disagreement," Bochy said. "I knew he touched him. He had to be out where he caught the ball up the line. That was a big play, and it was obvious we disagreed on it."

Verlander surrendered three runs and five hits in six innings, striking out seven while walking just one en route to the no decision.

"I felt pretty good," Verlander said. "I'm very pleased with my changeup. It's coming along very well. I've been working hard to get that better and I feel like it was pretty good tonight. Fastball velocity was good. I've still got a little bit of work to do on my breaking ball, but overall it was pretty good."

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for the Tigers as they fell to 12-22 on the road this season.