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Feliz, Bonds help Giants to third straight win

Jun 26, 2007 - 7:13 AM SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Barry Bonds did not homer, but he did help the San Francisco Giants to their third straight win on Monday.

Bonds, who is seven homers shy of breaking Hank Aaron's all-time record, singled and scored on a walk-off single by Pedro Feliz in the 11th inning as the Giants posted a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Ray Durham drew a leadoff walk in the 11th from Justin Hampson (2-2), bringing Bonds to the plate. Bonds singled to right and advanced to second when Ryan Klesko's attempted sacrifice forced Durham at third.

Feliz then laced a single past shortstop Khalil Greene into left-center field to plate Bonds.

"I was going in there and tried to get a good pitch to hit and hit it hard," Feliz said. "I think it's good for us to comeback in a game like that and win the game. We had the game 2-0 and they came back with three runs and we got one in the eighth and we kept fighting. That was the key to the game."

"I was just trying to get out of the inning," Hampson said. "I thought a curve would be the best option to have him swing and miss or hit a grounder." Feliz's heroics helped offset a late collapse by the San Francisco bullpen that spoiled an outstanding effort from rookie starter Tim Lincecum.

The righthander, who is winless in his last six starts, was on his way to his first win since May 22 when he beat the Houston Astros by throwing eight solid innings. The diminutive righthander left with a 2-0 lead after seven shutout innings, limiting the Padres to just four hits with eight strikeouts and four walks.

"I tried to improve upon every pitch," Lincecum said. "It's good, you take what you can from every start and you work off that. I tried really hard this week to get my curveball going for strikes and keep it down in the zone, and just attack guys with what I got and challenge them."

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy was pleased that his young pitcher was able to bounce back after going through a rough stretch.

"The kid threw well," Bochy said. "He bounced back after a couple of tough starts and had good stuff tonight. It's hard to pitch better than that - seven shutout innings. We just couldn't hold them there. They got the big hit but what was important was we came right back and tied the game. It was a hard fought game and a well played game. We got what we were looking for."

Steve Kline relieved Lincecum and promptly allowed a leadoff single to Jose Cruz Jr., who advanced to second when rookie right fielder Nate Schierholtz bobbled the ball. After allowing a double to Adrian Gonzalez, Kline was relieved by Kevin Correia.

"We shouldn't have been in extra innings," Kline said. "It was just my bad pitching. Two hits and you can't put two guys on. You expect that out of a rookie, not out of myself." The righthander engaged in an eight-pitch battle with Mike Cameron, who fouled off four pitches before launching a 2-2 offering into the left field seats for a 3-2 lead.

"I was looking for a fastball over the middle and I put a good swing on it," Cameron said. "I'm surprised. I hit it so high I didn't think it would go out in this place."

However that lead was short-lived as the Giants rallied in the eighth off reliever Scott Linebrink. Mark Sweeney led off with a pinch-hit walk and after Randy Winn singled, Dave Roberts sent a ground ball through the right side to plate Sweeney and knot the game at 3-3.

Lincecum's performance was matched by a great effort from Justin Germano.

The 24-year-old righthander bounced back from his first loss of the season by allowing two runs and three hits in six innings, but was haunted by his early mistakes in the first two innings and left trailing 2-0.

Omar Vizquel got San Francisco on the board early hitting a solo homer off Germano in the first, and Pedro Feliz added an RBI groundout in the second after Ryan Klesko doubled to lead off the inning.

"Two pitches I'd like to have back were the two big hits the home run and the double to Klesko," Germano said. "They were both just sinkers that didn't sink. I wish I could have locked it in a little sooner." Vinnie Chulk (3-2) threw a scoreless inning as both teams bullpens held serve for two frames before the Giants broke through.

The newly acquired Michael Barrett had two hits for the Padres, who have lost five of their last six games.