• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Sanchez, LaRoche power Pirates over Giants

Aug 12, 2007 - 12:25 AM By Ryan Leong PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) - Even without Barry Bonds in the lineup Saturday, there was a splash in McCovey Cove. But it was by Adam LaRoche of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Freddy Sanchez and LaRoche hit back-to-back home runs in a five-run fourth inning as the Pirates knocked off the San Francisco Giants, 13-3, on Saturday afternoon.

Finishing 4-for-5 with five RBI, Sanchez now has knocked in seven runs in the first two games of the series.

"I can't say enough about where Freddy Sanchez is, four hits, five RBIs, that's a huge offensive day," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said. "There's nothing you wouldn't take at what he's doing at second base."

"It's a tough ballpark to play in," Sanchez said. "I was talking to (Ryan) Klesko on their team and a lot of righthanded hitters will hit a ball to right field and the ball won't go anywhere, but it's a big park and it kind of plays a little similar (to Pittsburgh's PNC Park) because you hit it in those gaps and you can keep running."

LaRoche also homered in Friday night's win as the Pirates won consecutive games for only the second time since the All-Star break.

"We're getting back on the type of play we were on before the (All-Star) break, playing some good fundamental baseball, getting the big hits and that's what we need," LaRoche said.

Giants rookie Tim Lincecum was lights-out the first time through the Pirates' order but got hit hard in the fourth when Pittsburgh sent nine men to bat.

"He's got unbelievable stuff. He throws hard, he's got a great curveball and he even threw me a great changeup," Sanchez said. "The key for us was obviously you can't try to do too much with a pitcher like that. I just went up looking to make contact. That's all we want to do is go up there and try make contact and fortunately for us we were able to find some holes."

Lincecum (6-3) lasted six innings, was charged with six earned runs on nine hits and lost for the first time since June 19, snapping a four-game winning streak.

"They strung together some good hits and some good at-bats. That's kind of the way the game goes, you just have to learn to accept it and move on," Lincecum said. "That's what I'm trying to be like right now."

"It's hard to explain," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He was cruising there, then he made a couple of mistakes. As always, it's usually location. It looks like he got a little wild there in the strike zone."

Tony Armas (2-3) pitched six innings for his second straight win, allowing a solo home run to Randy Winn and an RBI single by Ryan Klesko.

"I just want to give my team a chance to win and thank God everything's going the right way," Armas said. "When you can pound the (strike) zone it makes it easier."

"Our starting pitcher Tony was very steady today," Tracy said. "He kept things at bay and then in the fourth we took some very good at-bats."

Pirates reliever Shawn Chacon inherited a bases-loaded situation in the seventh and walked in a run but the Giants scored only two runs, even though they sent eight men to the plate, cutting the deficit to 7-3.

"We have some good hurlers here and people don't realize that but sometimes things don't go your way and you have to keep on fighting," Armas said of the Pirates' bullpen.

The Giants got no closer as the Pirates pushed across six runs in the ninth, highlighted by Sanchez's two-run double and LaRoche's two-RBI base hit.

Ryan Doumit had two hits and is 5-for-9 through the first two games of the series. LaRoche also had two hits and is 4-for-9 with five RBI in the series.

"It's kind of a weird feeling but if you can get that wind out of your head, because it's blowing in on you but up high it's blowing out," LaRoche said. "If you can away from that and the little chill in the air, it's a pretty good place to hit."

Although the Giants have lost three straight and fell a season-high 17 games below .500, they sold out for the 18th consecutive time dating to June 30.