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Molina leads Giants to four-game sweep, fifth straight win

Aug 20, 2007 - 11:00 PM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Bengie Molina continued to knock around the Florida Marlins' pitching.

Molina had four hits and three RBI as the San Francisco Giants defeated the Marlins, 8-7, on Monday afternoon to complete a four-game sweep.

Three of Molina's singles were run-scoring hits, with the third giving the Giants the lead in the sixth inning at 6-5 after the Marlins scored four runs in the first against Russ Ortiz.

"All I did was hit hard groundballs and I found holes today," Molina said.

With his latest effort, Molina improved to 10-for-19 (.526) with six RBI in five games against Florida this season.

"He'll sleep good tonight," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy of his catcher, who caught all nine innings of the game that lasted three hours and 43 minutes. "He's such a warrior back there."

Molina has also had a strong August, hitting .322 (19-of-59) with 18 RBI in 17 games.

It was the fifth straight win for the Giants, who wrapped up a nine-game road trip at 6-3 with their season high for consecutive wins.

"It was an exhausting game," Bochy said. "Long, hot, and they persevered. With all that we have gone through, I couldn't be prouder of these guys."

"It makes the trip a lot more tolerable," Ray Durham said. "We've got a long way to go home."

Despite the latest victory, San Francisco did lose Ortiz, who left the game in the fifth inning with a right elbow strain. Ortiz, who finished with five runs and six hits allowed in four-plus innings, just came off a two-month stint on the disabled list with a right forearm strain on August 10.

"It felt sore and I was just going to grind it out and then they (Bochy and pitching coach Dave Righetti) didn't want me to throw like that," said Ortiz, who will have an MRI on Tuesday and is doubtful for his next start.

Giants slugger Barry Bonds was not in the starting lineup for the second straight game after hitting his 760th career home run on Saturday night.

With the score tied 5-5 in the sixth inning, Molina hit a line drive to right field off rookie Ross Wolf (0-1) to score Dave Roberts, who led off the inning with a triple to deep center field.

In the eighth, San Francisco added insurance when Omar Vizquel lined on RBI single to left field that plated Molina. Durham also scored on the play for an 8-5 lead when Florida catcher Miguel Olivo failed to hold on a tag on a play at the plate.

"Nothing went right," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "This game, a call here or there, a base hit here or there, a bloop single here or there and it's a different outcome. That's just the way the game is sometimes. It's not fair sometimes."

Olivo made up for that error by leading off the bottom half with his 11th home run. The Marlins closed within a run later in the frame when Miguel Cabrera delivered a pinch-hit single with one out that scored Alfredo Amezaga, who doubled directly before.

Cabrera was left out of the starting lineup after showing up late to the ballpark.

"It happens," Gonzalez said of the four-time All-Star third baseman. "Everyone makes mistakes. He was remorseful and forgiven and we go on the road now."

San Francisco lefthander Jack Taschner (3-1) picked up the win in relief of Ortiz, working around a hit and three walks in 1 1/3 innings.

Four relievers bridged the gap to Brian Wilson, who picked up his second career save and first of the season in the ninth.

The Marlins led 4-0 in the first, but the Giants fought back and took a 5-4 lead in the fifth on a single by Molina.

However, Hanley Ramirez walked after Ortiz left the game with the elbow injury and tied the game at 5-5 when he stole third base and Molina's throw went near Giants' dugout.

Jeremy Hermida hit a three-run homer, his 11th of the season, to right-center field, to give the Marlins an early lead.

Hermida was moved to the sixth spot in the order due to Cabrera's absence from the lineup, finishing with two hits in three at-bats. Hermida was originally in the eighth slot.

"It's always good to get on top early, especially when you've got a guy like Sergio (Mitre) on the mound," Hermida said.

The Giants got two back in the second inning when Rich Aurilia lined a double down the left field line off of Mitre and Vizquel hit a sacrifice fly.

Molina brought the Giants within a run with an RBI single in the third, scoring Randy Winn, who doubled off the left field wall earlier.

In the fifth, Molina tied the game with another RBI single after a questionable foul ball call that kept the at-bat alive. After a single by Aurilia, Marlins pitching coach Rick Kranitz came out to talk with Mitre. As Kranitz came off the field, he said something to home plate umpire Paul Schreiber and was ejected.

Mitre was pulled after the Giants took a 5-4 lead on a single by Ortiz.

Mitre gave up five runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings.