• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Vizquel's sac fly caps rally as Giants tip Rockies

May 21, 2008 - 11:40 PM By Brady Delander PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

DENVER (Ticker) -- Omar Vizquel almost took the day off to rest his knee, and Steve Holm was a late scratch from the starting lineup with flu-like symptoms. But both ended up playing key roles for the San Francisco Giants.

Holm had a game-tying RBI double in the ninth inning before Vizquel lifted a sacrifice fly in the 10th to lift the Giants to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

"(Holm) came off his death bed and had a huge hit there for us," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "And it was a great game by (Omar). Good thing I didn't rest him today."

It was the 22nd one-run game of the season for the Giants, who improved to 11-11 in such instances.

Colorado wasted another quality start by Ubaldo Jimenez, who has not recorded a win since April 8. Jimenez pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and inducing 16 groundouts.

"That was an exceptional outing by Ubaldo," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "He was knocking the bottom of the zone out there today and was efficient with his pitches."

But closer Brian Fuentes squandered the Rockies' shutout hopes, as well as their lead, in the top of the ninth.

"With any closer, with any pitcher, you've got to have a secondary pitch to put in play, and that really wasn't there for him (Fuentes)," Hurdle said.

Vizquel led off with a double and scored two batters later on a single by Bengie Molina, drawing San Francisco within 2-1. Later in the inning, the pinch hitter Holm delivered an RBI double to center field to forge a tie.

"I took (batting practice) and came back in and threw up twice," Holm said. "About the fourth or fifth inning I started to get a little hungry, so I ate a little bit just to see if it would stay down. Obviously, to tie the game made me feel a lot better."

In the 10th, the Giants put runners on the corners before Vizquel lifted a fly ball to left off Rockies reliever Matt Herges (2-1) with one out that was deep enough to score Ray Durham with the go-ahead run.

"That (sacrifice) was the only option to win the game," Vizquel said. "Either that or the squeeze, but I didn't think we would put the squeeze on since we did that yesterday."

"He is a really good bad-ball hitter," Herges said. "He's tough to strike out. I don't know how else to attack him. You just hope that situation doesn't come up where he's hitting because he usually finds a way to get it done. And he did."

Tyler Walker (2-2) notched the win with a perfect ninth inning and Brian Wilson worked around a walk in the 10th for his National League-leading 14th save.

The victory was the second in a row for San Francisco following a six-game skid.

"That win is right up there at the top," Bochy said. "Two runs down against an elite closer and we come back, it's always a great win. It starts with (Jonathan) Sanchez. He gave us a great effort there and bullpen stepped up and saved us."

The Rockies took a rare early lead when Willy Taveras led off the first inning with a single up the middle, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Sanchez. A broken-bat groundout by Matt Holliday plated Taveras for a quick 1-0 edge.

Jeff Baker doubled the advantage in the second with a deep sacrifice fly to center field that plated Todd Helton.

Colorado looked to be in control, maintaining its 2-0 lead until Fuentes entered in the ninth. But the lefthander gave up two runs and three hits in blowing his third save opportunity of the season.