It's Wednesday, April 21, 1999. and the Giants are hosting the Marlins in the third and final game of a three-game series at 3Com Park. Dennis Springer will start for the Marlins, while Mark Gardner goes to the mound for the Giants. Bonds is in left field and will bat sixth, as his replacement Stan Javier did in real life. The Giants won the actual game, 4-0,
Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:
In the second, he lined a single to right with one out. Third baseman Ramon Martinez's fly to right was caught in front of the wall by the Marlins' Mark Kotsay for out number two, and catcher Scott Servais' fly to shallow left center ended the inning.
In the fourth, Bonds flew to right.
In the fifth with the Marlins leading 6-0, Martinez led off by lining a double to right center. Servais walked to put two men on. After reliever Joe Nathan flew to left center for the first out, center fielder Marvin Benard walked to load the bases. Shortstop Rich Aurilia stroked a base hit to right that scored Martinez and put the Giants on the board. Right fielder Armando Rios followed with a single to center that scored Servais and Benard to make it 6-3, and second baseman Jeff Kent lined a double off the wall in center to bring Aurilia and Rios home and cut the Florida lead to 6-5,
Braden Looper came out of the Florida pen to face J.T. Snow, whose hot liner was speared by second baseman Craig Counsell for a much-needed second out. Back-to-back walks to Bonds and Martinez loaded the bases again, but Servais's bouncer to Marlins third baseman Dave Berg ended the inning,
In the seventh, Kent led off with a double to left. Snow walked to put two men on, but Bonds flew to shallow center for the first out. Charlie Hayes batted for Martinez and walked to load the bases, but Servais grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
In the ninth with the Marlins leading 9-5, Rios led off with a grounder to short that was muffed by the Marlins' Alex Gonzalez, allowing Armando to reach. Kent was next, and he whacked a 1-2 curveball from Marlins reliever Brian Edmondson over the wall in left for a two-run homer to bring the Giants within two runs at 9-7. It was Kent's twenty-first home run of the year.
Marlins manager John Boles excused Edmondson and brought closer Antonio Alfonseca in to preserve what was left of the Florida lead, and he retired the next three batters in order: Snow grounded to short, Bonds flew to Todd Dunwoody in deep left center, and Hayes' line drive was gloved by Berg to end the game. Our final: Marlins 9, Giants 7.
Here's how the Fish scored their runs:
In the top of the first with one out, Gonzalez stroked a single to left center. Kotsay followed with another single to left center that moved Gonzalez to third, and first baseman Derrek Lee was hit on the side of the knee with a pitch to load the bases. Dunwoody forced Lee, which allowed Gonzalez to score and gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead.
In the third, second baseman Luis Castillo drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. He held there on Gonzalez's bouncer to third, and walks to Kotsay and Lee loaded the bases. Dunwoody hit a bouncer to third, and Martinez threw to the plate to erase the incoming Castillo. Left fielder Preston Wilson was next, and he smacked Gardner's 2-0 fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam to extend the Marlins' lead to 5-0. It was Wilson's twenty-seventh homer of the year.
In the fifth, Kotsay drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. Lee was next, and his double into the left center power alley scored Kotsay to make it 6-0 Fish,
After the Giants came back with a five-run fifth, the Marlins answered with three in the eighth. Wilson drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. He held there while Berg grounded to short for out number one and scored on catcher Mike Redmond's single to right to make it 7-5 Florida.
That was all for Nathan; John Johnstone came out of the Giants' pen to face his mound opponent Looper, who bunted Redmond over to second. Castillo walked to put two men on, and Gonzalez lined a single to left center that scored Redmond to give the Marlins an 8-5 lead. Castillo moved to third on the hit and scored on Kotsay's lined single to right to make it 9-5.
Final totals: Marlins 9-9-1. Giants 7-11-0.
W- Looper (4-3)
S- Alfonseca (22)
L- Gardner (5-12)
HR- FLA: Wilson (27)
SF: Kent (21)
DW-Nathan (6-3)
DL- Springer (6-15)
LHR- SF: Rios (7)
Here are the updated standings in the National League West:
Diamondbacks: 99-63
Giants: 88-74- 11 GB
Dodgers: 77-85- 22 GB
Padres: 73-89- 26 GB
Rockies: 72-90- 27 GB
In the East:
Braves: 104-58
Mets: 96-66- 8 GB
Phillies: 77-85- 27 GB
Expos: 67-95- 37 GB
Marlins: 65-97- 39 GB
Bonds was one for four plus a walk. He's currently batting .271 (134-495) with forty-eight home runs and 127 runs batted in. He's drawn 101 walks.
Next: The Giants host the Rockies on Saturday, April 24. Pedro Astacio will start for the Rockies, while Shawn Estes gets the ball for the Giants.
Thoughts?
Let's examine Bonds' at-bats first:
In the second, he lined a single to right with one out. Third baseman Ramon Martinez's fly to right was caught in front of the wall by the Marlins' Mark Kotsay for out number two, and catcher Scott Servais' fly to shallow left center ended the inning.
In the fourth, Bonds flew to right.
In the fifth with the Marlins leading 6-0, Martinez led off by lining a double to right center. Servais walked to put two men on. After reliever Joe Nathan flew to left center for the first out, center fielder Marvin Benard walked to load the bases. Shortstop Rich Aurilia stroked a base hit to right that scored Martinez and put the Giants on the board. Right fielder Armando Rios followed with a single to center that scored Servais and Benard to make it 6-3, and second baseman Jeff Kent lined a double off the wall in center to bring Aurilia and Rios home and cut the Florida lead to 6-5,
Braden Looper came out of the Florida pen to face J.T. Snow, whose hot liner was speared by second baseman Craig Counsell for a much-needed second out. Back-to-back walks to Bonds and Martinez loaded the bases again, but Servais's bouncer to Marlins third baseman Dave Berg ended the inning,
In the seventh, Kent led off with a double to left. Snow walked to put two men on, but Bonds flew to shallow center for the first out. Charlie Hayes batted for Martinez and walked to load the bases, but Servais grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
In the ninth with the Marlins leading 9-5, Rios led off with a grounder to short that was muffed by the Marlins' Alex Gonzalez, allowing Armando to reach. Kent was next, and he whacked a 1-2 curveball from Marlins reliever Brian Edmondson over the wall in left for a two-run homer to bring the Giants within two runs at 9-7. It was Kent's twenty-first home run of the year.
Marlins manager John Boles excused Edmondson and brought closer Antonio Alfonseca in to preserve what was left of the Florida lead, and he retired the next three batters in order: Snow grounded to short, Bonds flew to Todd Dunwoody in deep left center, and Hayes' line drive was gloved by Berg to end the game. Our final: Marlins 9, Giants 7.
Here's how the Fish scored their runs:
In the top of the first with one out, Gonzalez stroked a single to left center. Kotsay followed with another single to left center that moved Gonzalez to third, and first baseman Derrek Lee was hit on the side of the knee with a pitch to load the bases. Dunwoody forced Lee, which allowed Gonzalez to score and gave the Marlins a 1-0 lead.
In the third, second baseman Luis Castillo drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. He held there on Gonzalez's bouncer to third, and walks to Kotsay and Lee loaded the bases. Dunwoody hit a bouncer to third, and Martinez threw to the plate to erase the incoming Castillo. Left fielder Preston Wilson was next, and he smacked Gardner's 2-0 fastball over the left field wall for a grand slam to extend the Marlins' lead to 5-0. It was Wilson's twenty-seventh homer of the year.
In the fifth, Kotsay drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. Lee was next, and his double into the left center power alley scored Kotsay to make it 6-0 Fish,
After the Giants came back with a five-run fifth, the Marlins answered with three in the eighth. Wilson drew a leadoff walk, then stole second. He held there while Berg grounded to short for out number one and scored on catcher Mike Redmond's single to right to make it 7-5 Florida.
That was all for Nathan; John Johnstone came out of the Giants' pen to face his mound opponent Looper, who bunted Redmond over to second. Castillo walked to put two men on, and Gonzalez lined a single to left center that scored Redmond to give the Marlins an 8-5 lead. Castillo moved to third on the hit and scored on Kotsay's lined single to right to make it 9-5.
Final totals: Marlins 9-9-1. Giants 7-11-0.
W- Looper (4-3)
S- Alfonseca (22)
L- Gardner (5-12)
HR- FLA: Wilson (27)
SF: Kent (21)
DW-Nathan (6-3)
DL- Springer (6-15)
LHR- SF: Rios (7)
Here are the updated standings in the National League West:
Diamondbacks: 99-63
Giants: 88-74- 11 GB
Dodgers: 77-85- 22 GB
Padres: 73-89- 26 GB
Rockies: 72-90- 27 GB
In the East:
Braves: 104-58
Mets: 96-66- 8 GB
Phillies: 77-85- 27 GB
Expos: 67-95- 37 GB
Marlins: 65-97- 39 GB
Bonds was one for four plus a walk. He's currently batting .271 (134-495) with forty-eight home runs and 127 runs batted in. He's drawn 101 walks.
Next: The Giants host the Rockies on Saturday, April 24. Pedro Astacio will start for the Rockies, while Shawn Estes gets the ball for the Giants.
Thoughts?
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