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Alfonso, Schmidt lead Giants past Cubs Posted: Wednesday July 30, 2003 5:56 PMUpdated: Wednesday July 30, 2003 7:09 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jason Schmidt's no-hitter was gone in the sixth inning and so was his stuff. By then, so were the Cubs' chances. Schmidt combined with five relievers on a four-hitter in the San Francisco Giants' 6-3 victory over Chicago on Wednesday. It was his first start since stiffness in his right forearm forced him to miss his turn in the rotation. "I got [tired] a little bit. It felt like I haven't been out there in a couple weeks," Schmidt said. "I was just trying to throw the ball over the plate like I normally do and let them hit it." The Cubs didn't do much of that. Schmidt (11-4) went six innings, giving up two hits and two runs and striking out seven to win for the sixth time in seven starts. Joe Nathan pitched a perfect seventh for the tiring Schmidt, and Felix Rodriguez, Scott Eyre and Matt Herges each got an out in the eighth. Tim Worrell allowed two hits and Aramis Ramirez's sacrifice fly in the ninth. Edgardo Alfonzo staked the Giants to a 4-0 lead in the second inning with his second career grand slam. Schmidt and the bullpen did the rest for the Giants, who won for the 11th time in 13 games.
San Francisco loaded the bases with one out in the second off a wild Kerry Wood (10-8), who gave up a single to Andres Galarraga and walks to Barry Bonds and Jeffrey Hammonds. Alfonzo then hit a 2-1 pitch deep into the left-field bleachers for his first grand slam since Aug. 14, 1997. "I haven't had that feeling since six years ago. That's something else," Alfonzo said. "I was looking fastball, no doubt about it. He threw a ball that he didn't want to put in that particular spot. I just got a good swing on it." Schmidt retired his first 12 batters -- needing just four pitches to get through the fourth inning. That run was snapped when he walked Moises Alou to lead off the fifth. Kenny Lofton broke up the no-hitter with one out in the sixth with his 10th homer -- a two-run shot that brought Chicago within 4-2. It was Lofton's first home run since joining the Cubs from Pittsburgh on July 22. Schmidt's dominance was nothing new to Chicago manager Dusty Baker, who managed the Giants ace in San Francisco the past two years. Watching Schmidt shut down the Cubs made it less pleasant, though. "He was unhittable for six innings," Baker said. "You give a guy like Jason Schmidt four runs, you don't have a very good chance of coming back because he has a lot of weapons he can throw against you." After Lofton's homer, Mark Grudzielanek followed with a single up the middle for the Cubs' only other hit against Schmidt. After a brief meeting on the mound, Schmidt settled down and got Sammy Sosa to fly out and Alou on a weak grounder to the mound. That was it for Schmidt. It was his first outing since leaving in the sixth inning against Colorado on July 19. Giants manager Felipe Alou said he didn't expect Schmidt to last much longer than he did. "We knew his pitch count was going to catch up to him. It was just a matter of time that they were going to get a hit or two and we were going to have to take him out," he said. Schmidt, who threw two scoreless innings as the NL starter in the All-Star Game, has pitched a team-high 144 innings this season and has an NL-leading five complete games. Wood, however, had his second straight poor outing. The right-hander, who allowed a season-high eight runs his last time out, gave up four runs on three hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out nine. The Giants added another run in the eighth when Galarraga doubled over Lofton's head in center field to score Marquis Grissom. Rich Aurilia's RBI single in the ninth made it 6-2.
Notes: Ramirez, acquired from Pittsburgh with Lofton, got his first RBI since the trade. ... Bonds drew oohs from the crowd during batting practice, hitting several towering home runs to right field -- including one that cleared Sheffield Avenue and caromed off a third-story window of a brick apartment building. The crowd cheered as Bonds exited the batting cage, prompting the Giants slugger to smile and doff his cap in acknowledgment. ... The Cubs acquired Texas OF Doug Glanville before the game for minor league OF Jason Fransz and cash. Glanville, who played two seasons with the Cubs at the start of his career, is expected to join the team on Thursday. ... The Giants have won 16 of 21. ... Hammonds' contract was purchased from Class AAA Fresno before the game. He started in right field and went 0-for-3 with a run scored.
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