There’s No Rest for Any Giant in 10-7 Victory

Rod Beck was relaxing, figuring on a night off because, as a closer with a team that was enjoying an eight-run lead, it seemed his services would not be required.

But these are the Giants, for whom no lead is safe, though you would think one in St. Louis would be safer than most.

Not on Wednesday night. San Francisco got three hits and two runs batted in from Barry Bonds, and it took four outs from Beck to shut down the Cardinals in San Francisco’s 10-7 victory.

It was the Cardinals’ 12th loss in their last 15 games, and it should have been easier.

“It was bizarre,” Beck said. “I was sitting in here [the clubhouse] in the sixth inning, stretching, getting ready to do nothing. We had an 8-0 lead. Then all of a sudden it was 8-7 and I had to hustle down to the bullpen and get ready.”

Mark Gardner (3-1) gave up only one hit and had one base runner in the first five innings before tiring in the sixth, when St. Louis scored seven runs. All seven were unearned after a two-out fielding error by second baseman Steve Scarsone, who replaced Robby Thompson at the start of the inning. Four of them came on a grand slam by pinch-hitter Ron Gant, who was in a nine-for-58 slump and had a strained hamstring.

St. Louis’ sixth was its biggest inning since an eight-run sixth against Colorado on July 23, 1993.

“It was a great rally,” Gant said. “It’s the type of game that can push you through a season. Any lift is a good lift. We were down, 8-0, and came back. It’s something we have a chance to make into a positive.”

Montreal 4, Chicago 2--Henry Rodriguez drove in two runs and Rheal Cormier (2-2) gave up only five hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Expos, who won their fifth in a row overall and 10th consecutive home game.

Montreal’s Mark Grudzielanek had two hits, giving him a league-high 53, and scored twice to increase his run total to a league-leading 34.

Philadelphia 2, Houston 1--Jim Eisenreich singled with the bases loaded in the 10th inning at Philadelphia, driving in Mark Whiten to break a 1-1 tie.

Jeff Tabaka (0-2) struck out Kevin Stocker to start the 10th, but then hit Whiten with a pitch and he stole second. Lenny Dykstra and Mickey Morandini walked, loading the bases, and Eisenreich followed with the game-winning hit.

San Diego 5-3, Pittsburgh 4-4--Pinch-hitter Dave Clark drove in the go-ahead run with an eighth-inning single for the Pirates, who rallied at Pittsburgh to gain a split of their doubleheader.

Ken Caminiti hit two-run homers in his first two at-bats to help the Padres win the first game.

Atlanta 5, Colorado 1--Jeff Blauser, batting only .169 and coming off a .211 season that has Braves’ fans jeering him at home, hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning to break a 1-1 tie, then added a two-run double in the eighth in a victory in Atlanta.

The jeering had intensified in the seventh inning when Blauser’s throwing error let in the Rockies’ only run.

Florida 6, New York 3--Jeff Conine’s first-inning error led to the Mets scoring two unearned runs, then his tiebreaking three-run home run in the seventh inning helped the Marlins finish a three-game sweep in Miami.