|
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
|
GAME LOG
SAN DIEGO (AP) ? Hitting two homers was no big deal for Jeff
Kent, last year's NL MVP.
|  | | San Francisco's Jeff Kent had two homers, driving in five runs against the Padres on Tuesday. |
Armando Rios hitting two homers, now that was huge.
Kent and Rios each homered twice and drove in San Francisco's
first eight runs as the Giants ruined the San Diego Padres' home
opener 11-6 on Tuesday.
Kent had five RBIs and homered for the third time in six days
against San Diego. The defending NL West champion Giants are 4-0
this season against the Padres, who finished last in 2000, 21 games
back.
Rios, a left-hander, is coming back from offseason
reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He underwent a "Tommy
John" procedure on Oct. 26.
"Today was very big for me," Rios said. "I haven't hit a home
run in so long. In batting practice, I haven't been driving the
ball. The last thing I was thinking was home runs.
"I'm pretty pumped up not only because of the home runs, but
it's been so long and now I can start driving the ball," Rios
said.
His last homer was Sept. 13 at Houston.
"We knew it was coming," manager Dusty Baker said. "You just
want to make sure he's healthy. He's got to get base hits before he
hits them out of the park."
Kent and Rios homered in both the first and third innings,
quickly silencing the sellout crowd of 61,277 that had given Tony
Gwynn a long standing ovation during pregame introductions and
cheered new Hall of Famer Dave Winfield during the ceremonial first
pitch.
All four homers came off newcomer Kevin Jarvis (0-1), the 13th
Padres pitcher to allow four homers in a game.
"It was just bad pitching," Jarvis said. "You throw bad
pitches and good hitters are going to hit them."
Russ Ortiz (2-0) gave up one earned run on four hits in 6 2-3
innings to beat the Padres for the second time in six days.
Kent hit a three-run homer with one out in the first, and Rios
hit a solo shot with two outs.
They each hit two-run homers in the third to make it 8-0. After
Rios' second homer, several baseballs came flying out of the
stands.
"It's way too early to be excited about the way we're playing
or anything like that," said Kent, who had 33 homers last year.
"I'm too old to be thinking about the first week or the first
month or the first three months."
Rios finished 3-for-4. Barry Bonds saw his slump go to 0-for-20.
Kent also hit a three-run homer off San Diego's Bobby Jones last
Thursday in San Francisco as the Giants completed a season-opening,
three-game sweep.
Marvin Benard scored on Dave Maurer's wild pitch in the seventh
to make it 9-0.
San Diego's Ben Davis drove in three runs, including a two-run
homer in the eighth, his first. His homer scored Bubba Trammell,
aboard on a two-run double.
San Diego came in at .500 for the first time since last April
27.
Gwynn singled to his favorite spot, the "5.5 hole" between
shortstop and third base, for San Diego's first hit off Ortiz with
two outs in the fourth inning. Ortiz struck out seven and walked
two.
"Today wasn't a good day," Gwynn said. "We got beat pretty
good."
Jarvis lasted just three innings, allowing eight runs and seven
hits, walking one and striking out five.
Game notes
Kent has 12 career two-homer games and Rios three. ... The
last Padres pitcher to serve up four homers was Sterling Hitchcock
last May 5 at Arizona. ... San Francisco's Eric Davis took batting
practice but wasn't in the lineup. He hasn't played since twisting
his left knee last Thursday against the Padres, and he's listed as
day-to-day. ... A moment of silence was held for Hall of Fame
baseball writer Phil Collier, who died Feb. 24 at 75. ... Winfield,
a Padres star in the 1970s, will have his No. 31 retired Saturday
night. ... The crowd was the largest for a San Diego home opener
and third-largest for a regular-season game.
 Send this story to a friend
| |
RECAPS
Boston 10
Baltimore 1
Toronto 3
Tampa Bay 2
Chi. White Sox 8
Cleveland 7
NY Yankees 9
Kansas City 5
Minnesota 8
Detroit 2
Texas 7
Anaheim 5
Seattle 5
Oakland 1
San Francisco 11
San Diego 6
Chicago Cubs 4
Montreal 2
Philadelphia 7
Florida 6
Houston 3
Milwaukee 0
Arizona 2
Los Angeles 0
|
