Newz Forum: BASEBALL: Feliz's fourth hit a tiebreaking grand slam

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Pedro Feliz and the San Francisco Giants showed they can win even the biggest games without Barry Bonds' bat.

Feliz hit a tiebreaking grand slam with two outs in the eighth inning for his fourth hit of the day, and the Giants helped their playoff hopes greatly with a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Feliz saw all the fans on their feet, and heard them begging for a clutch hit. He passed on a first-pitch slider. The next offering from Dodgers reliever Yhency Brazoban (3-1) was a 97 mph fastball just high, and Feliz -- a fastball hitter -- pounced on it.

He sent the ball over the left-field wall for his second career grand slam and 21st homer of the year.

"It was a big day for me. I feel excited about the grand slam to win the game. When I was running the bases, I was thinking, `We already have this game," Feliz said. "They don't want to pitch to (Barry). We wish they pitched to him. It's fun to watch."

The first-place Dodgers had their NL West lead trimmed to 1½ games over the Giants, who also pulled within a half-game of Chicago in the wild-card race after the Cubs lost 4-3 to the New York Mets in 11 innings.

The Dodgers and Giants play four more times, including the final three games of the season next weekend at Dodger Stadium.

Bonds, who hit his 702nd career homer Friday night, matched his career high with five walks, including three intentional.

"We at least made someone else but Bonds beat us. That's good," said Dodgers right fielder Milton Bradley, whose solo homer in the sixth off Tyler Walker made it 5-5.

Bonds was intentionally walked in his first two at-bats, including in the third inning with the bases empty, then walked on five pitches in the fifth. He drew another free pass in the seventh and walked again in the eighth, giving the slugger 221 total walks this year and 116 intentional.

Bonds had little to say afterward, but called Feliz "a great player."

"Two great games, guys, that's it," Bonds said. "Two outstanding baseball games. Move on. Let's play tomorrow."

Scott Eyre (2-2) pitched the eighth for the win and Ray Durham homered and hit an RBI double for San Francisco, which lost the opener of this crucial three-game series 3-2 Friday night.

Closer Dustin Hermanson pitched a perfect ninth.

San Francisco loaded the bases in the eighth. Michael Tucker led off with a broken-bat single, then moved to second on Dustan Mohr's sacrifice.

Pinch-hitter Ricky Ledee drew a full-count walk to bring up Durham, who fouled off three straight pitches with the count full before hitting a high popup in foul territory caught by first baseman Hee Seop Choi. J.T. Snow walked, then Feliz followed with the winning hit.

Most of the sellout crowd of 42,486 was on its feet during the late innings. And the fans went crazy when Feliz's shot sailed out.

"It basically came down to an at-bat with two out in the eighth and Pedro Feliz crushed it," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. "That was the game."

The Dodgers played without first baseman Shawn Green, who spent the day observing the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur. Green hit a two-run homer in Friday night's 3-2 win.

Robin Ventura, playing in place of Green, doubled in the fourth and scored on Alex Cora's two-run homer in the fourth before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth.

Durham hit his 15th homer leading off the bottom of the first, his eighth leadoff homer this season and 33rd of his career.

Both starting pitchers got knocked out early, leaving the bullpens in charge.

Dodgers starter Jose Lima couldn't hold the lead after Cora's homer.

Lima took a ball off his thumb, which already had a chipped bone it, on Snow's groundout in the third, but stayed in after being examined by the team trainer.

"Why couldn't the ball just hit me in the mouth? I can always go to the dentist tomorrow and get new teeth," Lima said.

Deivi Cruz and Tucker both singled to start the fourth. After Mohr struck out, pinch-hitter Tony Torcato hit a sacrifice fly to pull San Francisco within 4-3. Durham followed with his second big hit of the day, an RBI double that chased Lima.

In the fifth, Scott Stewart loaded the bases with an intentional walk to Cruz. Tucker followed with a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

The Dodgers have eight games left, while San Francisco has seven with an off day Monday.

Giants starter Brad Hennessey, making his seventh major league start and second outing in 22 days since San Francisco didn't need a fifth starter, was done after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs and five hits, but hit an RBI single in the second to make it 2-2.

Lima's line was nearly identical: 3 2/3 innings, seven hits, four runs, four strikeouts and two walks.