09/12/2004 1:05 AM ET
Bonds breaks walks record; Mohr's catch saves game
By Rich Draper / MLB.com
PHOENIX -- Timing is everything -- in life and baseball -- but Giants pitcher Noah Lowry is having great success keeping opposing hitters off balance by disrupting their timing with a brilliant changeup.
Time after time.
Four times to be exact, for that's the number of victories the left-handed rookie has notched this season after topping the Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-3, Saturday night at Bank One Ballpark.
Lowry held the D-Backs to only four hits over seven-plus innings and became the first San Francisco pitcher since Juan Marichal in 1960 to start his career with four consecutive victories.
But there was also perfect timing of a defensive sort that helped save the kid's win in a spine-tickling ninth.
With a run in and two D-Backs aboard, right fielder Dustan Mohr made a spectacular leaping catch near the yellow line atop the fence some 380 feet away on Chad Tracy's hard line drive off closer Dustin Hermanson.
After gouging his left elbow on what Mohr termed the metal "prison bars" fence he twirled and threw a perfect strike to shortstop Cody Ransom, who doubled up runner Scott Hairston at second.
It happened in a few blinks of an eye, but the game hinged on that play, and that's why Lowry happily hugged Mohr in the clubhouse after the game.
"It was one of the best catches I've ever seen," said Lowry. "He did it [against] Chicago to pick us up. He's a gamer. He goes out and plays hard on every pitch. I wasn't worried, because I know everything that goes out to D-Mo, he's going to get to. He's unbelievable."
Mohr has been a big part of the Giants' success this season, hitting safely in 17 of his last 19 starts with a .368 average, but his defensive play has been nothing short of dynamic.
He's always banging off walls and fences, damaging himself along with opponents' chances, and if there was a medal to be awarded for baseball injuries, Mohr would qualify.
"Nah, they only give you Band-Aids with Snoopy on them," joked Mohr, who said he was playing deep with Tracy at the plate and felt he could get to the rocket shot.
"I had a pretty good bead on it and felt I had a chance," said Mohr, a bright red blotch on his left elbow. "With men on base I had to throw it back somehow, and it just worked out. That was a big break for us -- they had something going right there and it swung back in our favor."
Mohr said he'd never seen the bizarre sequence of events at second, as Scott Hairston, who had doubled, raced to third, then had to scamper back, while Tracy -- not knowing the ball was caught -- dived into the second-base bag.
Ransom tagged Hairston for a double play and, just to make sure, nailed Tracy as well.
"I think he even tagged [second baseman] Ray Durham," cracked Mohr, who credited bench coach Ron Wotus with proper defensive alignment. While Tracy's ball missed being a homer by a few feet, it was still dangerous.
"I was confused watching second," added Mohr. "I didn't know what happened. I saw guys off bases walking around and I'm pointing, 'Tag him, tag him.' You got to make sure."
Hermanson, who earned his 12th save, was delighted to see Lowry and Mohr do their thing, even if it was close at the end.
"It was a huge catch," said Hermanson. "I was thinking double, but I was hoping D-Mo could get back there. It was hit good enough for him to make a spectacular catch. Right there was the rally killer. It's not the way I wanted to do it at the end, but Dustan deserved a half-save right there."
With the victory, the Giants remained into a virtual tie with Chicago for first place in the National League Wild Card race but stayed six games back of NL West leader Los Angeles.
Lowry, meantime, credited his teammates for keeping him unbeaten this season. He's had some rough outings, but the Giants have saved him. Still, the rookie is learning on the fly how to adjust if his game goes sour.
"In my last game [he gave up four runs in five innings] they were sitting on the changeup, so I went with a fastball to start and it worked," said Lowry, who then applied his superb changeup to fool the D-Backs.
Tying Marichal was a mind-boggler for Lowry.
"It's unbelievable to be put in the same category with a guy like that," said Lowry. "But I couldn't have done it without all these guys. They've battled it out for us. All the credit goes to them."
Losing pitcher Stephen Randolph (2-5) gave up eight hits over five frames, including a single and RBI double to Ray Durham, run-scoring safeties by Edgardo Alfonzo and A.J. Pierzynski and a game-busting, two-run double to Marquis Grissom that highlighted a three-run fifth.
Barry Bonds singled in the third inning and with three walks (two intentional) broke his own Major League record with 201 bases on balls this season. He set the standard of 198 in 2002.
Lowry lost his shutout bid in the seventh inning when pinch-hitter Chad Tracy drilled a solo homer down the right-field line. Lowry was taken out after Alex Cintron singled to open the eighth.
