Alvarez a Winner in His Giant Debut

Wilson Alvarez, involved in a surprising trade a day earlier, won his debut with San Francisco Friday night as the Giants defeated the Reds, 8-7, at Cincinnati.

Alvarez, dealt Thursday along with Roberto Hernandez and Danny Darwin by the Chicago White Sox for six minor leaguers, got his second win at Cinergy Field this season. The left-hander had beaten the Reds on June 18 in an interleague game.

“This is totally different than the American League,” he said. “All three hits I gave up were breaking balls or changeups. I’m going to have to throw more fastballs.”

Alvarez gave up three hits and struck out seven in six innings. He walked four and hit a batter.

Hernandez gave up a two-run homer by Reggie Sanders in the eighth as the Reds closed to 8-7. Rod Beck pitched the ninth for his major-league leading 33rd save.

Stan Javier singled in the go-ahead run in the fifth for the Giants, who remained tied for first in the NL West with the Dodgers.

Willie Greene hit a three-run homer for the Reds, who have lost three consecutive and 10 of 13.

Cincinnati took a 2-0 lead in the third on Pokey Reese’s two-run double.

San Francisco tied the score in the fourth when Brian Johnson singled home Mark Lewis and Javier. Lewis had tripled, and Javier walked.

The Giants loaded the bases in the fifth off Kent Mercker (7-8) on singles by Jose Vizcaino and Barry Bonds, and a walk to Jeff Kent. Javier singled in Vizcaino off reliever Scott Sullivan, and Bonds scored on a wild pitch.

Colorado 7, Pittsburgh 6--Larry Walker’s second homer of the game and third in two days broke a ninth-inning tie as the Rockies won at Pittsburgh.

Colorado had had blown leads in three consecutive losses against the Pirates.

The Rockies also had been outscored, 47-25, while going 0-5 against the Pirates, including three games in Three Rivers Stadium in which they led in the late innings.

Walker hit a two-out drive in the first off Esteban Loiaza, then drove a 2-2 pitch from reliever Ricardo Rincon into the center-field seats with the score tied, 6-6, in the ninth. Walker went three for five with a double.

Rincon (4-5) was scored upon for only the second time in his last 10 appearances.

Steve Reed (3-4) gave up a tying RBI single to Kevin Young in the seventh, but worked 1 1/3 innings for the victory. Jerry Dipoto pitched the ninth for his third save.

Philadelphia 4, St. Louis 1--Mark McGwire had no impact in his debut, and the struggling Cardinals lost their fourth consecutive game.

McGwire, traded from Oakland to St. Louis Thursday for three pitchers, was hitless in three at bats and a walk in his first NL game. The cleanup hitter, who arrived at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia only two hours before the game, struck out in his first at-bat and grounded out twice.

Afterward, he said he felt “like a Little Leaguer on opening day.”

“The adrenaline was flowing,” McGwire said. “I think I was flying a little too high in the first few innings.”

The Cardinals, having trouble scoring runs this season, began the day 7 1/2 games behind Houston in the NL Central.

Gregg Jefferies drove in two runs as the Phillies won their fourth consecutive, their longest winning streak since they took four in a row April 23-26, 1996.

Garrett Stephenson (5-5) gave up nine hits but only one run in eight innings. The rookie walked none and struck out six, striking out McGwire on an off-speed pitch in the first inning.

Florida 3, Atlanta 2--Reliever Dennis Cook, called on to pinch-hit when the Marlins ran out of position players, delivered a one-out, game-winning single in the 12th inning at Miami.

Cook improved to four for four this season--and 28 for 100 lifetime--when he singled to right-center off Mike Cather (0-2) and drove in pinch-runner Gregg Zaun from third base.

Charles Johnson doubled to start the 12th, and Zaun took third on a sacrifice by Craig Counsell. Cook, who homered earlier this season, made his first pinch-hitting appearance of the year when he batted for pitcher Jay Powell (2-2).

New York 8, Houston 5--Edgardo Alfonzo’s throwing error with two outs in the ninth inning allowed the Astros to tie the score, but he hit a two-run double in the 10th to give the Mets a victory at Houston.

“I was glad to get a second chance,” Alfonzo said. “I’m even gladder that I did something with it. I wasn’t happy with the error but it worked out all right in the end. I just made a bad throw.”

Both teams took turns blowing leads until the Mets scored four times in the 10th. Bill Spiers hit a run-scoring single in the 10th for Houston, but Brad Ausmus flied out with two runners on base to end the game.

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BESTS OF THE DAY

BATTING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Larry Walker Rockies 3 for 5, 2 homers, double, 2 RBIs Win Todd Zeile Dodgers 2 for 4, homer, 4 RBIs Win Wally Joyner Padres 3 for 5, double, 3 RBIs Win

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PITCHING

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Player Team Performance Team’s Result Joey Hamilton Padres 9 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs Win Kevin Brown Marlins 8 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 9 strikeouts Win G. Stephenson Phillies 8 innings, 9 hits, 1 run, 6 strikeouts Win

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