Giants 6, Dodgers 4

By JOHN NADEL
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) The San Francisco Giants got another big game from their bullpen, and yet another big hit from Barry Bonds.

Bonds had a two-out, two-run double during a four-run second inning Tuesday night in a 6-4 victory over the Dodgers.

The Giants, who have won 20 of 29, hold a one-game lead over Los Angeles in the NL wild-card race. Both teams have 11 games left, including matchups Wednesday and Thursday nights at Dodger Stadium.

The Giants have one of baseball's finest bullpens, and this time five relievers combined to pitch four shutout innings.

``Both bullpens did a great job, outstanding,'' Giants manager Dusty Baker said. ``We're not at the top of the league in pitching for nothing.''

Actually, the Giants rank second in the NL and third in the majors with a 3.66 team ERA.

``We dug ourselves a hole,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said following his team's eighth loss in 11 games. ``But our bullpen was spectacular. They did a phenomenal job from the third inning on.''

By that time, it was too late.

Bonds, 1-for-2 with three walks including two intentional, hit a 2-0 pitch from Omar Daal (11-9) to the left-center field alley to drive in Kenny Lofton and Rich Aurilia. The hit made it 4-1 and chased Daal.

``I didn't want to leave any pitches out over the plate to Bonds because we don't want to get beat by that guy,'' Daal said. ``I was trying to throw that pitch away, but I left it right down the middle of the plate.

``I'm not perfect,'' Daal added after his shortest outing of the season. ``This was just a bad game for me.''

Aurilia's single drove in the first run of the inning to snap a 1-1 tie, and Benito Santiago, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs, greeted reliever Giovanni Carrara with a run-scoring single to make it 5-1.

Kirk Rueter (13-8) allowed eight hits and four runs in five-plus innings before Jay Witasick, Felix Rodriguez, Scott Eyre, Tim Worrell and Robb Nen blanked the Dodgers on two hits the rest of the way.

Nen worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 39th save in 47 chances. It was his 310th career save, tying Goose Gossage for 12th place on the all-time list.

``I got through five, then the bullpen came through and slammed the door,'' Rueter said. ``All of them are big now. Any way we can win, we'll take it.''

The Giants won the 3-hour, 52-minute game despite stranding 14 runners.

Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca helped thwart the Giants with a spectacular, sliding catch on pinch-hitter Damon Minor's popup just before tumbling into the Los Angeles dugout in the seventh.

``We played well tonight, but we got beat,'' Lo Duca said. ``That's the bottom line. They've got a tough bullpen, but if we go out and play the next two nights like we played tonight, I guarantee you we'll win.''

Marquis Grissom hit his 16th homer with two outs in the fifth, and the Dodgers cut San Francisco's lead to 5-4 in the sixth when Shawn Green singled to chase Rueter, and scored while Adrian Beltre was grounding into a forceout.

That would be it for the Dodgers' offense.

The Giants added an insurance run in the ninth when Reggie Sanders doubled and scored when pinch-hitter Bill Mueller struck out on a wild pitch by Eric Gagne.< ^Notes:@ Bonds, who raised his NL-leading batting average to .373, extended his major league record walk total to 182. He did not speak after the game. ... Daal allowed five hits and five runs 1 2-3 innings. He threw 57 pitches while recording only five outs. ... The Dodgers dropped to 24-14 against starting LHPs. ... Rueter raised his lifetime record in September to 22-9. ... Carrara, who pitched 3 1-3 shutout innings, walked Bonds intentionally with two outs and nobody on in the fourth. ... A one-out single by Beltre in the fifth went through Bonds' legs in left field, but Beltre was thrown out trying to reach third.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)