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  Wednesday, Apr. 26 1:05pm ET
Giants take second straight extra-inning win
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

MIAMI (AP) -- Before Wednesday's game, Florida Marlins manager John Boles lodged a good-natured complaint about San Francisco Giants reserve outfielder Armando Rios, who had delivered the game-winning double the previous night.

"All that guy does against us is hit doubles," Boles said.

Vladimir Nunez
Marlins starter Vladimir Nunez gave up seven earned runs before leaving the game in the fourth inning.
That's no longer true.

A few hours later, Rios hit a two-out RBI triple in the 12th inning to help the Giants beat the Marlins 8-7 for their second extra-inning victory in 24 hours and their fifth win in a row.

Rios doubled home the tie-breaking run in the 11th inning Tuesday.

"When you don't play very much, it doesn't get any better than when you help the team win," said Rios, 7-for-21 (.333) this season with five extra-base hits. "I'm happy I got the chance."

While Rios was happy, manager Dusty Baker was relieved. His team won after blowing a 6-0 lead.

And Boles was livid. He held a team meeting after the game and chastised his players for poor execution, two missed signs and what he considers a complacent attitude by several players.

"I'm so angry I could spit nails," Boles said. "It's not good enough to come close."

The Marlins are perhaps baseball's most surprising team at 13-10, and Boles said several players consider a winning record good enough.

"I'm talking about a handful of kindergarten kids," he said. "I think we should be 18-5. You come out, you compete for nine innings and you hurt when you lose -- or see ya."

The Giants' winning rally started when J.T. Snow led off the 12th with a single against Antonio Alfonseca (0-2). Pinch-runner Calvin Murray took second on an errant pickoff throw and went to third on a balk. Bobby Estalella struck out to set the stage for Rios, who entered as a defensive replacement in the 11th.

Rios drilled a fastball from Alfonseca into the gap.

"You know he's going to come at you," Rios said. "You look for that one pitch and try not to miss it."

Florida's Mark Kotsay hit a game-tying three-run homer in the ninth, depriving Livan Hernandez of his first win this season. Hernandez, back in uniform after a one-day work stoppage because of the Elian Gonzalez case, gave up 14 hits and three earned runs in eight-plus innings and remained 0-4.

"That's baseball," Hernandez said. "I threw the ball good today. I feel good every game, but I'm not winning."

Hernandez departed after Mike Redmond and Derrek Lee singled to start the ninth. Kotsay then hit his third homer off Robb Nen, who blew a save chance for the second time in 24 hours.

Rookie Aaron Fultz (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for his first major league victory.

"I've got the ball from my first professional win, my first win in Double-A and my first win in Triple-A," Fultz said. "I can throw all of those out now."

The Giants scored six runs in the first two innings against Vladimir Nunez, like Hernandez a Cuban defector who stayed away from the ballpark Tuesday. Six Florida players and two Giants participated in the work stoppage, and all were back Wednesday.

Estalella and Marlins third baseman Mike Lowell, who both took part in the protest, received a few boos the first time they batted. But the crowd of 15,296 was all cheers when Lowell hit his fourth homer in the eighth.

Jeff Kent hit his fifth homer and had four RBIs, giving him 22 this season. Ellis Burks had a pair of RBI singles. Barry Bonds walked twice, singled and scored three times.

The Giants' winning streak follows a 4-11 start. They concluded a 6-2 trip and begin a 13-game homestand Friday at Pacific Bell Park, where they're 0-5.

"So far we've done well on the road," Rios said. "Now the challenge is to win one at home."

Game notes
Bako, Florida's catcher, dislocated his left thumb when hit by a foul ball. He left in the fourth inning, and is day-to-day. ... Floyd was called out on strikes in the seventh, threw his batting helmet and was ejected umpire Mike Fletcher. ... Thursday will be Florida's first off day in 16 days. ... Marlins reliever Ricky Bones has yet to allow a run in 15 2/3 innings. ... Nunez's ERA against the Giants rose to 9.25 in 24 1/3 innings. ... Marlins shortstop Alex Gonzalez, 1-for-20 against the Giants this year, was given the day off. ... The Giants scored in the first inning for the 12th time in 20 games. ... Marlins reliever Vic Darensbourg singled for his first major-league hit in his 126th game. He had been 0-for-8. ... Brant Brown, who struck out as a pinch hitter, is 0-for-12 lifetime against Hernandez.
 


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 Marlins' skipper John Boles lets his frustration out.
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