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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates must be wondering where
all this hitting was in April. And May. And June. And most of July.
Brian Giles went 5-for-5 with two run-scoring doubles and
Francisco Cordova came off the disabled list to pitch five
effective innings in the Pirates' 10-2 romp over the San Diego
Padres on Saturday night.
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Pirates sell out final game
in Three Rivers Stadium
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates needed only a few hours
Saturday to sell out their final game in Three Rivers Stadium.
The Pirates put tickets for the Oct. 1 game against the Cubs on
sale at 8 a.m. ET Saturday, and they were gone by the time most
fans arrived for a night game against San Diego.
The Pirates' only other home sellout this season was the April 3
opener against Houston.
Tickets remain for the Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30
games against the Cubs, who also were the Pirates' opponent when
Forbes Field closed on June 28, 1970.
Unless the Pittsburgh Steelers reach the playoffs, the final
game in Three Rivers in any sport will be the Dec. 16 Washington
Redskins-Steelers game.
-- Associated Press
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Emil Brown and Warren Morris, who had three homers between them
coming in, each homered in the Pirates' second rout of the Padres
in as many nights. The Pirates had four multiple-run homers in
winning 16-5 Friday.
With 16 hits Saturday, the Pirates have 30 hits in the two
games.
Padres manager Bruce Bochy blamed the uniforms. The Pirates wore
vest-style jerseys like those of their 1960 World Series champions,
and the Padres wore replicas of the baggy, all-brown uniforms of
their 1969 expansion team.
"We played like the '69 Padres and they played like the '60
Pirates," he said. "It was just ugly. It was embarrassing, to be
honest. We didn't pitch well, our defense was terrible and we
didn't swing the bats, and those three don't work."
Giles, whose average dropped from .342 in mid-June to below
.300, had RBI doubles in the first and third as the Pirates scored
in each of the first five innings against Padres starter Brian
Tollberg.
"I've just felt comfortable swinging the bat the last few
nights," said Giles, who is 10-for-18 against the Padres this
season. "It's good to see us hitting like this."
Manager Gene Lamont said Giles regained his patience and his
batting stroke at the same time, and it's not a coincidence.
"We've got to get him swinging the bat for us," Lamont said.
"I like the way he's swung the bat the last four games or so. He's
been more selective; sometimes he gets impatient up there."
Giles, who has started all 102 games, said he didn't panic when
his average went into a month-long freefall.
"I think if you'll check the numbers at the end of the season,
I'll be there," he said.
Cordova, a weak hitter who was 3-for-31, helped himself with a
run-scoring single in the second. Brown hit his second homer of the
season and second in as many nights in the fourth, two batters
before Morris hit his third homer. It was his first homer since
June 6.
"After a game like last night, the hitters get into a pretty
good groove," Tollberg said.
The homers made it 5-1 before the Pirates scored three runs in
the fifth, two coming on two Padres errors on the same play.
Catcher Carlos Hernandez tried to pick Kevin Young off first, but
threw the ball into right field. Young kept on running and scored
as second baseman Bret Boone took the relay throw and also threw
wildly.
Tollberg (2-1) lost for the first time in 21 starts this season
with the Padres and Triple-A Las Vegas, allowing eight runs, seven
earned, and 12 hits in four-plus innings. He was 6-0 at Las Vegas,
but had five successive no-decisions with San Diego since winning
his first two starts.
Cordova (6-7) was sharp in his first start since July 3,
allowing three hits and a run over five innings. He threw strikes
on 46 of 63 pitches in his first victory since beating Montreal 8-3
on June 21.
"His velocity was as good as it has been in two years," Lamont
said. "His breaking ball wasn't as sharp, but we were happy to get
five innings."
Cordova was rumored in trade talks before going on the disabled
list with a sore elbow for the second time this season following a
July 3 loss in Chicago. He was 1-3 with a 6.00 ERA in five starts
before his return to the disabled list.
"When Frankie is right, the variety of pitches he throws is
just nasty," the Padres' Al Martin said.
Game notes
Morris has three homers after hitting 15 as a rookie. ...
The Pirates have outhomered their opponents 33-12 in the last 21
games. Pirates pitchers have allowed a major league-low 94 homers.
... Giles broke out of an 8-for-45 slump. ... Morris' homer was
only his second RBI in 26 games. ... The Padres are the only team
in the majors without a complete game. ... San Diego has scored
three or fewer runs in 13 of 24 games. ... The Padres have four
errors in the series after going without an error in 12 of their
previous 18 games. ... The Padres are 1-4 in Pittsburgh this
season. ... Giles also was 5-for-5 against Houston on April 6.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
San Diego Clubhouse
Pittsburgh Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 14
Baltimore 3
Baltimore 4
Cleveland 0
(2nd game)
Seattle 6
Toronto 5
Anaheim 6
Chi. White Sox 5
Minnesota 6
NY Yankees 2
Tampa Bay 2
Kansas City 1
Detroit 10
Texas 2
Oakland 12
Boston 1
Atlanta 13
Houston 5
NY Mets 4
St. Louis 3
Chicago Cubs 8
San Francisco 1
Florida 4
Arizona 2
Cincinnati 4
Montreal 3
Philadelphia 3
Los Angeles 0
Pittsburgh 10
San Diego 2
Colorado 10
Milwaukee 2
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