Maholm tames Bonds in opening-game win
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Paul Maholm had never faced Barry Bonds before last night.
Having negotiated his way through that first challenge successfully -- Bonds managed a single in three at-bats -- Maholm anticipates another crack at the left fielder.
"I'm sure he'll play next year," Maholm said. "He's the home run king. He has a lot left in him."
Maybe. Maybe not.
But it seems likely Maholm has a lot more left in him than Bonds, who turned 43 years old last month.
Maholm, 25, continued his run of solid pitching that began in late May by stifling Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, 3-1, with a three-hitter in the first game of a makeup doubleheader that attracted 25,434 to PNC Park.
The Giants, with Bonds on the bench, won the second game, 10-3, blowing open a 1-1 game on Ryan Klesko's two-out grand slam off Shane Youman in the sixth.
Maholm's 91-pitch, 61-strike complete-game gem followed another by left-hander Tom Gorzelanny Sunday in San Francisco. Maholm watched tape of Gorzelanny's 5-0 shutout yesterday.
"We have similar games," said Maholm, who has allowed three earned runs or less in nine of his past 12 starts. "I was able to use a lot of what Tom did."
The back-to-back complete games were the first by the Pirates since Kip Wells (in Atlanta) and Josh Fogg (in Cincinnati) Sept. 7-8, 2003.
Maholm almost did not get to face Bonds last night.
Early yesterday afternoon, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Bonds "probably" would not start either game, citing the general soreness Bonds incurs when flying long distances.
"Travel really gets to him," said Bochy, who used to manage the San Diego Padres. "It was the same for Tony Gwynn."
With outfielder Dave Roberts bothered by a sore knee, however, Bonds decided he could play the first game, giving Roberts more time to work on his injury.
"Barry was good to go, so we had him in the lineup," Bochy said.
It was Bonds' first game away from San Francisco since he passed Hank Aaron and became Major League Baseball's career home run leader last Tuesday.
Bonds received plenty of cheers at PNC Park last night -- along with the apparently obligatory boos.
"He deserved the cheers," Maholm said. "He started out here."
Bonds was a Pirate for almost seven full seasons, ending his tenure here after the 1992 season.
A large black-and-yellow sign greeted him in the left-field seats when he took his position for the first time. It read: "Pittsburgh Still Backs Barry."
As Bonds jogged toward the sign, he received all cheers -- no boos -- from the 10,000 early arrivals at PNC Park, many of whom gave Bonds a standing ovation.
It continued like that throughout the evening, which Bonds began by bouncing to first on the first pitch Maholm threw him.
"He must have had butterflies," Maholm said. "It was a fastball -- low."
Bonds looked at a third strike in the fourth, then singled through the overshift into right field in the seventh.
After the game, he watched the video tribute to him on the scoreboard, acknowledged the crowd's cheers by tipping his cap in front of the dugout and then went into the dugout.
Except for the final score, it seemed a pleasant evening for Bonds.
Just as Jim Gott would have wanted.
Gott, a Giants pitcher before joining the Pirates in 1987, loves Bonds.
"Barry was awesome with kids," Gott said. "We had this kids' room [at Three Rivers Stadium]. He'd always go in there after games and talk to the kids. They just loved it."
Gott's oldest daughter, Jenise, grew particularly fond of Bonds.
"And Barry always asked about Jenise," Gott said. "When I did some work for the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, Barry would always spend a few minutes talking with her -- always!"
Jenise Gott eventually attended Sonoma State in California but had what Gott called a "really tough time."
"She came home and right around her birthday the Giants are in town," Gott said.
Gott took Jenise down to the field at Dodger Stadium, hoping to see Bonds, but the outfielder, batting practice over, had gone into the clubhouse. Gott had Jenise sit in the Giants' dugout and went into the clubhouse to say hello to his former teammate.
"How's Jenise doing?" Bonds asked.
"She's having a tough time," Gott said.
"Where is she?" Bonds asked.
Told she was in the dugout, Bonds immediately went out to talk to her.
"They talked for 20 minutes, and it meant a lot to her," Gott said. "That's why he's so dear to my heart -- because of that."
The first game was not without incident for the Pirates. Right fielder Ryan Doumit left the game after the top of the sixth. He hurt his left wrist on a diving attempt to catch Daniel Ortmeier's line drive in the third.
"He jammed his wrist up pretty good," manager Jim Tracy said. "He stayed in, but it just continued to get worse."
If Doumit is unable to swing a bat and outfielder Xavier Nady's strained left hamstring continues to render him a part-time performer, it seems likely the Pirates might make a roster move today.
"It's something we'll have to look at," Tracy said.
Jose Castillo, who started the game at third base, succeeded Doumit in right field. It was Castillo's first major-league appearance in the outfield. Castillo, who doubled in two runs in the first, handled three fly balls flawlessly.
Matt Freed, Post-Gazette photosBarry Bonds acknowledges the crowd after being honored by a video tribute last night at PNC Park.
Click photo for larger image.
More Coverage:
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Game: Mets (RHP Orlando Hernandez 7-4, 3.05) vs. Pirates (RHP Ian Snell 7-10, 3.87), 7:05 p.m., PNC Park.
TV, Radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7)
Key matchup: Hernandez against right-handed batters, who are hitting just .153 against him this season.
Of note: That said, Jason Bay lifetime is 3 for 9 with two home runs against Hernandez.
Starter Paul Maholm pitched a complete game in the first game of the doubleheader, allowing one run.Click photo for larger image.
Pirates fans show their support for Barry bonds as he warms up in left field yesterday at PNC Park.Click photo for larger image.
First Published August 13, 2007 11:20 pm
