Bizarre play not enough to stop Expos

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yahoo.com 5/14/03

Bizarre play not enough to stop Expos

By Janie McCauley, AP

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Frank Robinson figured he'd seen it all as a 67-year-old manager.

He saw something new Tuesday -- a run-scoring infield fly that his Montreal Expos just plain botched. Still, the Expos went on to beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4.

``That ranks right up there with the weirdest plays I've seen in baseball,'' Robinson said. ``I hadn't seen it, and I hope I don't see it again, unless we're on the other end.''

The Hall of Famer marched into his office carrying his postgame plate of food and before a question was asked called the night ``this comedy effort we tried to disguise as a baseball game.''

He could laugh because Vladimir Guerrero broke out of a slump by going 3-for-4 with a tiebreaking, two-run homer. Guerrero, hitless in his previous 13 at-bats, singled in the first, doubled in the third and homered in the seventh as the Expos (24-15) moved nine games over .500 for the first time since July 17, 1997, when they were 51-42.

The crazy play highlighted the Giants' four-run fifth inning as they tied the game.

With Montreal ahead 4-3, the bases loaded and one out, Barry Bonds popped up the ball between the mound and home plate.

Plate umpire Jim Joyce signaled an infield fly, meaning Bonds was out and runners could advance at their own risk after the ball either was caught, or was dropped and touched.

The ball fell on the infield grass in front of home plate, between catcher Michael Barrett, pitcher Dan Smith and third baseman Fernando Tatis.

Neifi Perez tagged up at third and ran home after Tatis picked up the ball and touched home plate, thinking it was a force play. Tatis then flipped the ball to Barrett, who also stepped on the plate.

The teammates were chatting, with their backs to the plate, as Perez came across with the tying run. The play was ruled a fielder's choice, without an RBI.

``I just wanted to make sure, I was a little confused,'' Barrett said. ``I stepped on the plate. It was just a wacky play. I have had times in my career when I was embarrassed and that was the most embarrassing. I've just got to learn from it. ...

``When I tagged the plate, I thought everything was all right and all of the sudden I saw someone running behind me, and I saw Jim Joyce give the safe sign.''

The three Expos began arguing with Joyce, prompting Robinson -- who formerly worked as vice president in charge of discipline in the commissioner's office -- to scold them and set them straight. They then dispersed.

``I was surprised,'' Robinson said. ``I'm still surprised. Players out there didn't grasp the situation. ... You think you've seen everything in the game if you're in it long enough.''

The Giants, the National League's top team after the first month, have lost four straight for the first time since last Aug. 14-18. San Francisco has lost five of its last seven to the Expos in Pacific Bell Park.

Marquis Grissom went 4-for-4 for San Francisco as a fill-in in the leadoff spot.

Smith (2-1) pitched 2 2-3 innings, striking out two. Rocky Biddle got three outs in the ninth for his 10th save in 11 chances.

Montreal turned double plays in the first, third, fourth, eighth and ninth innings, tying a team record.

Edgardo Alfonzo hit a three-run homer in the fifth off Tomo Ohka, one of four straight hits with no outs and five hits in all during the strange inning. Ohka walked Rich Aurilia on full-count, loading the bases with one out, and Smith relieved to face Bonds.

Guererro's first-inning single scored Orlando Cabrera for a 1-0 lead. Guererro doubled in the third and scored on Wil Cordero's RBI single that landed in shallow center between three players. Marquis Grissom then got a three-base error when he overran a hard-hit ball by Ron Calloway in left-center and the ball slipped through his glove. That led to an unearned run.

Guerrero, who went 0-for-5 in Monday's 4-3 win, drove the first pitch from Kurt Ainsworth (3-3) deep into the bleachers in left for his seventh homer of the season.

``The guy hits everything,'' Ainsworth said. ``You can't make any sort of mistake. It's hard to pitch around a guy like that.''

Ainsworth lost his third straight decision and has not won in his last five starts. His last victory came April 15 against Houston.

Expos second baseman Jose Vidro left before the fourth inning with a right groin strain sustained in the third-inning double play.

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Copyright © 2003 The Associated Press.