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Giants, Marlins Tied 2-2 in Game 3

Posted on: Friday, 3 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

The San Francisco Giants have come back to tie the Florida Marlins 2-2 in Game 3. During the top of the sixth inning, a fielder's choice scored Barry Bonds and a single by Pedro Feliz brought Edgardo Alfonzo in from third base.

Kirk Rueter is pitching for San Francisco against Mark Redman.

The playoff series is tied at one game a piece after Florida rallied to beat sloppy San Francisco 9-5 Wednesday. The Marlins got the split they so desperately needed at Pacific Bell Park, and did it by getting away from the small ball that sent them on this improbable playoff journey.

On Wednesday, Juan Encarnacion homered and Juan Pierre wound up with a bases-loaded double on a misplay by Jose Cruz Jr. in a decisive three-run sixth inning.

Pierre led a 15-hit effort, a day after Florida was held to just three. The Marlins overcame a three-run deficit in the fifth.

"A lot of people doubted this team and thought we couldn't win," said Harris, who had a pinch-hit single in the sixth. "We showed them a little something - that we're not afraid of them."

Most of all, Florida kept Barry Bonds from doing major damage. Rookie Dontrelle Willis, the Marlins' probable Game 4 starter, did his part by relieving in the eighth and retiring Bonds on a foul pop.

On a day the 39-year-old Bonds showed unusual energy in left field and on the bases, the Marlins again made sure the slugger wouldn't beat them at the plate. After Bonds doubled to drive in a run in the first, he was walked twice.

Bonds made a sliding catch in left field and hustled home from first base on Edgardo Alfonzo's double, nearly catching teammate Rich Aurilia, who had gone back to second to tag up in case the ball was caught.

But Bonds was about the only one who looked like himself.

"They played better. They won. That's the end of it. Go away," Bonds said.

On Pierre's fly ball in the sixth, Cruz slipped where the grass meets the warning track and the ball flew over him.

Cruz said it was the worst day he'd experienced in this tricky right field.

"I stepped on a mud patch and slipped there," he said. "It was a difficult wind, the shadows, the fog. I don't think we've played in those conditions before."

Cruz has been one of the team's most reliable defensive players for a team that led the NL West from day one on the way to winning 100 games under first-year manager Felipe Alou.

Snow also let a ball roll through his legs, setting up a run for the Marlins, and center fielder Marquis Grissom let a line drive bounce off his glove.

Losing pitcher Joe Nathan, a 12-game winner as a reliever this year, was tagged for three runs on four hits in the Giants' shaky sixth, with Encarnacion's shot tying it at 5. Jeff Conine, Alex Gonzalez and Harris all singled and Jason Christiansen relieved.

Christiansen immediately gave up the crazy double to Pierre.

Conine's groundout in the seventh made it 8-5. Pierre scored an unearned run in the eighth on the error by Grissom.

The Giants took a 5-4 lead in the fifth after pinch-hitter Pedro Feliz tripled and scored on Snow's single. Then, the Marlins began their comeback.

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