Giants-Marlins Preview

Lost in the spotlight surrounding Barry Bonds' home run chase has been his steady improvement at the plate.
The seven-time NL MVP looks to continue his recent hitting surge for the San Francisco Giants when they continue a three-game series against the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium on Tuesday.
Bonds went 1-for-4 with a single in a 5-1 loss Monday, one day after he hit his 715th career homer at home against Colorado to pass Babe Ruth for second on the all-time list.
Bonds is hitting .343 (12-for-35) over his last 11 games to raise his average from .217 to .254 - and reiterated he'll likely play again in 2007.
''My son wants me to. He says, 'It looks like you can still play. You don't run as well at times when you play every day, but, Dad, you can still hit a ball a long way. If you work at it all the time, then you can keep on doing it.' I'll sit back and think about that one,'' Bonds said.
''If I'm healthy enough, it's a good shot. It's still a long way away. We're still in May. Anything can happen between now and then.''
An announced crowd of 7,683 attended Monday's game - the smallest to watch Bonds this year.
''He's an exciting player to watch. You never take our eyes off him when he's hitting,'' said Marlins manager Joe Girardi. ''You don't do that with all hitters.''
San Francisco (26-25) will try to avoid losing three straight games for the first time since dropping four in a row from May 4-7. The Giants managed only five hits Monday, including a solo homer by Ray Durham.
Florida (16-33) - looking for its sixth win in seven games against San Francisco - improved to 5-2 on its nine-game homestand. Mike Jacobs homered and Dan Uggla added a two-run single for the Marlins.
Uggla is hitting .377 (29-for-77) with 12 RBIS over his last 19 games.
Marlins starter Brian Moehler (2-4, 6.80) has turned in three straight solid outings after starting 0-4. Moehler is 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts after earning his second win of the season by allowing three runs and eight hits over seven innings in a 9-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
''He's throwing a lot more strikes, using the breaking ball effectively, getting ahead in the count and getting hitters to chase pitches,'' Girardi said. ''He's limiting his pitches, so he's stronger down the road.''
The right-hander, who has never faced Bonds, is making his second career start against the Giants. Moehler allowed five runs and eight hits over four innings in an 8-5 victory on April 16, 2003 while with Houston.
Noah Lowry (1-2, 3.62) is 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA in his last two outings. He gave up five runs and a season-high 10 hits over six innings in a 10-4 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday.
The left-hander is making his third career start at Dolphin Stadium, where he is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA. It will mark just his second road start of the year.

Giants' Make Over

DALLAS -- The Giants' offseason is still a work in progress, but the Winter Meetings proved productive on several fronts.
They all but completed their bullpen for 2006 with the acquisition of veteran left-handed reliever Steve Kline in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for righty LaTroy Hawkins and cash considerations.
This came on the heels of signing ex-Giants closer Tim Worrell to a two-year deal a week before. Kline fills the role of departed southpaw Scotty Eyre, the much-pursued setup specialist who went to the Cubs.
San Francisco also inked the versatile Mark Sweeney, an infielder-outfielder who'll back up Lance Niekro at first and provide considerable pinch-hitting talents.
As a prelude to Sweeney's two-year pact, the Giants also declined to offer arbitration to veteran first baseman J.T. Snow and starting pitcher Brett Tomko.
As Giants officials departed for San Francisco from the chilly climes of Texas, they figure to find out soon whether their No. 1 offseason target, St. Louis free agent pitcher Matt Morris, can be acquired.
Even though Morris has been offered arbitration by the Cardinals, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the club is among front-runners for the right-hander's services and the pursuit continues.
Deals done: Traded Hawkins to the Baltimore Orioles for Kline. Signed former San Diego first baseman-outfielder Sweeney to a two-year deal.
Rule 5 activity: Lost Triple-A Fresno RHP Mitch Wylie to the New York Mets. Lost Double-A Connecticut RHP Jose Sanchez to Washington's New Orleans Zephyrs. Selected New Hampshire (Toronto) SS Eugenio Velez for Triple-A Fresno. Selected Daytona Cubs (Chicago) 3B Aaron Sisk to Connecticut.
Goals accomplished: The Giants dodged a big bullet by picking up Kline after the loss of super setup man Eyre. Signing of Sweeney gives squad veteran outfield depth and platoon possibilities at first with Niekro, who may or not be ready for prime time.
Sweeney can also spell Barry Bonds in left and Moises Alou in right.

Unfinished business: Starting pitching is still the No. 1 goal. Morris is a target, but if they can't sign him, Sabean will likely wait until the Dec. 20 non-tender deadline for candidates. They're not satisfied with what's available now.
The Giants are still seeking a powerful left-handed bat after weak performances against right-handed pitchers last year.
GM's bottom line: "We're fortunate to be where we're at. We're a heckuva lot better now than before the meetings. Getting Worrell made Hawkins available and allowed us to get Kline and allowed us to cover the loss of Scotty Eyre. And to get somebody like Sweeney to give us versatility."

Bonds To Remain A Giant, Not Become A DH

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants make their first visit ever to the nation's capital on Tuesday night. But the team's managing general partner said that he expects the left-handed slugger to be with the team next year when it returns to RFK Stadium.
Any suggestion that Bonds might play as a designated hitter in 2006 to take some pressure off his surgically repaired knees has evaporated because of his successful first week this season in a Giants uniform.
"What I said was that the only way he would be in the American League is if he came to me and said that's where he wanted to be to be next year," said Peter Magowan prior to Bonds hitting his 705th career homer on Sunday at SBC Park. "But that's not going to happen.
"He said it's not going to happen. He wants to finish up here and I expect that."
Beyond 2006, though, is still up to question, Magowan added.
"I haven't even thought about it yet," Magowan said. "We'll think about all that next year. Right now, we're thinking about '06. That's all we're thinking about."
Bonds has one more year to go on his contract, worth $18 million, and has said he might like to come back in 2007 if he still has a chance to catch Hank Aaron for the all-time home run record. That pursuit was derailed for the first 142 games this season while Bonds recuperated from three surgeries on his right knee from Jan. 31 to May 2.
Bonds is nine homers behind Babe Ruth's 714 and 50 away from of Aaron's 755. Now that he's back and hitting homers again, Bonds said he's staying put in San Francisco for the foreseeable future.
"I have a contract and they can't trade me," said Bonds, who has that no-trade right as a 10-year veteran with at least the last five seasons playing for the same team. "Not unless I ask and I'm not asking. This is where I want to finish my career."
With only 13 games left to play this season, a healthy Bonds should pass Ruth in late April or early May of next year. But even if he reaches his average three-year output from 2002-04 of 45 homers next season, Bonds would fall short of Aaron's mark.
He's only hit 50 or more homers once during the first 19 years of his Hall of Fame career -- in 2001 when he set the single-season record of 73.
Plus, Bonds, who will turn 42 next season, doesn't expect to play in as many as 130 to 150 games as he did during his last five full seasons. Last year, playing much of the season on damaged knees, Bonds appeared in 147 games, a team high.
Magowan said he thinks Bonds should play in from 110-120 games next year.
"More like 120," he said.
That projects to fewer home runs, depending on how many pitches Bonds sees to hit. Going into this season, Bonds had been walked 872 times -- 306 of them intentionally -- during the previous five seasons.
About his pursuit of Aaron, Bonds said recently that he has no doubt he can hit. Bonds is continuing to prove that. In the six games (five starts) he has played since his return on Sept. 12, Bonds is 5-for-16 (.312), with two homers, three RBIs, three runs scored, a double and three walks (one intentional).
"I know I'm going to be able to hit until I'm 50," Bonds said recently. "The question is whether I'm going to be able to do everything else. I don't know if I can do it every day, either. I can outrun you once. I don't know if I can do it again. I can hit a ball 410 feet. I don't know if I can do it again on the next pitch. I might be grabbing my rib cage."
Bonds certainly can still hit a baseball a long way. He smashed No. 705 on Sunday at SBC Park into McCovey Cove, high above the 25-foot brick wall and arcade seats, the 32nd time he's hit one there since the ballpark by the bay opened in 2000.
He just missed another one against the Dodgers' Derek Lowe last Thursday night when he blasted the ball into the water. It had twisted just foul on its flight out of the ballpark.
Bonds has hit homers into the far reaches of 34 Major League yards, both old and current, against a record 415 pitchers, and can add RFK Stadium to that list during a three-game series this week.
He'll look toward the upper outfield bowl in the enclosed 44-year-old stadium and notice the white seats that represent several spots reached by former Senators powerhouse Frank Howard when that American League team played in RFK from 1962-71.
Bonds, of course, will want to set his own standard.
"If I put my mind to it, there's nothing I can't do on a baseball field," Bonds said.
Last week, he was showed nothing but adoration by the San Francisco baseball fans. There were a few boos, he said, "little Dodger ones," but he expects that to change during a 10-game trip that moves on to Denver and San Diego later in the week.
"I'll get boos; you're supposed to boo me," Bonds said. "They don't hate you, man. They like you, they're supposed to do it, that's all."
Asked why the opposition's fans are "supposed to do it," Bonds concluded:
"Because I'm good, that's why. I'm coming to get 'em. I don't care. Just bring it on, man."

NL World Series Starter Now A Giant

SAN FRANCISCO -- Free agent pitcher Matt Morris had a secret, and he wasn't about to let the Giants know -- he wanted to come to San Francisco.
The 31-year-old right-hander got his wish Monday, signing a three-year deal for $27 million with a club option for a fourth year, solidifying the rotation and boosting the Giants' optimism for a successful 2006.
Helping to persuade the nine-year veteran to join the Giants was catcher Mike Matheny, a longtime backstop for Morris in St. Louis, and the new No. 2 man in the San Francisco rotation already expects a quick transition to only his second Major League team.
"The Giants were my No. 1 choice," said Morris from SBC Park on Monday after weighing other offers. "The organization takes pride in putting a quality ballclub on the field ... but Mike was a huge factor in coming here.
"It's also a pitcher's park -- in fact, the whole [National League West] division is pitcher friendly. That is a consideration. Matheny told me he enjoyed how [manager] Felipe Alou and the organization treated him, and he's a big part of why I'm here."
Morris solidifies the Giants' rotation, anchored by hard-throwing ace Jason Schmidt, who was relatively ineffective last season due to arm problems. With youngsters Noah Lowry and Matt Cain solid, the Big Four is now set, with Brad Hennessey penciled in as No. 5.
St. Louis, expected to try to re-sign Morris after losing the sweepstakes race for A.J. Burnett, didn't come up with a sufficient offer to retain the 11-year veteran.
Morris has won at least 14 games in four of the past five seasons and is a good friend with Matheny. Morris was 14-10 with a 4.11 ERA last season, struck out 117 batters and only walked 37.
"He's a gamer," said Matheny on Monday. "He's going to go out there and not leave anything on the field. I talked to Matt early on and we knew it would be a tough situation for him. He was not high on St. Louis' priority list, and I've been in the same situation."
Morris turned down a two-year, $13 million offer from the Cardinals, but felt it was time to move on. Asked if St. Louis is considered a "Mecca" for good players, the veteran quickly replied, "San Francisco is, isn't it?"
Matheny noted Morris is a quality pitcher but also a quality person, and will do anything to keep pitching. Morris had arm problems in 2004 but didn't let it bother him on the mound.
"The bigger the game, the better he pitched for us," said Matheny. "He's very intense and we appreciated the fact he kept grinding through the injury even though he was not 100 percent."
Morris, accompanied by his wife, Heather, reported he is healthy now and proved it by posting 192 2/3 innings last season.
"Physically I stay on top of myself," said Morris. "There's a heavy demand on your body, but you find exercises that work."
Alou, who left his home in Florida -- where Morris also lives -- to attend the press conference, says the presence of the innings-eater will hopefully solve the Giants' main problem last season, when the starters rarely lasted into the sixth inning.
"We had pitchers throwing 100 pitches over four innings, 120 pitchers over five," said Alou. "Matt will stabilize the rotation, and next year the young pitchers will be more experienced. It's very important to have a man and pitcher of his stature."
Morris is also looking forward to helping Giants youngsters Lowry, Cain and Hennessey learn the Major League ropes and become better pitchers. Both Matheny and Morris are known for freely assisting staff hurlers.
"I don't just pitch every five days," said Morris. "In between, I'm pushing the other pitchers."
After trying on his new Giants uniform, the bearded Morris said he'll always be grateful for the older players' guidance early in his career, including Hall of Fame reliever Dennis Eckersley and hurlers Andy Benes and Todd Stottlemyre.
But it was the late Darryl Kile whose knowledge and humanity helped him the most.
"We were very similar in pitching and personalities," said Morris. "He pushed me to become better as a pitcher and a person."
In nine years with the Cardinals, Morris was 101-62 with a 3.21 ERA and is a two-time All-Star. Last season, he won his first eight decisions.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean said Monday that while the pitching staff is essentially complete with Morris aboard, there's a chance the Giants could trade a position player for another hurler (probably a fifth starter) but is still seeking a left-handed slugger.
Former San Franciscan Bill Mueller is among players they are pursuing.
In recent weeks, the Giants acquired reliever Tim Worrell and then inked veteran lefty Steve Kline to replace free agent Scott Eyre, now with the Chicago Cubs. They also signed infielder-outfielder Mark Sweeney last week to bolster the bench.