GAME 4: Giants 4 – Cardinals 3
SAN FRANCISCO – Before every game, when infield practice is complete, Giants catcher Benito Santiago turns to the stands, looks into the crowd and makes the sign of the cross.
He says a little prayer for the father he never knew. It is Santiago’s way of having his father at every game. Santiago knows about tough times, growing up poor and fatherless in Ponce, Puerto Rico, so when he came to the plate last night in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied and his manhood challenged once again by Tony La Russa (who walked Barry Bonds with two outs to get to Santiago) the 17-year veteran took a couple of deep breaths and worked the count to 3-2.
He then let his bat do his talking as he drove a Rick White fastball high and far over the left-field fence for a two-run home run to lift the Giants to an amazing 4-3 come-from-behind victory over the Cardinals in Game 4 of the NLCS.
The Giants now lead the series, 3-1, and can make it an All-California World Series with a victory tonight in Game 5.
“This was a dream come true,” Santiago said of his big hit. In a similar situation two innings earlier, White fooled Santiago with the same inside fastball, but not the second time around. “I was ready,” the catcher said.
It was so fitting that Santiago got the big hit for the Giants. He was out of baseball two years ago and on St. Patrick’s Day received calls at his home in Florida from Giants assistant GM Ned Colletti and then Dusty Baker. “Oh, my God, I couldn’t wait to go play for this man,” Santiago said of the Giant manager.
He has become the biggest surprise in baseball. Utility infielders make these kind of comebacks, not starting catchers. But Santiago has been coming back his entire life. In 1998, Santiago nearly was killed in a horrific car accident. His life has been nothing but a series of challenges.
He accepts them all. In his 17th year in the majors, Santiago, a Rookie of the Year way back in 1987, is playing cleanup hitter for the greatest single-season home run hitter in the history of the game in Bonds.
“Barry and I just have to make it to the World Series this year and we’re going to make it,” Santiago confided to an old friend earlier in the week. “This is our year. I just know it.”
The Cards were leading 2-0 in the sixth when Andy Benes walked Jeff Kent and Bonds with one out. Santiago had his chance then but struck out looking. First baseman J.T. Snow, however, picked up Santiago and the Giants by lashing a game-tying, two-run opposite field double.
Then came Santiago’s heroics in the eighth.
The Cardinals staged a rally in the top of the ninth. Kerry Robinson struck out to lead off against closer Robb Nen but Santiago couldn’t hold the third strike and Robinson advanced to first. Fernando Vina followed with a single. Edgar Renteria grounded to short to move up the runners. Jim Edmonds followed with a run-scoring single to right, advancing Vina to third with only one out and the Cards trailing by one.
With runners on the corners, Albert Pujols struck out. That left the game in J.D. Drew’s hands. Nen got ahead of Drew, 1-2 and with all of the 42,676 fans on their feet banging plastic thundersticks together – and you thought San Francisco was a city of non-conformists – Nen threw two straight balls to run the count full. He then fired an inside breaking ball and Drew swung through the pitch.
This time Santiago caught the third strike and gave a powerful pump of his right arm as the crowd exploded. He rushed to the mound and Nen gave him a bear hug, a moment of pure joy.