Grissom Is Hero in Brewers’ Win

MILWAUKEE —  Marquis Grissom, who had stranded the go-ahead run in his two previous at-bats, singled home Bobby Hughes with the bases loaded in the 12th inning Sunday as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the San Francisco Giants, 3-2, for their fourth win in a row.

“Nobody was more aware of it than I was,” Grissom said. “The third time around I was just going up there trying to hit the ball and not think about the situation. The first couple times I wanted to get it done too fast, in a hurry, and that happens.”

San Francisco has lost four in a row, scoring only five runs during the slide.

“I’m not down at all, I’m must frustrated,” Giant Manager Dusty Baker said. “We played a good game. When you play a good game and lose, you don’t get down.”

Hughes, pinch-hitting against John Johnstone (1-1) to open the 12th, singled for his first major league hit and took third on Jeff Cirillo’s one-out double. Jeromy Burnitz was intentionally walked with two outs, and Grissom followed with the winning single.

“It was pretty exciting time to come up and get a hit right there,” said Hughes, a rookie who was hitless in his only three previous at-bats. “Just being able to help the team out in any way I can which I haven’t done in my past three at-bats. It was nice to go out there and get a hit in that situation and get in scoring position and give the team a chance to win the game.”

Bob Wickman (1-3) gave up three hits in three shutout innings.

Milwaukee, limited to two hits in the first six innings, trailed 2-0 before Darrin Jackson doubled off Kirk Rueter in the seventh and scored on Mike Matheny’s single.

The Brewers tied it in the eighth on Burnitz’s sacrifice fly in the eighth following Fernando Vina’s double, Cirillo’s single and a walk to John Jaha. Grissom then flied out to center fielder Darryl Hamilton, who then threw out Cirillo at the plate.

San Francisco loaded the bases with one out in the first, but got only one run on Charlie Hayes’ grounder.

Singles by Stan Javier, Rueter and Hamilton produced another run in the fourth.

Brewer pitcher Jose Mercedes, who sustained a slight strain of his pitching shoulder Friday while diving back to first base, threw with no pain and is expected to make his scheduled start Thursday against the Dodgers.

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