Giants outlast D-Backs in extras

Niekro, Cruz come up big in 13-inning contest

SAN FRANCISCO -- Here's a dilemma for Giants manager Felipe Alou: Does he demote homer-smacking rookie Lance Niekro to Triple-A Fresno when outfielder Moises Alou comes off the disabled list this weekend?

Niekro has been filling in for first baseman J.T. Snow since Monday, when the veteran suffered a mild right groin strain, and the fledgling responded with a solo homer, a double and two RBIs.

It wasn't a fluke, that initial Major League four-bagger, for Niekro -- son of ex-big leaguer Joe Niekro -- blasted a two-run shot, singled and scored the winning run against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Thursday night's 13-inning, 4-3 victory at SBC Park.

The victory put the skids on the Giants' three-game losing streak.

The 26-year-old Niekro -- long a prospect whose career has been sidelined with injuries -- has plenty of pop and is batting .300 over nine games, and therein lies the quandary.

Niekro has left the Minors in the contrails of those two homers, yet he still has options to ride the shuttle to Fresno. Another option, however, is to keep him.

"He's exactly what we knew he could be," said manager Felipe Alou after the three-hour, 45-minute contest, in which he used all position players -- the last being Deivi Cruz, who hit the game-winning single.

"He's making our life complicated -- he's in the middle of the lineup," added Alou of Niekro.

Niekro, fully healthy and quickly growing in stature as a power hitter, realizes he's putting the Giants in a difficult position with his good stint since being called up April 8.

"That's all I can do, go out there and force them to make a decision," said Niekro. "I can't afford to just go out there and roll over. I have to perform when they put me in the lineup and I'm trying my hardest to do that."

Back to Triple-A? Ouch.

"They have a plan, and it's going to be what's best for this club," said Niekro of what will happen over the next few days. "That's the most important part of it, and it all depends on what they feel their needs are."

What the Giants desperately needed in the last of the 13th was something positive. Alou was running out of bodies -- with Tyler Walker throwing the 12th and 13th, Friday's scheduled starter, Kirk Rueter, began easy tosses in the bullpen.

But Niekro kicked off the inning against D-Backs reliever Michael Gosling with a blooping single to left, ironically the first hit since Niekro's two-run homer in the sixth.

"In the last at-bat, I think Gosling threw the ball where he wanted -- I've been chasing that ball all night," said Niekro. "I was fortunate to hit it. I just love to go up there and hack."

Also crucial in the 13th was Pedro Feliz ripping a double down the left-field line, then Edgardo Alfonzo drawing an intentional walk to load the bases.

Cruz knocked Gosling's first offering to left field.

"Cruz has been swinging the bat well, and you have to go for the kill," said Alou, who pondered late in the contest to "call upstairs" to get the Giants' brass to get a reliever from the Minors.

The win went to Walker (1-0) -- the last reliever to be used -- who cut the D-Backs down in order in the final innings, but he called it a Team Bullpen victory.

While starter Jason Schmidt went seven strong innings, he made a mistake pitch to Chad Tracy, who hit a three-run homer.

From the eighth inning on, the Giants relievers threw nothing but zeros -- Jeff Fassero in the eighth, Armando Benitez in the ninth, Jim Brower and Jason Christiansen in the 10th, Matt Herges and Scott Eyre in the 11th and then Walker.

"We're starting to come together as a unit," said Walker. "Everybody knows when they're going to pitch. Last year, we kind of got thrown out on an island and we stuck together the whole year. We're settling down now after a rough start."

Could Walker have gone longer? You betcha.

"I felt like I could have gone all night," said Walker. "I just didn't want to lose that game -- that was the bottom line. I was just happy to do my part."

A decision is likely Friday or Saturday on the status of Snow, reported Alou.

Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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