Giants tie idle Astros with win
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SAN DIEGO - Jerome Williams pitched 7 strong innings in his first start in two months and the San Francisco Giants jumped back into a tie for the National League wild-card lead by beating the San Diego Padres 4-1 on Thursday night before a Petco Park
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The Houston Astros used a Jeff Bagwell  home run and a gutsy pitching effort by its bullpen to beat the  Colorado Rockies 4-2 Friday and hold on to its lead in the  National League wild card race.
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Pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro's single drove in the tiebreaking run as the Houston Astros scored three times in the ninth inning and held on to beat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 Saturday night and preserve their playoff hopes.
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ATLANTA -- Andy Pettitte came through on three days' rest, giving up one run in seven innings, and pinch-hitter Orlando Palmeiro's single drove in the tiebreaking run in Houston's three-run ninth to give the Astros a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.
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Brett Tomko won his sixth consecutive decision and San Francisco beat the visiting Houston Astros 9-2 to maintain their wild-card lead and move within 11/2 games of first-place Los Angeles in the NL West.
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ATLANTA -- Barry Bonds hit two mammoth two-run home runs -- giving him 696 -- and went 4-for-5 with six RBIs on Sunday night, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
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The red-hot Houston Astros slugged six  home runs on Saturday to beat the Colorado Rockies 9-3 and  clinch at least a tie for the National League wild card playoff  berth.
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Pedro Feliz scores from first base on Rich Aurilia's bloop single to give the Giants a 5-4 win over the Brewers, who have lost four in a row.
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Barry Bonds hit his 762nd home run to back Kevin Correia's strong outing, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3 on Wednesday night to avoid a sweep.
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The San Francisco Giants weren&#39;t able to add a veteran starting pitcher for the September stretch drive. The last thing they needed was to have one go down.
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Jerome Williams pitched seven strong innings in his first start in two months and the San Francisco Giants jumped back into a tie for the wild-card lead by beating the San Diego Padres 4-1 on Thursday night.
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After New York's Alex Rodriguez ties Saturday's game with a ninth-inning homer, San Francisco rookie Nate Schierholtz gives the Giants a 6-5 win in 13 innings.
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Barry Bonds hit a pair of mammoth two-run homers &#151; giving him 696 in his career &#151; and went 4-for-5 with six RBIs Sunday night, leading the San Francisco Giants to a 9-5 win over the Atlanta Braves.
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Barry Bonds and the San Francisco Giants can reach the playoffs two ways. They certainly boosted both chances Tuesday night. Brett Tomko won his sixth consecutive decision and San Francisco beat the visiting Houston Astros 9-2 to maintain their wild-card lead and move within 1 1/2 games of first-place Los Angeles in the NL West.
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Roy Oswalt combined with three   relievers for a five-hit shutout that helped the Houston Astros   maintain their late-season charge with 3-0 win against the   Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
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J.T. Snow singled in the winning run with one out in the ninth to lead the San Francisco Giants to their sixth straight victory, 5-4, over the visiting Montreal Expos last night.
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Carlos Beltran's record-tying eighth  post-season home run capped the Houston Astros' 6-5 comeback  win over the St Louis Cardinals to even the National League  Championship Series at two games apiece Sunday.