Gorzelanny Gets First Shutout In 5-0 Win Over Giants

Sunday, August 12th 2007, 4:34 pm

By: News On 6

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Tom Gorzelanny allowed five hits in his first career shutout, and the Pittsburgh Pirates finished off their first road sweep since early April with a 5-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Josh Phelps hit a two-run homer off Barry Zito and a two-run triple for the Pirates, who won their sixth straight game at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark. It was easy with another quality start from Gorzelanny (11-6), who finished his first complete game by retiring the Giants' final 16 batters.

The left-hander worked quickly and efficiently, never facing much trouble from Barry Bonds and the Giants' punchless lineup. Gorzelanny, who got his first career victory against the Giants last season, worked a perfect ninth _ getting Bonds to pop up with one out _ for the Pirates' third shutout victory of the season.

The game began an hour earlier than the usual Sunday start in San Francisco so both clubs would have extra time to get back to Pittsburgh for a makeup doubleheader on Monday. The early alarm didn't help the Giants, who managed just one extra-base hit against Gorzelanny while losing their eighth in 10 games.

Bonds went 1-for-3 with a walk against his former team to finish the week in which he became baseball's career homer runs leader. Bonds then hit his 758th shot Friday night against former teammate Matt Morris.

Pittsburgh and the Giants have the NL's two worst records, but the Pirates seem more comfortable in San Francisco than their hosts. Pittsburgh is 11-2 in its last 13 games in San Francisco, with 20 homers and a team ERA under 2.70.

Phelps has been a .300 hitter since the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Yankees in late June, but hadn't shown much power before his two impressive shots against the Giants. His two-run homer in the sixth exited one of the deepest parts of center field, and his triple in the seventh barely missed the stands.

Zito (8-11) was booed when he walked the first three batters he faced in his first career start against Pittsburgh, the only major league club he had never met. The struggling left-hander escaped that jam, but yielded Cesar Izturis' RBI single in the second before settling down to retire the next 11 batters.

Jason Bay's single and Phelps' homer ended that string, and the Giants' $126 million starter left without a victory for the 11th time in his last 13 starts, allowing six hits and striking out four over six innings.

Notes: Nets G Jason Kidd, a Bay Area native, attended the game. ... Bonds, baseball's career leader in intentional walks, got his first intentional pass in 10 days in the third inning. ... Monday's doubleheader will make up for two games that were rained out April 14-15. ... Pittsburgh's Jose Bautista barehanded Rajai Davis' grounder to third base in the eighth, then beat the speedy Giants outfielder with an exceptional throw.