The Giants finished their six-game

homestand improving their

best start since 1973 with

Rich Aurilia and Edgardo Alfonzo looking

good at the plate.

By Amaury Pi-GonzálezThe Giants ended their

6-game homestand taking

2 of 3 against the Reds

after a tough go againts

Dusty’s Cubs (who took

2 of 3 from los Gigantes).

Rich Aurilia, who had trouble

with his contact lenses

had no problems on

Sunday when he went 4 for

4 with a walk and Edgardo

Alfonzo with a 3-run homer

taking care of the Reds

6 to 1.

Giants begin the week

with the best record in

the National League 21-9

playing .700 ball and with

their biggest lead yet,

of 5 1/2 games over

surprising Colorado.

Giants are in Miami, Florida

to visit the Marlins (15-18)

for three games and then

to Atlanta (20-11) over the

weekend for 3 more.

Edgardo Alfonzo was

replacing Barry Bonds

in the lineup hitting third,

a gutsy move for manager

Felipe Alou, since Edgardo

has been hitting below the

‘Mendoza line’. “He is going

to start hitting and producing

for us, he is that type of

hitter” said Alou after

the win Sunday and key game in

this homestand that

ended with 3 victories

and 3 losses for the Giants.

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks

pitching woes continue, not

only the irreplaceable

Randy Johnson is out for

about 2 months after arthroscopic

surgery in the right knee,

but Schilling has been

missing and Kim who was

starting is hurt. They need

to get healthy in a hurry.

Last season the D-Backs

led the National League

in scoring.

The Giants have five games

againts the Diamondbacks

later this month. Bob Brenly’s

team needs more doctors

than a Baghdad hospital

and thinks are looking

ugly in the desert these days.

The Giants do not have a

day off until May 22. Before

that they are playing Florida

3 times,Atlanta 3(Smoltz at

the time of this column has

12 saves #1 in MLB)and

to think he wasn’t happy

until last year he wanted

to star games again !

then Giants return home

and play 3 against a very

good Montreal team

and then 3 more against the

Mets. Right after that

they’ll arrive in Phoenix

to see Curt Schilling and

that’s it …on a 3-game series.

When they finish in Arizona

that series May 21 they

will rest for one day and

head to the Rockies for

what could be one of the

most interesting series

this early in the season

against a typical Colorado

team on top in hitting and

in the bottom in pitching,

but in Coors Field is who’s

pitching staff can “survive”

a long 4 game set in that

thin air. Teams with combined

ERA of 3.00 have arrived in

Colorado for 4 games and

that same staff said Adios

to the Rockies with a 5.00 ERA…

By then we should know

If the Giants could open

up a big lead in the West,

one they could achieve

with this 2003 team. A deeper

team that last season.

The Giants are one of a few

teams that could field all

9 positions on the field with

Latino players.

In one of the games last

weekend at Pac Bell the game

ended with Torrealba behind

the plate, El Gato Galarraga

at first, Neifi Perez at second,

Alfonzo at third, Benard in left,

Rivera in center and Cruz Jr in

right. That is (latest count)

seven Latinos and If could have

been eight if Felix Rodriguez

has gotten the call and even

nine if Felipe Alou would

have brought in Pedro Feliz

at third, moved Perez to short

and moved Alfonzo from third

to second(Alfonzo played

a lot of second base with Mets

unitl Mets got Roberto Alomar).

My previous column provoked

a lot of controversy when I

wrote that the Giants are playing

with a lot of heart, but we all know

that talent is usually better than

heart. The Giants (my opinion)

have more talent this year.

By the end of this month we

should be able to see much

better how this team is

playing as a whole unit.

When Felipe Alou told me

in Scottsdale during Spring

Training “Este equipo no solo

puede pero debe regresar

a la Serie Mundial” (This team

not only could, but should

return to the World Series)

he was not kidding.

Alou doesn’t talk for the sake

of talking, he is as studious

man in baseball as you would

ever see. He doesn’t talk to

grab headlines, because he

is the most respected manager

in baseball today and he just

doesn’t need to just talk for

talking sake.

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO !

_____________________________________

Amaury Pi-González is broadcasting

Giants and Mariners games this

season. All home games in Seattle(81)

for the new Mariners Spanish Radio

Network of 6 stations and weekend

home games here in the Bay over

KZSF 1370 AM La Caliente.