Ooh!-Ribe Helps Giants Claw Into Race

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants offense has been lifted lately by their slightly rotund, free-swinging, always-smiling infielder. A guy who is known by his teammates for his ability to inject life in the clubhouse and get big hits on the field.

No, not him.

It's Juan Uribe, of course.

What, you didn't even know Uribe was still in the majors? You wondered what ever happened to the guy after his 15 minutes of fame with the White Sox?

The Giants quietly signed him to a minor-league deal back in January, and he's been getting louder ever since. Lately he's wormed his way into an everyday job, and in September he's been the Giants best hitter.

All he did on Tuesday night was drive in three early runs to help the Giants to a 10-2 victory over the Rockies, must-win No. 2 in this do-or-else three-game series. The Giants are now 2 1/2 games behind Colorado in the NL wild-card race heading into the series finale on Wednesday night.

San Francisco's season seemed all but over a few days ago, but it has picked up three games in three days, scoring 26 runs in the process.

"Uribe is just an electric player. That guy can spark a lineup. He can inspire a team with his energy"
-- Giants pitcher Barry Zito And the leader of this surprising outburst has been, of all players, Uribe. Pablo Sandoval, the fun-loving leader of the Giants offense for most of the year, was in a 9-for-45 funk to start September, leaving a void filled nicely by Uribe.

Uribe has hit .365 in September, including 13-for-31 (.419) in the first seven games of this nine-game homestand.

On Tuesday night he yanked an RBI single with the bases loaded in the first inning and a two-run double in the third, putting the Giants on top 5-1 of Ubaldo Jimenez. From there, it was just up to Barry Zito coast home to get this one in the bank.

"Uribe is just an electric player," said Zito, who got the victory on Tuesday with seven strong innings. "That guy can spark a lineup. He can inspire a team with his energy and how much passion he has for the game. It's something we feed off."

None of this is new to Aaron Rowand. The Giants center fielder played with Uribe on the White Sox. The two were both members of the 2005 team that won the World Series. Rowand saw what Uribe could provide on the field and in the clubhouse.

"He's fun to be around," Rowand said. "He's loud at times, but he's fun to be around."

In the Giants clubhouse, Uribe can almost always be found organizing a game of dominos. Even when the Giants were going through some of the toughest moments of the year -- after the heart-wrenching 14-inning loss to the Rockies last month, or after a four-game losing streak last week -- Uribe was still keeping a loose vibe among his teammates.

Manager Bruce Bochy, though, mostly appreciates what Uribe does on the field. All over it. He began the season as a utility player, but he's gone through stretches as the everyday second baseman and recently as the everyday third baseman (moving Sandoval to first). He played the past two games at shortstop while Edgar Renteria has been sidelined with a sore elbow and a sore shoulder.

"He's so vital in that we can play him anywhere," Bochy said. "He's now in the middle of the order and he's done some damage."

Uribe was one of the offensive leaders as the Giants bludgeoned their way to a third consecutive blowout victory. If they do it again Wednesday, they will officially be back in the race: 1 1/2 out with 16 to play. If not, they drop back to 3 1/2 out, and the odds will again be firmly against them.

"Our backs have been against the wall," Zito said, "but this team, for not having much experience in playoff races, has been fighting and, more importantly, staying loose and having fun."