Giants Rally Past Mariners

J.T. Snow wanted to face Jose Mesa, not Jose Paniagua.

Snow got his wish in the eighth inning Sunday and hit a go-ahead, two-run single as the San Francisco Giants rallied from a two-run deficit to beat Seattle 8-4.

"I was happy they brought him in because I had a few at bats against him while I was over in the American League," Snow said. "So I was pretty familiar with him because I knew what he threw and I knew how he worked. I hadn't faced Paniagua that much."

Seattle starter John Halama left after six innings leading 4-2, but Paniagua (3-6) and Mesa couldn't hold it.

Bill Mueller and Armando Rios singled off Paniagua starting the eighth, Jeff Kent struck out and Stan Javier hit a comebacker. But Paniagua's throw to shortstop Alex Rodriguez was high for an error that loaded the bases.

"That would have been an inning-ending double play," San Francisco manager Dusty Baker said. "Defense is a big part of the game."

Pinch-hitter Barry Bonds' bases-loaded walk forced in a run. Mesa then relieved and Snow singled for a 5-4 lead after fouling off a pair of 1-2 pitches.

"It was a good piece of hitting," Seattle catcher Tom Lampkin said. "He fouled off four good pitches before he got the hit."

Snow and Mesa were teammates in San Francisco during the second half last season.

"He's got good stuff. He's still throwing hard," Snow said. "I haven't had a whole lot of at-bats against him, but I've had enough to where I'm pretty familiar with him."

Brent Mayne hit a sacrifice fly and F.P. Santangelo singled in another run. Because of the error, three of the five runs that inning were unearned.

Snow, 1-for-4 with three RBIs, added a sacrifice fly in the ninth off Aaron Scheffer, who was making his major league debut.

Seattle, which lost 15-11 Saturday night, has blow seven of 21 save chances. It was the first blown save for Mesa in 13 opportunities this seasn.

Julian Tavarez (2-0) got two outs for the win in relief of Russ Ortiz, who allowed four runs, five hits and five walks in 6 1-3 innings and struck out seven.

"It was hard for me to get adjusted to the mound here today," Ortiz said. "It seems to me it was flatter than most other mounds. I think that contributed to my ball being up a lot."

Halama gave up five hits and three walks in six innings, striking out seven, which matched his career high.

David Segui hit an RBI double in the second, but Scott Servais tied it with a run-scoring double in the fifth following Halama's two-base throwing error.

Ortiz's run-scoring wild pitch and his bases-loaded walk to Edgar Martinez gave Seattle a 3-1 lead in the bottom half. Javier doubled in a run in the sixth, but Ken Griffey Jr. made it 4-2 with an RBI single in the seventh.

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