Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 27, 1990 TAG: 9005270062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: PITTSBURGH LENGTH: Medium
Walt Terrell's slider, Bob Kipper's fastball and Bob Patterson's changeup all wound up as Kevin Mitchell home runs.
Mitchell's first career three-homer game led the San Francisco Giants to a 9-8 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Mitchell ended up with five RBI for the night on solo homers in the fourth and seventh innings and a three-run shot in the fifth.
While Mitchell, who led the majors last year with 47 homers, is now up to 11 home runs this season, he says he's just getting into his groove. He credits hitting coach Dusty Baker with helping him get rid of a problem - the offseason softball swing.
"I played softball over the winter and I wound up swinging up on the ball too much," Mitchell said. "The weights and softball had me all messed up."
That's why Mitchell and Baker were in the Busch Stadium batting cage at 3 p.m. when the Giants started their current trip in St. Louis last Wednesday. Together, they're trying to reconstruct last year's swing.
"Bake has me working out there early every day," Mitchell said. "I'm not like Will Clark. It doesn't come natural to me. I have to work hard."
"He's using his hands more now," Giants manager Roger Craig said. "He was lunging at the ball too much before."
Craig has plenty to worry about this season. The Cincinnati Reds are threatening to run away with the National League West and the Giants' pitching has been hit hard by injuries. But Craig doesn't count Mitchell as a problem.
Coming into that game, he didn't have a lot of RBI, Craig said. "Now he has 20. He'll get his 100 or more. He's strong. He's awesome. Every time he swings the bat he has a chance to hit the ball 500 feet."
Mitchell also figured his home run swing would come around once he hit the ballparks he really liked - namely Busch and Three Rivers stadiums.
"Those are both good parks for me as far as seeing the ball," Mitchell said. "I don't like hitting in Candlestick that much. I told Brett Butler when we started the trip I was glad to be getting out on the road. I think I'm a better hitter on the road."
Mitchell had produced eight two-homer games in his career, six of them last season. He became the first Giant to hit three in a game since Darrell Evans did it against Houston on June 15, 1983. The team record of four homers is held by Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who did it on April 30, 1961.
Mitchell did have a shot at a four-homer game, but lined out to second baseman Jose Lind in his final at-bat.
"I just tried to hit the ball where it was pitched," Mitchell said. "Four would have been nice because I know my grandmother was watching on TV." I'm not like Will Clark. It doesn't come natural to me. I have to work hard. Kevin Mitchell Three homers Friday night
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB