San Francisco leadoff hitter Tsuyoshi Shinjo on Thursday proved that he is an all-round player when he hit, stole a base and threw out a player in the Giants' 7-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs in a preseason match.
Shinjo reached on an infield single in his second at-bat, stole second and then trotted home on a Shawon Dunston single to break a 0-0 tie in the third inning.
The seven-time Golden Glove award winner in Japan also helped the Giants limit their opponents to just one run when he used his strong arm to throw out Chicago outfielder Moises Alou, who attempted to make a trip home from second base, at the plate with two outs in the fourth.
"I wasn't sure if I'd get him out because the wind was blowing against me. The best part of it was when the fans went wild," Shinjo said after the game.
In Scottsdale, Ariz., Seattle leadoff man Ichiro Suzuki went 1-for-3 with an infield single and a walk although the Mariners went down 5-4 to the Giants in San Francisco's doubleheader night game.
"There's never a guarantee of reaching base safely. All I do is hit and run," Ichiro said when asked about his speed.
In Vero Beach, Fla., St. Louis rookie So Taguchi grounded out in his only at-bat of the day after appearing as a defensive replacement in the sixth as the Cardinals downed the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1. Taguchi is hitless in his last seven at-bats.