Roger Clemens came out of the bullpen for a tantalizing showdown with Barry Bonds, yet the result was a pedestrian five-pitch walk.
A better battle of wills occurred one inning earlier, when Noah Lowry used 11 tenacious pitches to get a bases-loaded grounder out of Alex Rodriguez.
While Clemens' first relief appearance in 23 years was Sunday's top curiosity, Lowry's timely toughness should have a much bigger effect on the Giants.
Rocket Makes First Relief Appearance In 23 Years, Walks Bonds