Notes: Durham feeling no pressure

03/13/2006
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Doing well, thank you for asking.
Giants veteran second baseman Ray Durham has had an unremarkable Spring Training, and that's just the way he likes it. No hurry about anything, no pressure about this being perhaps his last year in San Francisco livery.
"Staying healthy -- that's it -- knock on wood," said Durham, who banged two singles in Monday's 7-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park, boosting his average to .353 over seven Cactus League contests.
"That's all I can hope for, just getting my work in and trying to stay healthy," added the 34-year-old infielder. "[Contracts] don't bother me -- I just go out and play and it'll speak for itself. If I do well, so be it; if I do bad, so be it."
Durham's new steady-as-he-goes credo and solid offseason workouts have made him physically and mentally stronger, as he won't overextend himself on routine plays -- he admits that was a difficult transition after a career of pushing hard at all times.
"I felt pretty good last year until a checked swing screwed up my groin -- go figure," said Durham. "But I definitely feel stronger. We've got some games left and the key for me now is to maintain and get my work in. But I also have to be careful to avoid that freak accident, freak injury, which last year was.
"That kind of hampered me all year," said Durham, who still hit .290 with 33 doubles and 62 RBIs and never went on the disabled list after two consecutive seasons of DL time.
Also on Monday, outfielder Dan Ortmeier hit a deep RBI double to left-center following Kevin Frandsen's base hit and also had a sacrifice fly in the sixth, scoring Lance Niekro, who had singled.
Niekro, who struggled last season against right-handed pitchers, went 2-for-3 Monday, with both hits vs. starboarders. He's batting .500 (10-for-20) over his last seven games.
Kinney so-so: Losing pitcher Matt Kinney (1-1) gave up five hits and four runs over three innings, but didn't feel he threw that poorly, save for giving up a homer to Tony Clark in the third.
"I thought at times I made some good pitches, and I thought the results were worse than the way I threw -- one of those days," said Kinney. "I felt I had some good stuff, but there were a few pitches that could have changed the momentum of the game. I didn't think I threw the ball horrible."
Top of the heap: The Giants' hottest hitter this spring is perhaps the least known -- Abraham Nunez.
The 29-year-old center fielder, plucked from free agency last December after stints at Florida and Kansas City in 2005, slammed a single and double for San Francisco on Monday.
That raised his average to .454 over seven games.
A pro since 1997, Nunez has a .209 Major League average in 136 games and is a long shot to make the Giants' outfielder-laden squad, but seems a sure bet for Triple-A Fresno this season.
On the sweet spot: After a slow start, Frandsen has picked up the pace, going 7-for-13 (.538) with a double, homer and three RBIs in his last six games. ... Third baseman Angel Chavez leads all National League hitters with five doubles, and over his last five games is batting .500 with three two-baggers, a triple and two RBIs. ... Outfielder Jason Ellison has hit safely in five of his last six games, batting .381 with three doubles, a triple and pair of RBIs.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/