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| Notes: Arthritis flareups curbing Benitez CHICAGO -- Giants closer Armando Benitez won't pitch for the next few days because of arthritis flareups in both knees, a condition he's been battling for many years. "After the game yesterday he complained about them, so we're going to give him a couple of days' rest," said head athletic trainer Stan Conte. "He feels he doesn't have any power when he pushes off." Benitez's knees and his pitches took a beating Saturday in the ninth inning when he allowed a homer, single and walk to the Cubs, forcing veteran Mike Stanton to preserve the game. "His knees are barking," said manager Felipe Alou. "You could see his fastballs going uphill [Saturday], and he was making an effort to go downhill. We'll see what two or three days off will do for him." The 39-year-old Stanton will serve as the closer, and Alou has no qualms about using the left-hander, who is 2-1 with four saves and a 4.38 ERA in 16 outings for the Giants since being acquired July 28 from Washington. "He's got a great curveball that's not easy to hit out of the ballpark," said Alou. "He's quite a man on the team. That guy can pitch for another few years. He doesn't pitch with much effort and doesn't waste a lot of energy." Stanton also sports a mean pickoff move to first base, as he showed Saturday in nailing Ryan Theriot for the second out of the ninth before striking out Ronny Cedeno to end the game. Benitez, 4-2 overall with a 3.52 ERA and 17 saves along with eight blown saves, has rarely been fully healthy since joining the Giants before the 2005 season. He tore hamstrings last year, missing 4 1/2 months, and was on the disabled list to start this season with left knee bursitis. "We've treated him through the two years he's been here," said Conte. "With arthritis, you can't really fix it, it's wear and tear. Once the tire's bald, you can't do too much about it." Benitez has been given lubricating injections to ease movement along with anti-inflammatory drugs, but Conte indicated rest will help the most. |