Friday, May 7, 2004

NL: Green's 2 homers spark Dodgers



The Associated Press

MIAMI - Shawn Green homered twice and drove in four runs to back Kazuhisa Ishii, who earned his fifth win in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins on Thursday night.

Juan Encarnacion homered and knocked in three runs for Los Angeles, Milton Bradley hit a solo shot and Eric Gagne extended his major league record to 72 consecutive saves.

The Dodgers took two of three from Florida and haven't lost a series to the Marlins since May 10-12, 2002.

Dontrelle Willis (3-1), coming off the shortest start of his career, gave up five runs and eight hits in five innings. His ERA, which was 0.00 after three starts, is 3.73 after six.

Ishii (5-1), who trails only Houston's Roger Clemens in the NL in wins, walked five in 6 2/3 innings but gave up just four hits and two runs. Fourteen of his 20 outs came on flyballs.

Expos 3, Rockies 1

MONTREAL - Livan Hernandez escaped a ninth-inning jam and pitched a five-hitter for the Expos' first complete game of the season.

Hernandez gave up a two-out single to Todd Helton and a double to Vinny Castilla, but struck out Jeromy Burnitz to end the game.

Juan Rivera hit a two-run double in support of Hernandez (2-2), who beat Scott Elarton (0-5).

Cubs 11, Diamondbacks 3

CHICAGO - Derrek Lee went 5-for-5 and drove in five runs, and Matt Clement became the team's first five-game winner, leading the Cubs. Lee homered in setting a career high for hits. His three-run shot keyed a five-run fifth inning for the Cubs.

Clement (5-1) allowed three runs and seven hits over seven innings in his fifth straight win.

Trailing 3-1 headed into the fifth, the Cubs got three straight singles to drive out Elmer Dessens (1-4) and make it a one-run game. Aramis Ramirez greeted Oscar Villarreal with another RBI single to tie it and one out later, Lee homered to left to make it 6-3.

Astros 5, Pirates 2

HOUSTON - Wade Miller shut out Pittsburgh for 7 1/3 innings and Houston completed a three-game sweep. Miller (4-2) gave up six hits in his longest outing of the season. He walked none, struck out seven and retired 15 of his first 16 batters, fanning the side in the fifth.

The Astros blanked Pittsburgh until Chris Stynes hit an RBI double in the ninth off Brandon Backe.

Kris Benson (3-2) gave up five runs on eight hits and five walks in 5 2/3 innings for the Pirates, who have won only one of their last 14 games at Minute Maid Park.

Jeff Bagwell got Houston's four-run fourth inning started with a double and later scored on a single by Jason Lane. He added an RBI single in the sixth.

Padres 7, Braves 3

ATLANTA - Khalil Greene and Jay Payton homered, Brian Lawrence pitched seven innings and San Diego won for the ninth time in 12 games.

The Padres scored three quick runs off Mike Hampton (0-3), who gave up six earned runs overall in 6 1/3 innings.

Lawrence (4-2) allowed only five hits, including a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Julio Franco in the seventh.

Atlanta, playing without four starters, turned an around-the-horn triple play on a grounder by pinch-hitter Kerry Robinson in the eighth.

Cardinals 7, Phillies 4

PHILADELPHIA - Hector Luna's three-run homer capped a five-run first inning and Jeff Suppan survived six shaky innings for St. Louis.

The Cardinals quickly ended Randy Wolf's 21-inning scoreless streak and improved to 9-3 on the road. It's their best road start since they were 10-2 in 1946.

Suppan (3-3) allowed six hits and four runs. Jason Isringhausen got four outs for his fourth save.

The Cardinals scored four unearned runs in the first off Wolf (2-2).

Jim Thome hit his 390th homer in the first, and Pat Burrell followed with a solo shot for the Phillies.




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