BASEBALL GAME RECAPS 8-20-08

Liriano shaky, but just good enough to boost Twins

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins stuffed equipment bags and suitcases to their brims, preparing for two full weeks on the road and a defining stretch of this so-far successful season.

Before they left, they crossed one more item off the list -- another win over the lifeless Oakland Athletics.

Mike Redmond drove in two runs and the Twins survived some wildness by Francisco Liriano to beat the A's 3-1 on Wednesday and send them to an Oakland-record 11th straight series defeat.

The last time the A's lost 11 series in a row was 1960, when they played in Kansas City.

"It seems like when we're down, we're really down," Oakland's Emil Brown said. "It's not because of lack of effort. I can't really find the words to describe it."

The Twins won their 11th consecutive home series, improving to 30-9 at the Metrodome since June 1 in their last home game until Sept. 5. They play 14 straight on the road, the longest trip the team has had since 1969. Beginning Thursday against the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels, only six of the next 30 games are in Minnesota.

"At the end, it's 81 and 81," closer Joe Nathan said. "This is just a longer stretch of it. I don't think anybody's concerned too much about it. Most of the talk here in the clubhouse was just making sure we had enough underwear."

The Twins, who are 26-31 on the road this year, are one game behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

"Just got to keep playing," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We can't control what they do until we see 'em at the end."

Liriano (4-3) was still strong enough to win with five innings against the A's, who are 6-25 since the All-Star break. The only run he allowed was unearned, caused by an error on sure-fielding second baseman Nick Punto when he suddenly couldn't find a groundball hit right to him by Mark Ellis to start the game.

Punto later stopped a two-out rolling single by Jack Cust with a dive that took him into shallow center field, but he didn't have time for a strong throw and Ellis scored easily.

Though he lowered his ERA this month to 1.14, Liriano was not sharp -- rushing his delivery toward the plate and failing to find the right motion. He threw a season-high 107 pitches, only 64 of them for strikes. He gave up five hits, walked three and struck out five against a lagging Oakland lineup batting .215 in the second half.

"I just couldn't find my spots outside," Liriano said. "It's just one of those days."

The A's were held to one run or less for the 34th time this year, more than a quarter of their games. They are averaging only 2.71 runs per game since the break.

"We really had some chances and hit the ball," manager Bob Geren said. "Just couldn't get the breaks."

Oakland starter Dallas Braden (3-3) actually outpitched Liriano, but with little support he couldn't overcome a pair of two-out RBI singles -- to Justin Morneau in the first inning and Redmond in the third. Giving regular catcher Joe Mauer a break for the afternoon, Redmond also drove in Punto with a base hit off Braden that made it 3-1 in the sixth.

Making his sixth start after some time in the bullpen and Triple A, Braden threw a season-high 102 pitches but struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed six hits and walked three.

"Any time they land, it doesn't matter if you made a good pitch or not," said Braden, who allowed two bunt hits. "It wasn't the right pitch. I'm not happy. We lost."

The Twins have overexposed their bullpen lately, but Boof Bonser gave them a big lift with two hitless innings in relief of Liriano. The right-hander, bumped from the rotation in May, had struggled before a recent stretch of effectiveness.

Dennys Reyes walked Cust to start the eighth, but Jesse Crain retired the next three. Nathan worked the ninth for his 34th save, and the Twins walked off winners for the sixth time in seven games -- finishing the homestand at 7-2.

And off they went.

"We have to monkey it up and find a way to win baseball games," Gardenhire said.

Game notes
The Twins activated 2B Alexi Casilla from the DL after the game and outrighted RHP Brian Bass to Triple A. ... The A's plan to skip Sean Gallagher's next start, and probably Justin Duchscherer's, too. ... Bonser had a 8.74 ERA in his first 14 relief appearances, but in six games since his ERA is 2.89 -- three earned runs in 9 1/3 innings. "Hopefully that will carry and bode well as we go along here," Gardenhire said. "We're going to need him." ... The A's have lost 11 of their last 13 at the Metrodome. ... Reyes faced only one batter for the 17th time this season. ... Cust struck out twice and leads the AL with 158.






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Griffey ties Sosa on all-time home run list as White Sox coast

CHICAGO (AP) -- Ken Griffey Jr. thought it was just a matter of time. His first home run with the Chicago White Sox was still a pretty sweet sight for manager Ozzie Guillen.

Griffey hit one of Chicago's four homers to move into a tie with Sammy Sosa for fifth on the career list and the surging White Sox routed the Seattle Mariners 15-3 on Wednesday.

"It's weird," Griffey said. "I've watched Sammy throughout the years. Tying him, it's OK, I guess."

Griffey's two-run drive in the second inning was his first since Chicago acquired him from Cincinnati on July 31, and No. 609 for his career. The 13-time All-Star was just 9-for-43 with four RBIs and no extra-base hits for the White Sox entering the game.

"It's about time," Guillen said.

Alexei Ramirez and A.J. Pierzynski each hit a three-run homer for Chicago, which has won eight of nine and maintained a one-game lead over Minnesota in the AL Central. Nick Swisher homered for the third straight game and Griffey scored three times.

Griffey hit an RBI single and Ramirez connected for his 14th homer in Chicago's six-run first against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (3-, who lasted just two innings. Griffey made it 8-0 with a drive to right after going 46 at-bats without a homer.

"I don't really worry about that," he said. "Everybody else does. I'm more concerned about getting hits and getting on base. You get hits and home runs happen. But it is good to get the first one at home."

The White Sox have scored 13 or more runs in three of their last four games and the 15 runs were one short of their season high. It was an impressive showing playing without Jim Thome, who was scratched with what he called a "little bit of a lower abdominal thing." The slugger expects to be ready for the next game on Friday.

The 15 runs also were the most allowed by the lowly Mariners since Kansas City scored 17 on July 3, 2007. Seattle has lost six straight and 11 of 13 overall.

Pierzynski, who finished with three hits for the second straight game, went deep against Jake Woods in the fifth and Swisher hit a solo homer off Roy Corcoran in the sixth.

"It seemed like no matter what we threw up there they were covering it with their barrels somehow," said Dickey, who tied a major league record with four wild pitches in an inning Sunday against Minnesota. "It's a tough stretch for me personally. The last two weeks I've been kind of out of rhythm."

The White Sox have hit four or more homers in six games this month and 10 times this season. They have 14 in their last four games and lead the majors with 188.

"It feels like a dream right now," said Ramirez, who has homered in three of four games and is a leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. "I don't want to wake up from it."

Gavin Floyd (13-6) was the beneficiary of all that run support. The right-hander allowed three runs and six hits in six innings.

Raul Ibanez hit his 20th homer and drove in three runs for Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki had three hits.

"They've got a good ballclub, they're really rolling and I wish we could have given them some better competition this week," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said.

Game notes
Thome was available to pinch hit. With Thome out, Griffey moved from right field to designated hitter. Swisher went from center to right, and DeWayne Wise started in center. ... Wise was replaced by Brian Anderson in the top of the fifth after straining a muscle near his groin. ... Mariners RHP Carlos Silva (right elbow tendinitis) is feeling better and could start on Aug. 31, Riggleman said. ... Seattle RHP Brandon Morrow, who is being converted to a starter, is scheduled to throw about 70 pitches for Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday. Riggleman said Morrow likely will make one or two more starts and be called up when rosters expand on September 1. ... LHP Erik Bedard's most recent bullpen session didn't go as well as hoped and his next throwing session, scheduled for Saturday, likely will be pushed back. Riggleman hopes to have Bedard back before the end of the season but called a potential return "gravy if he does." ... Riggleman said RHP Felix Hernandez, whose previously injured left ankle was hit by a hard groundball on Tuesday, was fine.







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Three-run homers from Hernandez, Mora help O's avoid sweep

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Another poor performance by Boston starter Clay Buchholz cost the right-hander a spot on the Red Sox roster.

Ramon Hernandez and Melvin Mora hit three-run homers, and the Baltimore Orioles overcame an early deficit to beat Buchholz and the Red Sox 11-6 on Wednesday night to avoid a three-game sweep.

Buchholz (2-9) allowed five runs, three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his career. The 24-year-old, who threw a no-hitter against the Orioles last September, is 0-7 in nine starts since May 2.

After a game in which only 30 of his 60 pitches were for strikes, Buchholz was optioned to Double-A Portland.

"People have tough games. I've had a tough season," said Buchholz, who spent two months in Triple-A from mid-May to July 11. "Down there is where you develop. Up here it's a pennant race. ... If you ask if the decision was right, I'd say it was."

Buchholz was given an early 4-0 lead but couldn't make it stand up. He has a 6.75 ERA and opponents are batting .299 against him.

"Tough situation. We're in a pennant race and we're in Boston and a lot of focus is on him and he feels the responsibility," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I think coming into this game we were all excited about watching him pitch, but the way it unraveled makes it kind of obvious we had to do something."

Buchholz started with a 1-2-3 inning, but gave up three runs in the second and was yanked after hitting a batter and walking another in the third.

"Instead of going out there and gritting my teeth and say I'm going to get this guy out, I go out there and think, `What's going to happen next?" he said. "That's not a very high confidence level."

Down 4-0 in the second, Baltimore scored 10 straight runs against Buchholz and two relievers. Hernandez put the Orioles up 6-4 with a third-inning drive, and Mora's 21st homer of the season made it 10-4 in the fourth.

"Against Boston you've got to be able to hit with men on base," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "You've got to score when you get opportunities to score because you never know if you're going to have enough runs."

Mora added a fifth-inning sacrifice fly to boost his team-high RBI total to 95. He has 10 homers and 47 RBIs in 31 games since the All-Star break.

Chris Waters (2-0), making his fourth major league start, gave up five runs, four earned, and eight hits in five innings for Baltimore.

"It was tough early but he kept us in the game, hung on right there and he gave us a chance to come back," said Hernandez, Waters' batterymate. "He kind of figured it out a little bit. He went through a rough start but he ended up pretty good."

Jason Bay homered for the Red Sox, his fourth in 17 games since being traded from Pittsburgh.

Boston got three hits and two walks in the first inning but could muster only two runs. Dustin Pedroia hit a one-out triple and scored on a single by Kevin Youkilis before Jed Lowrie walked with the bases loaded. Jeff Bailey then struck out and Coco Crisp hit a grounder in the hole that shortstop Juan Castro turned into a force at third.

In the second, the Red Sox used a double by Kevin Cash, a throwing error by Waters and an RBI single by David Ortiz to make it 4-0.

Baltimore closed to 4-3 in the bottom half when Lou Montanez singled in a run and Brian Roberts hit a two-run single.

A baserunning error cost Boston a scoring chance in the third. After Lowrie hit a leadoff double, he took a few steps toward third as right fielder Nick Markakis caught a fly ball. Before Lowrie could get back to second, Markakis threw him out.

"That's another momentum changer for us," Trembley said.

The Orioles went up 7-4 in the bottom half. After Buchholz was lifted, Hernandez greeted David Aardsma with a drive to center that Crisp failed to grab with a leap over the 7-foot wall. Montanez walked and Castro followed with an RBI single.

Mora connected in the fourth off Javier Lopez, and Bay went deep in the fifth to make it 10-5.

In the Baltimore fifth, Jay Payton got a leadoff single off Mike Timlin and scored on Mora's fly ball.

Orioles reliever Kam Mickolio made his major league debut in the eighth. He started by striking out Lowrie, but gave up three hits, including an RBI double to Jacoby Ellsbury.

Game notes
After the game, the Orioles optioned LHP Garrett Olson to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore will recall a pitcher from Norfolk to start Friday against the Yankees, Trembley said. ... Timlin made his 1,049th career appearance, one short of Kent Tekulve's major league record for right-handed relievers. ... SS Julio Lugo, who has been on the DL since July 12 with a strained left quadriceps, suffered a setback Wednesday, Francona said.






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Cleveland rallies in 8th to stay hot; Royals' Maier hit in face by pitch

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Franklin Gutierrez's confidence is catching up to his natural ability.

Gutierrez hit a three-run homer in a five-run eighth inning and made a diving catch to end the game, as the Cleveland Indians rallied to defeat the Kansas City Royals 8-5 on Wednesday night.

"I'm thinking positive and it is working," Gutierrez said. "After the home run, I was thinking, 'What if I finish the game with a great catch?' Then I did."

The Indians' first four hits were homers, including two by Kelly Shoppach, and they won for the ninth time in 12 games. The Royals, meanwhile, have lost 11 of 13.

"Any time you snap one away late like that, it feels good," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

Kansas City outfielder Mitch Maier left in the fifth inning after getting hit in the face by a pitch from Indians starter Zach Jackson during a four-run rally that put the Royals ahead 5-3.

Maier immediately crumpled to the ground, and manager Trey Hillman and team trainers came out to check on him. Maier walked off the field and was taken to a hospital for X-rays, which revealed three broken bones below his right eye.

Gutierrez connected off closer Joakim Soria (1-3) to ruin a fine performance by Kansas City starter Gil Meche, giving the win to Juan Rincon (3-3) after he worked a scoreless eighth.

Jensen Lewis pitched the ninth for his fourth save. He retired three straight, getting the final out when Gutierrez raced toward the right-field line and made a diving catch of a fly ball hit by Alex Gordon.

"I've made some adjustments and am playing with more confidence," said Gutierrez, who has hit .346 with three homers and 10 RBIs over his last 15 games to lift his average to .234.

"This game felt good. It gives me more positive thinking."

A year ago, Gutierrez hit .266 with 13 homers in only 271 at-bats to earn the starting job in right field down the stretch as Cleveland won the AL Central.

Meche retired the final 17 batters he faced and gave up only two hits over seven innings. The right-hander struck out nine.

Hillman said lifting Meche with a 5-3 lead was the right decision.

"He's over 100 pitches," Hillman said. "It's late in the season. He's not going to have any extra rest. We're already falling apart with our rotation. I don't understand why there would be second guessing. If people want to second guess, that's fine.

"I could have sent him back out for another one, but we just lost two guys in our rotation."

Kyle Davies was sent to the minors last week and Luke Hochevar went on the disabled list before the game with a right rib contusion.

Meche yielded a two-run homer to Jhonny Peralta, his 20th, in the first inning. Shoppach homered to open the Indians' second for a 3-1 lead, then Meche pitched perfect ball.

"I felt fine," Meche said. "I felt good. It's a game we should have won."

Ramon Ramirez began the bottom of the eighth, and Shoppach hit his 14th homer on the reliever's second pitch to get make it 5-4.

Pinch-hitter Shin-Soo Choo walked and was sacrificed to second by Asdrubal Cabrera. Soria came on and walked Grady Sizemore, then yielded Gutierrez's seventh homer.

"He's had some big hits lately and there's not many bigger than that," Wedge said. "He really stepped up."

One out later, Soria hit Peralta with a pitch and walked David Dellucci. Ryan Garko's RBI single made it 8-5.

Mike Aviles' three-run double on the first pitch after Jackson hit Maier put the Royals ahead 4-3.

Gordon and John Buck singled to start the Royals' fifth. With Maier squaring around to bunt, Jackson threw a pitch up and in and the Royals outfielder could not get out of the way.

Aviles later stole third as DeJesus struck out and scored when catcher Shoppach threw the ball down the left-field line for an error.

The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jose Guillen.

Jackson yielded four earned runs over seven innings in his second start since being called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Aug. 13. One of four players acquired July 7 in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers, Jackson walked one and struck out four.

Game notes
The Royals called up LHP Josh Newman from Triple-A Omaha when Hochevar went on the DL. ... Gordon returned to the Royals lineup after missing Tuesday's game with a stiff back. He went 1-for-4 and made a throwing error. ... Buck went 1-for-2 and is in a 3-for-44 skid since Aug. 3. ... Peralta joined Woody Held (1959-61) as the only shortstops in Indians history to hit 20 or more homers in three seasons. Peralta also did it in 2005 and 2007. ... It was Shoppach's second multihomer game of the season and career.






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Jeter's 2-run homer, Pettitte's pitching power Yankees


TORONTO (AP) -- With their postseason hopes dwindling by the day, the New York Yankees turned to two players they have counted on for more than a decade to deliver a much-needed win.

Derek Jeter hit a two-run homer, and Andy Pettitte pitched seven strong innings to snap a four-start winless streak as the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Wednesday night.

"They know what it takes, they've been there and they understand what we have to do," manager Joe Girardi said of Jeter and Pettitte. "Those are two of the leaders in here and your leaders have to step up and that's what they're doing."

Jeter and Pettitte have been teammates on four World Series champion teams since the Yankees' streak of playoff appearances began in 1995.

"We've been around for a lot of things, good times, bad times," Jeter said. "We understand there's a sense of urgency but I think everyone understands that."

New York entered Wednesday 11 games behind divison-leading Tampa Bay and 6 1/2 behind Boston in the wild-card race. The Yankees refuse to abandon hope of a 14th consecutive postseason berth.

"It's our job to go out and try to prove people wrong," Jeter said.

For Pettitte, any talk that New York's run is already over provides extra motivation.

"You almost feel like nothing is insurmountable," Pettitte said. "When people think you're out, you almost want to prove them wrong more."

Jeter's homer in the fourth inning was his eighth of the season and 203rd of his career, moving him past Bill Dickey and into a tie with Roger Maris for 11th place on the Yankees' all-time list.

He was 3-for-5 and is two hits shy of 2,500 for his career. He is batting .571 (16-for-27) over his past six games, including five multihit efforts.

"When we need him to come up clutch, he always does it," Pettitte said of Jeter. "He's a great leader on this team and he leads by example."

Pettitte (13-9) had not won since beating Boston on July 26, losing twice and taking two no-decisions. He allowed one run and five hits in seven innings, walked none and struck out four. He set down 10 straight at one stretch and threw 83 pitches, including 62 strikes.

"I was hitting my spots and where sometimes I'm missing three or four inches inside, I was able to get that ball in there for strikes tonight and get some outs," Pettitte said.

Girardi called Pettitte's effort "spectacular."

"His stuff was outstanding," Girardi said. "He used all of his pitches. His curveball and changeup were great tonight,he had great location with his fastball and he kept them off balance. He got a lot of ground balls and gave us what we needed."

Brian Bruney got the final six outs for the Yankees, who have won three of four after losing six of their previous seven.

Toronto rookie left-hander David Purcey (2-4) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings. He walked two and struck out two.

"He had some trouble with his control and, with a team like the Yankees, you can't do that," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said.

Purcey was in immediate trouble, giving up consecutive singles to Johnny Damon, Jeter and Bobby Abreu to begin the game. Alex Rodriguez flied out to shallow right, but Jason Giambi hit a sacrifice fly and Xavier Nady followed with an RBI single.

New York added three runs in the fourth. Robinson Cano walked, went to third on Jose Molina's single and scored on Damon's fielder's choice before Jeter hit his two-run drive to right.

Alex Rios, whose 26-game hitting streak against the Yankees ended Tuesday, drove in Toronto's only run with an RBI single in the sixth.

Damon, who dropped two routine fly balls in Tuesday's 2-1 loss, shared a smile with left fielder Nady after catching Lyle Overbay's fly ball in the seventh, his first and only chance of the night.

"In this game, every day is a constant battle," Damon said. "Some days you can be real good, some days you can be OK, some days you can be terrible and yesterday I was terrible."

Damon, who came in hitless in 11 at-bats, finished 2-for-4 with a walk.

Playing his second game since coming off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, Yankees designated hitter Hideki Matsui went 1-for-4. He hit a one-out double in the eighth, but was caught off the base when Cano lined out to first for an inning-ending double play.

Game notes
New York improved to 45-15 this season when scoring first. ... Toronto failed to hit a home run for the first time in eight games. ... RHP Carl Pavano, a candidate to start for New York on Saturday at Baltimore, threw a side session with Double-A Trenton Wednesday. ... Sidney Ponson (3-2) of the Yankees faces Toronto's Roy Halladay (14-9) in Thursday's series finale.





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Anderson extends hitting streak with game-winning single
Angels Sneak By Rays, 5-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Given one more chance to extend his hitting streak to 23 games, Garret Anderson made sure he got his bat off his shoulder.

"I told myself as I was walking to the plate that if it's out over the plate, I'm going to swing at it, and that's what it was," he said Wednesday night after his ninth-inning infield single gave the Los Angeles Angels a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"Sometimes I have to do that because I'll get too picky up there and not swing and not be myself."

Anderson struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh -- taking three called strikes as the Angels wasted an opportunity to break open a one-run game -- but wouldn't repeat the mistake against submariner Chad Bradford after the Rays tied it 4-all on Carlos Pena's eighth-inning RBI double off Jose Arredondo (5-1).

Vladimir Guerrero was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out in the ninth. After Torii Hunter grounded into a force play at the plate, Anderson hit a sharp grounder that second baseman Akinori Iwamura was unable to backhand cleanly moving to his right.

The play initially was ruled an error. It was changed to a hit, keeping Anderson's streak alive, after the Angels asked the official scorer to review it.

"That's not a routine play because he did a good job to get in front of it and knock it down. That would have been a terrific play if he could have made it," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's got to dive and knock a ball down and get an out all at the same time."

The run was charged to Grant Balfour (3-2), who walked Chone Figgins to begin the inning before giving up a one-out single to Mark Teixeira on a routine fly ball that fell in front of left fielder Justin Ruggiano.

Ruggiano, who had just entered the game as a defensive replacement, said he pulled up short of the ball, not wanting to take a chance on it getting past him.

"That was definitely a break to move that inning along," Scioscia said. "A timely break."

Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth for the Angels for his major league-leading and club- record 48th save. He broke his own team mark of 47 (2006) and is on pace for 62 saves, which would shatter the major league mark of 57, set by Bobby Thigpen of the Chicago White Sox in 1990.

Angels starter Jered Weaver settled down after allowing three runs in the second, limiting the Rays to five hits and matching a career high with nine strikeouts in six innings before entrusting a 4-3 lead to the bullpen.

Los Angeles squandered a couple of chances to break the game open, leaving the bases loaded in the sixth against right-hander Matt Garza and the seventh when left-hander Trever Miller fanned Anderson.

Erick Aybar had a two-run triple and Chone Figgins and Mark Teixeira also drove in runs off Rays Garza for the Angels, who won for the first time in six tries at Tropicana Field this season.

Despite the loss, Tampa Bay retained its 4 1/2-game lead over second-place Boston in the AL East.

"You're going to lose some tough ones, but what really matters is what you do after that," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "They beat us tonight, but we had our opportunities to win the game, too. Again, it just indicates we are making progress."

The victory cooled the Rays, who have won nine of 12, and enabled Los Angeles to nudge back ahead of Tampa Bay for the best record in the American League at 77-48.

The Rays scored three runs with two outs in the second after Angels third baseman Figgins was unable to get to Gabe Gross' foul ball that didn't quite reach the stands up the left-field line.

Gross singled to right two pitches later, driving in Eric Hinske, who drew a throw to the plate that allowed Gross to move up to second base. Shawn Riggans followed with a RBI single, then Jason Bartlett tripled to left-center to make it 3-0.

The Angels countered with a four-run third against Garza, who was coming off a two-hit shutout over the Texas Rangers.

Figgins doubled to drive in the first run, Aybar followed with his two-run triple and Teixeira put Los Angeles ahead 4-3 with a RBI grounder that scored Aybar.

Game notes
Rays LF Carl Crawford, on the 15-day disabled list after undergoing surgery to correct a tendon problem in his right middle finger, returned to St. Petersburg from his home in Phoenix and will see a therapist on Thursday. He hopes to return before the end of the regular season. He said he's not surprised the team has continued to win with him, 3B Evan Longoria and RHP Troy Percival on the DL. "We've been winning like that all year long without certain guys in the lineup," Crawford said. "The team is not built for one person to make it win. It's a team effort." ... Weaver fanned nine in a game for the fourth time in his career.







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Hamilton, Metcalf homers put end to Rangers' slide against Tigers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Kevin Millwood gave the Texas Rangers the quality start they desperately needed.

Millwood scattered six hits in his second complete game of the season, and Josh Hamilton hit one of five homers off Detroit starter Nate Robertson in the Rangers' 9-1 victory Wednesday night.

Millwood (7-7), who lost his previous three decisions, relied on his fastball to get ahead of the hitters. He struck out three and walked one in his 15th career complete game.

"I located my fastball," said Millwood, who gave the Rangers their fourth complete game of the season. "I pretty much threw the fastball wherever I wanted to. When you do that it can make your other pitches better. I think I pitched better tonight than I did any time this year. It shows me the work I'm doing is paying off."

The Rangers had allowed seven or more runs in 10 of their previous 11 games before Millwood ended that trend. Texas started the night with a major league-high ERA of 5.43, 5.82 by the starters.

Rangers manager Ron Washington intended on taking Millwood out after eight innings, but Millwood wanted to complete the game and threw 113 pitches.

"He came down and said he thought he was going to take me out," Millwood said. "I said I was fine, let me finish it."

Detroit had 18 fly ball outs in what is known as a hitter's park.

"What he did more than anything else was he stayed out of the middle of the plate so he could keep [the ball] off the fat part of their bats," Washington said. "When they did center it up, we had someone standing there to catch it."

Texas had lost the first five meetings with Detroit this season, and seven in a row overall.

Travis Metcalf homered twice, once off Robertson (8-9), and Brandon Boggs, Michael Young and Milton Bradley also connected for the Rangers.

The highest scoring team in the majors won for the third time in 12 games.

Hamilton had three hits, including his 29th homer, a solo shot in the fourth that gave him a major league-leading 115 RBIs.

Metcalf's two-run homer in the second got the Rangers' offense started.

Boggs and Young opened the third with back-to-back homers, and Chris Davis' RBI groundout later in the inning stretched the lead to 5-0.

Miguel Cabrera drove in the only Detroit run with a fourth-inning double.

Texas got consecutive homers from Hamilton and Bradley in a three-run fourth to make it 8-1 and knock out Robertson.

"Pitches over the middle of the plate belt high, they lead to extra-base hits," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "It's all about starting pitching and tonight our starter had a tough outing."

Robertson allowed eight runs and eight hits in 3 2/3 innings to push his ERA to 6.09.

"My slider was awful," Robertson said. "It's been very inconsistent all year long. It was a pitch I could always have success with, but it's not doing much. It spins up there, stays up over the plate, and it gets whacked. Three of the home runs I gave up tonight were on that pitch."

Metcalf completed his first career multihomer game in the seventh off Aquilino Lopez.

Game notes
Texas has had back-to-back HRs six times this season. The Rangers hadn't had two sets of consecutive HRs in a game since 1989. ... Texas' six HRs matched a season high. ... Robertson set a career-high for homers allowed. The last time a Tigers pitcher gave up five homers in a game was Jeff Weaver in 1999. ... Bradley, whose homer traveled 430 feet, returned to the lineup after being removed from Tuesday night's game with left knee soreness. ... Leyland said 12-game winner Armando Galarraga deserves consideration for AL Rookie of the Year, but will probably lose out to Tampa Bay's Evan Longoria. "Galarraga's a legitimate candidate," Leyland said. "Should he be considered? Yeah. But he won't make it. Longoria probably will get it, especially if they win." ... Washington said the Rangers' recent slide has been more disturbing than their 7-16 start. "It's the stretch run and people always remember what you did last, not what you did in the beginning," Washington said.






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Parra breaks out of skid, Hardy homers to power Brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Manny Parra had enough to earn his first victory in a month.

Parra lasted five innings to pick up his first win since July 20, J.J. Hardy hit a two-run homer and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Houston Astros 5-2 on Wednesday.

"I had nothing today," Parra said. "Nothing."

Rickie Weeks walked three times and scored three runs, and Prince Fielder had two sacrifice flies for Milwaukee, which managed just four hits.

Parra (10-6) won 7-4 at San Francisco last month, then lost four straight decisions over his next five starts. He came in with a 5.70 ERA over the previous five starts, including a poor showing against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday when he gave up 10 hits, matching a season high, and four runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 5-3 loss.

Again missing his best stuff, Parra still found a way to hold Houston to two runs and six hits. The 25-year-old left-hander walked four and struck out two.

"If I can go out there and have nothing and get away with five innings and the bullpen does what they do and we get a win," he said, "it really doesn't matter."

Carlos Villanueva worked two hitless innings, Eric Gagne got out of a jam in the eighth and Salomon Torres pitched the ninth for his 24th save in 29 chances.

Houston loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth but Hunter Pence bounced back to Gagne for a 1-2-3 double play and David Newhan grounded out to end the inning.

"We lost it in the eighth," manager Cecil Cooper said. "We had our opportunity. We had a walk, hit batter, bunt single and the bases loaded with nobody out and two pitches later the inning's over. We've got to score there somehow."

Brewers manager Ned Yost was happy with Gagne's economical approach in the eighth.

"Gagne got the bases loaded and out of it all on eight pitches," Yost said.

Hardy homered off Doug Brocail, who entered after reliever Wesley Wright walked Weeks with two outs in the seventh inning. Hardy's 19th homer made it 5-2.

Geoff Blum and Reggie Abercrombie had RBI singles in the fourth for Houston.

Parra got into trouble again in the fifth, but escaped thanks to a perfect throw by left fielder Gabe Kapler that nailed Mark Loretta at the plate to end the inning.

Kapler also doubled in a run in the first

Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez (7-6) allowed three runs, two earned, and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six and walked five.

Game notes
Brewers slugger Ryan Braun missed his second consecutive game and ninth of the last 11 with tightness in his lower back. The All-Star outfielder left Monday's game after the sixth inning when the injury flared up during an at-bat. He could pinch hit, but probably won't start until Friday against Pittsburgh. The Brewers are off Thursday. ... Brewers C Mike Rivera dropped Loretta's popup in front of the plate in the seventh, but after appealing to plate umpire Dale Scott, recovered to throw out Loretta, who had his back to the play. ... Weeks returned after missing two games with a sprained left thumb.






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Myers' shutout, Dobbs' homer give Phils 3rd straight win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Brett Myers has found his form in time to help the Philadelphia Phillies push for a playoff spot.

Myers tossed a nine-hitter for his first shutout in four years and Philadelphia beat Washington 4-0 on Wednesday night, handling the Nationals their 12th straight loss.

"I think it definitely shows he's strong and capable of throwing about 120 pitches," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said.

Myers (6-10) struck out nine and walked one in his sixth start since being recalled from the minors on July 20. He earned his first shutout since a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 20, 2004, and his first complete game since he tossed a six-hitter in a 6-2 victory against the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 20, 2006.

It was the third complete game this season for the Phillies, who stayed 1 1/2 games back of the NL East-leading New York Mets.

"Actually, I didn't think my fastball and location were that great at all," Myers said. "I thought I had a pretty good curveball."

Since being recalled from the minors, Myers is 3-1 with a 1.94 ERA.

"I think he's definitely capable of pitching like he did tonight," Manuel said. "We always have high expectations for Brett."

The Nationals tied the Kansas City Royals for the longest losing streak in the majors this season. The skid is the franchise's longest since the Montreal Expos dropped 12 straight from Aug. 13-27, 1976.

Ronnie Belliard collected two more hits for Washington, which has the worst record in the majors at 44-83. Belliard is batting .444 (24-for-54) this month.

The Nationals have been shut out 19 times this season.

"We're just not capitalizing right now," manager Manny Acta said. "That's what we've been doing lately."

Greg Dobbs hit a two-run homer off Collin Balester (2-6) in Philadelphia's three-run fifth. Jayson Werth, who hit the winning home run on Tuesday, added an RBI double.

Myers, who threw 119 pitches, got some help from his defense when left fielder Pat Burrell threw out Ryan Zimmerman at the plate in the first for his 12th outfield assist.

"I got my adrenaline flowing around the eighth inning and the defense played great behind me," Myers said.

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the third without registering a hit. With runners on first and second and one out, second baseman Emilio Bonifacio fielded Jimmy Rollins' sharp grounder and threw to newly acquired shortstop Anderson Hernandez at second. Hernandez then made an errant throw to first trying to complete the double play, allowing Chris Coste to score.

The Nationals got Hernandez on Wednesday to complete the trade that sent reliever Luis Ayala to the New York Mets.

Balester gave up four runs, three earned, and seven hits in six innings.

"The toughest thing for me is to keep the ball down more consistently," Balester said. "It's not a maybe thing. You've got to do it. I've got to work on that because it's killing me."

Game notes
Cole Hamels has Philadelphia's other two complete games this season. ... Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson, a former star at nearby Saint Joseph's University, threw out the first pitch. ... The game drew a sellout crowd of 45,166, the 16th in a row and the 42nd this season at Citizens Bank Park.





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Pelfrey, Wright help Mets extend hot streak

NEW YORK (AP) -- As soon as Mike Pelfrey emerged from the dugout for the ninth inning, the Shea Stadium crowd roared its approval.

The big right-hander had come close before, but this time he was determined to finish the job.

Pelfrey pitched a three-hitter for his first career complete game and David Wright homered to lead the New York Mets over the sloppy Atlanta Braves 6-3 on Wednesday night.

"Anytime you can go out there and throw a complete game, it's awesome," Pelfrey said. "The fans got into it and started cheering and a standing ovation -- anytime that happens it's great."

Pelfrey (12- also delivered at the plate, hitting an RBI single in a five-run first inning, when the NL East leaders took advantage of two Atlanta errors.

"That's huge. Anytime you can get that kind of run support early in the game, it kind of takes pressure off you," Pelfrey said. "You don't have to be as perfect. You have a little cushion and it allows you to relax."

Daniel Murphy hit a two-run single and Fernando Tatis also drove in a run to help the surging Mets, who have won eight of nine and 11 of 14. They remained 1 1/2 games ahead of second-place Philadelphia.

"It's great that we're in a little bit of a groove now, but we can't get ahead of ourselves," catcher Brian Schneider said. "There's a lot of baseball left."

Braves starter Jair Jurrjens (11-9) gave up six runs -- four earned -- and six hits in five innings.

Pelfrey walked three and struck out three in his 42nd major league start, improving to 10-2 since May 31. He threw 108 pitches and retired his final 11 batters in a game that lasted just 2 hours, 8 minutes.

The key inning for Pelfrey was the sixth, when Atlanta loaded the bases with nobody out on a bunt single followed by two walks. But the 24-year-old right-hander limited the damage.

One run scored on a double-play grounder by cleanup batter Brian McCann, and another on a wild pitch that cut New York's lead to 6-3. Pelfrey got Mark Kotsay on an inning-ending flyout and did not allow another base runner the rest of the way.

"He was on the edges all night," a dejected Chipper Jones said quietly after striking out twice. "He always had good stuff. He throws a heavy ball."

It was the second time in four games that a Mets starter went the distance on a three-hitter. Johan Santana shut out Pittsburgh on Sunday.

New York starters are 7-0 with a 1.83 ERA in the past eight games.

Wright hit his 24th homer leading off the fifth, making it 6-1, and the Mets never had to use their shaky bullpen, which is missing injured closer Billy Wagner.

The Mets want to make sure they don't put too many innings on Pelfrey's young arm this season, but manager Jerry Manuel left his starter in the game as he sailed through the last three innings on 26 pitches.

Manuel said the team will simply monitor Pelfrey's workload the rest of the way.

"As long as I feel good physically, I don't see it being an issue," Pelfrey said. "And I feel good."

The Braves have lost nine of 10, falling a season-worst 15 games under .500.

Argenis Reyes' single and consecutive two-out walks by Jurrjens in the first brought up Murphy, who fouled off three two-strike pitches before grounding a single through the middle.

It was the latest example of savvy hitting by Murphy, a surprising rookie who spent most of the season at Double-A Binghamton before getting called up from Triple-A on Aug. 2.

It also was another bases-loaded hit for the Mets, who snapped a 3-for-42 slide with the sacks full on Carlos Delgado's go-ahead double in the eighth Tuesday night.

Tatis then hit a slow roller toward third. Jones came in and gloved the ball but threw wildly to first. Tatis was credited with an RBI infield single, and Jones was charged with an error that allowed another run to score.

Schneider reached on a throwing error by shortstop Yunel Escobar and Pelfrey lined the next pitch through the right side for his seventh major league hit and second RBI.

"Everything went wrong in the first inning. That's the frustrating thing about baseball," Jurrjens said. "If we make those plays, they only get two runs. We'd still be playing right now."

The Mets have scored in the first inning in 10 of their last 13 games. They have 104 first-inning runs, most in the majors.

Atlanta trimmed its deficit to 5-1 on Gregor Blanco's two-out RBI single in the third.

Game notes
The Mets have tossed three complete games in their last 23 games. They had two complete games last season. ... The starting time of the Phillies-Mets game on Sept. 7 was changed to 8:05 p.m. to accommodate ESPN. ... Atlanta placed 1B Casey Kotchman on the bereavement list and recalled OF Brandon Jones from Triple-A Richmond. Kotchman went to Florida to be with his ill mother. ... The Mets surpassed 3 million in attendance for the fifth time.







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Cubs' Lilly falls to 0-3 this season against Reds

CHICAGO (AP) -- Bronson Arroyo and two Cincinnati relievers made it a rare night at Wrigley Field.

Not only did the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs in their home park, a difficult enough task, they limited the NL Central leaders to just three hits and a run.

"In this ball park you rarely see 2-1," Reds manager Dusty Baker said Wednesday night, after his team got a victory by that very score.

Arroyo allowed three hits and a run in seven strong innings. And the last-place Reds took advantage of a third strike wild pitch by Ted Lilly to tie the game in the sixth and a fly ball double between two Cubs' fielders to go ahead in the seventh.

"You never feel completely comfortable in this ball park, but with the wind blowing in today, it made it a little easier to pitch to some of the tough guys in the middle of the order," said Arroyo, who was backed by two key double plays. "[You're] not worrying about the ball going out of the park so easily."

Arroyo (11-10) tied a career high by issuing five walks and struck out four in a duel with Lilly, who held the Reds hitless the first five innings.

The loss was only the fifth in the last 22 games for the NL Central-leading Cubs. They are now 46-18 at Wrigley Field.

The Reds broke a 1-1 tie in the seventh when Edwin Encarnacion hit a fly that fell in front of Chicago left fielder Alfonso Soriano and behind shortstop Ryan Theriot for a leadoff double. He moved up on an infield out and scored on Jolbert Cabrera's sacrifice fly.

"I think I didn't have a good position to the ball," said Soriano, who was slow to come in, explaining he was expecting a deep fly. "He hit it on the end and I didn't have a very good jump on the ball."

David Weathers pitched the eighth and Francisco Cordero struck out the side in the ninth for his 24th save in 30 chances.

Lilly (12-7) fell to 0-3 against the Reds this season with all three losses at Wrigley Field, and was hurt by a third-strike wild pitch when the Reds tied the game in the sixth. The left-hander gave up two hits in seven innings and lost for the first time since the Reds beat him on July 10.

"I thought stuff-wise this was one of Lilly's better games of the year," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.

Lilly didn't allow a hit until Ryan Hanigan doubled off the top of the center field wall leading off the sixth. One out later, Chris Dickerson reached on the third strike wild pitch to put runners at the corners.

When Jeff Keppinger hit a shot between first and second, Cubs second baseman Mark DeRosa made his third nice play of the game to stop the ball and throw to second for the force, but Theriot's relay to first wasn't in time for a double play as Hanigan scored the tying run.

"I was put in a situation where I had an opportunity to get out of it. Looking back, you'd have liked to make a little better pitch to Keppinger with two strikes on him," Lilly said. "I mean, ideally to get weaker contact. ... That's kind of the game right there, that they're able to get that run."

The closest the Reds came to a hit in the first five innings came on Hanigan's third-inning liner that DeRosa snared with a diving backhanded effort just before the ball hit the ground. DeRosa also made a nice play in the second on a hard hopper off the bat of Joey Votto.

Arroyo struggled with his control early on, giving up four walks in the first four inning, one intentional. He surrendered a run in the second when Aramis Ramirez singled and moved up on an infield out and wild pitch before DeRosa hit an RBI single. But he escaped two other potential jams by inducing double play grounders from Ramirez and Geovany Soto in the third and fourth.

Game notes
The Reds put INF/OF Jerry Hairston Jr. on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled infielder Adam Rosales from Triple-A Louisville. ... The Reds still do not have a complete game this season. The only other team in the majors without one is Houston. ... DeRosa made another great catch in the ninth to save a run, going high to grab Cabrera's liner to end the inning. ... The wind blew in at 8 mph on a 72-degree night.







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Ankiel, LaRue back Wellemeyer as Cards rout Bucs

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Todd Wellemeyer had to work harder than usual to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third time this season.

"They know me pretty well, I think that's why they were battling me," Wellemeyer said after laboring through five innings in the St. Louis Cardinals' 11-2 victory on Wednesday night. "There was no inning when I wasn't out of the stretch."

Rick Ankiel and Jason LaRue hit two-run home runs to pace a 13-hit attack. Skip Schumaker had three hits and Wellemeyer (11-4) won his fourth straight decision and added an RBI single for St. Louis, which won for only the fourth time in its last 12 games at home.

The Cardinals are an NL-best 37-29 on the road and 34-29 at home after splitting a two-game series with the Pirates. They totaled only six hits in a 4-1 loss on Tuesday.

"It shows you we can do it, a lot of good at-bats up and down the lineup," manager Tony La Russa said. "Todd was working real hard, so that's a nice cushion to give him. It was not an easy game for him."

Ryan Doumit had three hits for the second straight game including his 13th homer for Pittsburgh, but Jason Davis (1-3) failed to make it out of the fourth coming off two straight effective starts.

"I don't want this to happen again," Davis said. "I need to eat innings, and I didn't do that. If you just chalk it up, a domino effect can happen."

Doumit is hitting .538 (14-for-26) with five RBIs against the Cardinals and leads NL catchers with a .333 average.

"Who cares?" Doumit said. "It has nothing to do with the game. It doesn't matter how good anybody did at the plate."

Ankiel, who has moved from center field to left field the last eight games to protect an abdominal strain, got to trot around the bases after hitting a 2-2 pitch over the fence in the third to put the Cardinals ahead 5-2. Schumaker had three singles, an RBI and scored twice from the leadoff slot and is batting 14-for-30 (.467) during a seven-game hitting streak.

LaRue, a late lineup addition at catcher when Yadier Molina was scratched with a bruised left foot, added a two-run homer in the seventh off Craig Hansen and was 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Albert Pujols was 2-for-5 with two RBIs.

The three-homer outburst came one day after the first game without a long ball at Busch Stadium since May 14, also against the Pirates, a stretch of 38 games.

The only damage against Wellemeyer in a 95-pitch stint was Doumit's homer, although the Pirates had runners in scoring position in every inning. He's 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA against Pittsburgh this year, all the victories coming at home, and is 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA against the Pirates during his career.

Wellemeyer drove in his fourth run of the season with an opposite-field RBI single just inside the first-base line in the second. It should have been an easy double but it rained much of the game and Wellemeyer slipped on the bag and fell rounding first.

"There were a few things going through my mind: 'Can I go to second?' I actually hit the ball," Wellemeyer said. "When I was in the process of going down it was kind of a slow-motion effect, and I'm just glad I got back to first."

First baseman Adam LaRoche's fielding error on a grounder by Adam Kennedy led to two unearned runs in the Cardinals' three-run fourth that made it 8-2.

Game notes
Pirates CF Nate McLouth missed his second straight start due to flu-like symptoms. ... Wellemeyer is 3-0 with a 2.48 ERA in his last six starts and 4-0 in his last eight outings dating to July 19. ... Molina said a foul ball hit his foot while he was catching. The Cardinals have a day off Thursday and Molina expects to be back in the lineup for the opener of a three-game series against the Braves. ... Pujols has 43 multihit games, fourth most in the NL.







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Dunn homers as D-backs overcome 4-0 hole in first to win

PHOENIX (AP) -- In a pitchers' duel that wasn't, Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Adam Dunn stole the show.

Dunn hit his National League-leading 34th home run, his second in as many games, and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 8-6 on Wednesday night.

With San Diego's Jake Peavy and Arizona's Dan Haren on the mound, both among the National League's leaders in ERA, the last thing anyone expected was a 4-3 Padres lead after one.

"After giving up a four-spot with Peavy on the mound you look down and start seeing what bullpen guys can get you through the game," said Arizona manager Bob Melvin. "And then suddenly it's 4-3."

The three runs were courtesy of Dunn, who followed a double by Augie Ojeda and a walk to Conor Jackson with a scorching line drive just over the right-field fence for his second home run in as many days.

"I knew he didn't want to load the bases and I kinda guessed right," said Dunn, who played his second home game at Chase Field since he was traded to the Diamondbacks from Cincinnati on August 11. "You don't really expect to score a lot of runs against one of the game's best pitchers."

Chris Snyder also homered for the Diamondbacks, who have won five of seven to maintain their lead over Los Angeles in the NL West.

Kevin Kouzmanoff and Jody Gerut homered for the Padres, who have lost six of their last eight.

Haren (14-6) struggled through a six-inning stint but won for the seventh time in eight outings.

Haren surrendered five runs and a season-worst 11 hits with four strikeouts. Haren did not walk a batter for the eighth time in 26 starts.

"I obviously didn't have good stuff today but I battled and tried to give the guys a chance to come back," Haren said. "Giving up four in the first to him [Peavy], obviously I didn't like my chances."

Fortunately for Haren and the Diamondbacks, Peavy also was nowhere close to top form.

Peavy (9-9) allowed a season-high six runs -- five earned -- and five hits over five innings with four walks and two strikeouts for his third loss in his last four starts.

"Four walks, that's not Jake's game," said Padres manager Bud Black. "He's usually in and around the plate, especially when he has the lead. That wasn't typical Jake."

Jon Rauch pitched the ninth, allowing Gerut's two-out solo homer to right, for his 18th save and first since he was acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Washington Nationals on July 22.

San Diego needed five batters to take a 4-0 lead against Haren in the first. Jody Gerut and Tadahito Iguchi hit consecutive doubles to lead off the game, Adrian Gonzalez hit a one-out RBI single and Kouzmanoff hit his 19th home run into the left-field bullpen.

But the defending Cy Young Award winner couldn't hold the lead. Dunn pulled the Diamondbacks within 4-3 and Snyder tied the game in the bottom of the second with a one-out homer to left.

Peavy walked Haren, Stephen Drew singled to right and Conor Jackson hit a two-run single to right to give the Diamondbacks a 6-3 lead after sending just 12 batters to the plate.

"It's unacceptable when you can't hold that lead," Peavy said. "I just didn't have it. I couldn't throw the ball where I wanted to throw it. I just didn't make pitches. That's all there is to it."

The Padres pulled within a run on Brian Myrow's pinch-hit RBI single in the sixth, but Mark Reynolds hit a two-run double down the left-field line in the seventh to make it 8-5.

Peavy's outing was his shortest since a four-inning start May 14 at Chicago Cubs, one day before he was placed retroactively on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow strain.

Game notes
Melvin said Lyon, who allowed three runs in a non-save situation on Tuesday, was given a regular day off. "He will close tomorrow," Melvin said. ... Snyder has hit three home runs in the last seven days. ... Dunn drew his major league-leading 90th and 91st walks in the fifth and seventh innings. ... Haren has lasted six or less innings in three of his last four starts. ... San Diego has a major-league high 31 home runs on the road since the All-Star break. ... Peavy has pitched five or fewer innings in nine of 25 career starts against Arizona. Peavy is 11-11 with a 4.88 ERA against the Diamondbacks. ... Brian Giles moved within two hits of Ryan Klesko for seventh on the Padres' career list with 787. ... Gerut is 5-for-8 with a double and a homer in his career against Haren.





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Rockies takes advantage of Dodgers' errors for victory

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Brad Hawpe had three RBIs, including singles that drove in the tying and go-ahead runs, and the Colorado Rockies capitalized on four errors by the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night.

Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton (3-5) hit Matt Holliday with an 0-1 pitch to open the ninth. Holliday stole second, continued to third on a throwing error by backup catcher Danny Ardoin and scored when Hawpe lined a single just over the leap of second baseman Jeff Kent with the infield pulled in.

Taylor Buchholz (6-3) pitched a perfect eighth inning for the win and Brian Fuentes did likewise in the ninth for his 24th save in 28 chances, securing the Rockies' fifth straight victory.

The Dodgers committed four errors, the most since they made four on Aug. 13, 2005 against the New York Mets.

Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley allowed two runs and five hits over six innings and struck out six. The right-hander worked with runners on base in every inning he pitched, but left with a 3-2 lead before Colorado tied it in the seventh with an unearned run against Chan Ho Park.

The Dodgers showed the Rockies a different look defensively with Gold Glove catcher Russell Martin starting at third base, Ardoin making his 12th start behind the plate and third baseman Casey Blake moving across to first. Joe Torre rested first baseman James Loney, 1-for-15 against Colorado starter Jeff Francis.

Martin, Ardoin and Blake all were called on to make critical plays in the fifth, when the defending NL champion Rockies loaded the bases with none out and came out of it with only one run to trim the Dodgers' lead to 3-2.

Francis led off with a double for his second hit and was forced at the plate after Martin fielded Holliday's grounder. Blake's fielding error on Hawpe's slow grounder eliminated the possibility of another forceout at home, allowing Omar Quintanilla to score. But Garrett Atkins followed with another grounder to Martin, who started a 5-2-3 double play.

Martin, making his eighth start at third base, committed throwing errors in the sixth and seventh innings on grounders behind the bag -- pulling Blake off first base each time. The second miscue was a costly one, because it preceded a broken-bat single by Holliday and an RBI single by Hawpe.

Matt Kemp had an RBI single in the first, but got himself doubled up on a flyball to left by Kent that Holliday caught on the warning track after a long run. Francis has allowed 20 first-inning runs in his 20 starts, more than he has in any other inning this season.

Kemp threw out a runner at home plate from right field in the Rockies' second inning, preventing the tying run from scoring. Rookie Ian Stewart, who had a career-high five RBIs in Tuesday's 8-3 win, led off with a double and was tagged out in a collision with Ardoin after Kemp fielded Francis' two-out single and made a perfect one-hop throw.

An error by Troy Tulowitzki in the second allowed two runs to score, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Francis allowed three runs -- one earned -- and nine hits in six innings.

Game notes
For the first time in his 12-year career, Rockies 1B Todd Helton spent his birthday on the disabled list. The 2000 NL batting champion, who turned 35 Wednesday, has been sidelined since July 3 because of a lower back strain. ... RHP Matt Herges was placed on the 15-day DL by the Rockies, retroactive to Aug. 18, because of lower back stiffness. The former Dodger is 3-4 with a 5.09 ERA in 51 games. RHP Ryan Speier was recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs.






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Giants blow lead, beat Marlins in 9th on Molina sac fly

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Bengie Molina's sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the ninth gave the San Francisco Giants a 6-5 victory over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night.

Pinch-hitter John Baker hit a three-run homer in the top of the inning to tie it at 5 as Brian Wilson (1-2) suffered his first blown save since May 2.

Matt Lindstrom (1-2) walked Dave Roberts, gave up a single to Randy Winn, who also homered in the game, and intentionally walked Aaron Rowand ahead of Molina.

Rich Aurilia, Fred Lewis and Emmanuel Burriss drove in runs for the Giants, who won for the fourth time in six games. Pablo Sandoval and Rowand both had two hits.

Jeremy Hermida hit a two-run homer in the fourth to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead. It was the first home run hit off Matt Cain since June 4, a span of 14 starts and 94 innings.




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