May 11, 2008 - 7:50 PM
0 shoutsBy PA SportsTicker
FLORIDA 5, WASHINGTON 4 -----------------------
WASHINGTON (Ticker) - Dan Uggla's second home run of the game broke an eighth-inning tie and gave the Florida Marlins a 5-4 win over the Washington Nationals.
Uggla, who hit a grand slam home run and drove in five runs Saturday, followed up his heroics with his second multi-homer game of the season and seventh career.
Uggla had five hits, three home runs and seven RBI as the Marlins swept the three-game series and notched their seventh straight win.
Florida is in the midst of its longest winning streak since it won nine in a row from August 20-29, 2006.
The Marlins were stymied by Shawn Hill and trailed, 4-2, heading into the eighth.
Hill, who hasn't received a decision in five starts, had allowed two runs and five hits in seven innings, but Washington manager Manny Acta decided to pinch-hit for him in the seventh.
Luis Ayala (1-3) started the eighth by allowing an infield single to Alfredo Amezaga. Jeremy Hermida followed by blasting a two-run home run to right-center field - his third of the season - to tie the score at 4-4.
After Ayala retired Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu, Uggla slammed a 2-2 pitch to right-center - his 11th of the season - for a 5-4 lead. His 10th home run of the season - in the top of the sixth - cut Washington's lead to 4-2.
Logan Kensing (2-0) threw a scoreless seventh to pick up the win. Renyel Pinto tossed a perfect eighth and Kevin Gregg earned his seventh save with a scoreless ninth.
The Nationals were led by Aaron Boone, who had a solo home run in the second and an RBI triple in the third.
The Marlins scored a run in the second when Uggla was hit by a pitch with one out, took third on Luis Gonzalez's single and scored on Wes Helms' sacrifice fly.
Boone's third home run of the season off Scott Olsen tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the second.
Ronnie Belliard's two-run homer - his second of the season - with two outs in the third put Washington up, 3-1. Ryan Zimmerman followed with an infield single and scored on Boone's double.
NY METS 8, CINCINNATI 3 -----------------------
FLUSHING, New York (Ticker) -- Carlos Beltran homered and drove in three runs, leading the New York Mets to an 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
Emerging from his season-long slump, Beltran had an RBI double in a three-run first off rookie Johnny Cueto (2-4) and belted a two-run homer in the fifth. On Saturday, Beltran matched a career high with five RBI.
New York starter Oliver Perez (3-3) got through six innings to match a season high. He allowed three runs and three hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.
ATLANTA AT PITTSBURGH, POSTPONED (RAIN) ---------------------------------------
PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- After a delay of just under an hour, the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves was postponed because of rain.
It will be made up as part of doubleheader on Monday, beginning at 12:35 p.m. EDT.
Sunday's scheduled starters were pushed back a day, as Pittsburgh's Zach Duke (1-2) faces Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens (4-2) in the opener. In the nightcap, John Van Benschoten (0-1) goes against Tim Hudson (5-2).
The Pirates came into Sunday riding a season-high five-game winning streak, having won the first two contests of this series.
The Braves have dropped six straight on the road and are a major league-worst 4-13 away from home. They are 14-4 at Turner Field.
MILWAUKEE 5, ST LOUIS 3 -----------------------
MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- Ryan Braun homered twice and Jeff Suppan tossed seven solid innings to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Braun hit solo homers in the third and fifth off Cardinals starter Braden Looper (5-2), pushing his season total to seven.
Suppan (2-2) allowed just one run and six hits while striking out four and walking five. The veteran righthander recorded 10 groundouts against three flyouts to earn his first win since April 2.
Salomon Torres and Brian Shouse combined to allow one run in the ninth for the Brewers. Shouse, who was credited with his first save of the season, retired Adam Kennedy with the tying run on second base to finish the game.
CHICAGO CUBS 6, ARIZONA 4 -------------------------
CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Daryle Ward belted a pinch-hit two-run double in the eighth inning, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 6-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
With the game tied at 4-4, Ward doubled to right-center field, plating Aramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome.
Carlos Marmol (1-0) logged a perfect eighth and Kerry Wood threw a scoreless ninth for his seventh save of the season.
HOUSTON 8, LA DODGERS 5 -----------------------
LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Houston Astros put six runs on the board in the eighth inning to earn a come-from-behind 8-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Hunter Pence plated the go-ahead run with a single and Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee had RBI hits in the deciding frame for the Astros, who have won three straight and eight of their last nine.
Berkman finished the game 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, running his hitting streak to 10 games but snapping his string of multi-hit contests at seven.
The perennial All-Star has riden his recent hot streak to the top of the leaderboards in the National League, ranking in the top two in eight different offensive categories.
SAN DIEGO 6, COLORADO 1 -----------------------
SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Scott Hairston hit a solo home run and Khalil Greene added a two-run blast to lead the San Diego Padres to a 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Chris Young (3-3) went six-plus strong innings to help San Diego take the rubber game and win a series for the first time since April 11-13.
Cla Meredith bailed Young out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh, limiting the Rockies to one run on a double-play groundout.
Greg Reynolds (0-1) pitched well in his major league debut for Colorado, allowing four runs and six hits, including the two homers.
SAN FRANCISCO 4, PHILADELPHIA 3 -------------------------------
SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Rookie Steve Holm's two-run homer in the seventh inning helped lift the San Francisco Giants to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
With two out in the seventh, Randy Winn singled and came home when Holm delivered his first career blast to left against Phillies reliever J.C. Romero (3-1) to provide the final margin.
Jack Taschner (2-0) tossed a scoreless frame for the win and closer Brian Wilson shut the door in the ninth for his 10th save for the Giants.
