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Mets batter Penny, cool off Dodgers

May 7, 2008 - 10:53 PM LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- A night after leaving 13 men on base, the New York Mets' offense broke out in a big way Wednesday.

Four players drove in two runs as New York avoided a three-game sweep by using a pair of big innings to post a 12-1 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ryan Church swatted his sixth home run of the year for the Mets, who scored four times in the second inning and six in the fifth.

"It's been a good start for me this season and I just want to keep putting quality at-bats together," Church said. "I just have to stay within myself. Good to get this win after last night's game."

New York had scored 10 runs over its previous three games but went 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position Wednesday.

The run support was more than enough for starter John Maine (4-2), who allowed just four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. The righthander threw 117 pitches in earning his third straight win.

The outing was also the longest for a Mets starter this season.

"It was good to give our bullpen a day off and rest," Maine said. "I wish I could have finished it up but just ran into some trouble in the ninth. I felt good from the very first pitch and up until the last pitch.

"This is the best stuff I have had all year, and it makes it easier when you get a lot of runs."

The Mets took control of the game in the second inning when Marlon Anderson had an RBI ground-rule double to center and Raul Casanova followed with a two-run single up the middle. Luis Castillo had an RBI single to center three batters later, giving New York a 4-0 bulge.

After scoring a run in the third, New York erupted for six more in the fifth.

Maine got his first hit of the season, blooping a two-run single to center. After a walk to Castillo forced in a run, David Wright laced a double to left, scoring two more runs.

"We played well, but today they (the Mets) just came out swinging and were aggressive," Dodgers Joe Torre said. "They have the guys in that lineup to put up a lot of runs."

Castillo then scored on a wild pitch from Dodgers reliever Scott Proctor, giving New York an 11-0 advantage after five innings.

Los Angeles starter Brad Penny (5-3) had won his previous four starts but surrendered a career-high 10 runs and 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings. The outing surpassed his previous career high of nine earned runs allowed against Boston on June 29, 2003.

"I didn't have good command from the get-go," Penny said. "I was working behind their hitters and it always seemed like there were runners on base. Just have to put this start behind me and get ready for my next one."

Church blasted a home run to right leading off the sixth, capping New York's scoring.

"Outstanding job today with our pitching and offense," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We got good at-bats today and John picked us up. This was a big win for us against one of the hottest teams in baseball."

Matt Kemp had an RBI single in the ninth inning to help Los Angeles, which had won 10 of its previous 11 games, avoid its second shutout loss of the season.