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Helms, Jacobs homer Marlins past Royals

May 18, 2008 - 3:35 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Wes Helms and Mike Jacobs hit home runs in a pivotal seventh inning as the Florida Marlins snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Helms and Jacobs each drove in three runs and the Royals had their five-game winning streak came to a halt.

Marlins starter Scott Olsen pitched six solid innings giving up three runs, seven hits, five walks, while striking out three. Logan Kensing (3-0) picked up the win pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

"I don't think I necessarily did enough to have it be a stopper start," Olsen said. "I think we battled our way through it until our offense took care of things in the seventh. It's just nice to win after losing four in a row."

Luis Gonzalez led off the seventh with a single off of Royals starter Brian Bannister (4-5). Mike Rabelo drew a walk and Helms was called to pinch-hit for Kensing.

Helms missed a sign from the third base coach and squared up to bunt on the first pitch, but took a strike. He looked at strike two before drilling the next pitch, a hanging curveball, to left field for a three-run homer giving the Marlins a 5-3 advantage.

"I'm pretty sure he wanted it down in the dirt or down in the zone and it was just right there," Helms said. "It's one of those pitches I have to be ready to hit. It was a good pitch to hit and I'm sure it wasn't where it was supposed to be."

Bannister got Alfredo Amezaga to fly out to left, but Jeremy Hermida singled ending his night. Bannister pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing six runs and seven hits.

"I went out there (in the seventh) and was kind of pitching on fumes but I thought I could get it done," Bannister said. "My pitch quality kind of deteriorated and I wasn't hitting spots and this team can swing it a little bit. So, it was a frustrating way to ruin a quality start and a win for this team."

Ron Mahay relieved Bannister and struck out Hanley Ramirez before Mike Jacobs delivered the knock out blow, a two-run homer to deep left-center field for his 10th home run of the season.

"I thought it was probably going to go off the wall," said Jacobs, who had been held out of the starting lineup since May 7 with a strained quadricep. "It just snuck out. If we played at a normal place it wouldn't have been so nervewracking."

Mark Grudzielanek had three hits and Jose Guillen drove in two runs for the Royals.