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Ross, Sanchez homer for Marlins in 4-2 win

Jul 31, 2010 - 5:32 AM By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO(AP) -- The Florida Marlins got a small measure of revenge against the San Diego Padres, and in spacious Petco Park, no less.

Cody Ross and Gaby Sanchez homered off Wade LeBlanc and the Marlins beat NL West-leading San Diego 4-2 on Friday night on just five hits in Miguel Tejada's first game with the Padres.

The Marlins scored one more run than they did in getting swept by the Padres in three games in Miami in late June.

"It was nice," Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "We're facing the best pitching staff in the league, so it's nice to see that we came out with big runs, and two of them were home runs."

The Marlins have hit 10 home runs in five games on their road trip through San Francisco and San Diego.

Ross homered into the second deck in left-center with two outs in the fourth inning, his 10th, to give the Marlins a 3-1 lead. Sanchez homered to left with one out in the sixth, his 12th, to make it 4-1.

"This isn't an easy park to hit homers in," Ross said. "It's definitely not our approach here, to try to hit homers. You'll get yourself in a bind trying to do that, especially against this pitching staff. They're the best in the league. You just want to go up there and try to get some wood on it."

LeBlanc has allowed a team-high 16 homers, 11 in his last seven starts.

"Absolutely it's a concern," he said. "It's not something that I'm going to brush off but it's not the end of the world. I don't feel like I'm getting away with anything."

LeBlanc acknowledged he's made some mistake pitches.

"It seems like they're not going for doubles or singles, they're going for home runs," he said.

"When Wade gets the ball up out over the plate, it doesn't have the action it has when it's down in the zone," Padres manager Bud Black said. "The ball becomes a little flatter."

Tejada, acquired Thursday from the Baltimore Orioles, started at shortstop for the first time this season and went 0 for 3 with a walk.

"It's great. I feel comfortable here," Tejada said. "I'm happy to be competing."

He said it felt different to be playing shortstop again.

"But after the start, I got used to it as the game went on.

"I don't want to put pressure on myself," he added. "I want to do what I can do to help the team. This is just one game. They got me to be good for the rest of the season."

The Marlins got their first two runs in the third on Hanley Ramirez's sacrifice fly and Logan Morrison's RBI single.

Chris Volstad (5-8) allowed two runs and seven hits in five-plus innings, walked three and struck out one.

Leo Nunez pitched the ninth for his 25th save in 30 chances.

LeBlanc (5-9) allowed four runs and five hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out five and walked two.

LeBlanc had two singles but was erased both times when Jerry Hairston Jr. hit into double plays.

Hairston singled leading off the Padres' first and with two outs, stole second with Tejada batting. Tejada walked and Chase Headley singled to bring in Hairston. Headley rounded first too far and was caught in a rundown when the Marlins cut off the relay throw home. Tejada then broke for home, was caught in a rundown and tagged out.

The Padres pulled to 4-2 in the sixth when Chris Denorfia hit a leadoff triple to right-center and scored on Adrian Gonzalez's single to left. Gonzalez was thrown out trying to take third on Headley's grounder to short.

NOTES: Rodriguez said there's a chance LF Chris Coghlan, on the DL with a torn meniscus in his left knee, could play again this year. Coghlan, the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, was hurt while delivering a pie to the face of teammate Wes Helms during a post-game celebration on Sunday. Rodriguez said Coghlan will keep receiving treatment to see if the swelling and pain go down. If it doesn't, surgery would be likely. ... LeBlanc picked off his seventh baserunner this year, second behind Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox.