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Uggla's two homers propel Marlins past Padres

May 3, 2008 - 2:48 AM By Christopher Stock PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MIAMI (Ticker) - Dan Uggla hit two homers and drove in four runs as the Florida Marlins held on for a 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres on Friday night.

Mark Hendrickson (5-1) tossed seven strong innings and Jeremy Hermida finished with three hits for the Marlins, who had lost three in a row.

Uggla, batting sixth in the lineup for the first time this season, hit a solo home run to left field in the second inning and a three-run blast in the sixth - both off Padres starter Justin Germano (0-3).

"I've hit a lot of home runs and driven in a lot of runs in the two-hole and I'm going to be the same hitter I am in the six-hole as I was in the two-hole," Uggla said.

The 28-year-old second baseman now has six multi-homer games in his career and first since July 24, 2007 against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has six homers this season.

"It feels good," Uggla said. "It was good to get those Dodgers out of here, we have struggled against them for three years now so it was good to get a new team in."

The Marlins led 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth as Hermida led off with a single. Jorge Cantu hit a two-out single before Uggla delivered the three-run blast to left field. Luis Gonzalez immediately followed Uggla with a solo shot to right field, the third time Marlins teammates have hit back-to-back homers this season.

"I love playing the game and love playing on this team because we have so many young, energetic guys," Gonzalez said. "I didn't know what to expect coming in because they were young, but I think we are surprising some people."

Hendrickson yielded three runs and five hits with a walk with two strikeouts en route to his fifth straight decision.

"He keeps going out there giving us six or seven innings and he does a fantastic job, not only on the mound, but the presence he brings," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Germano pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing six runs and nine hits. He also struck out three.

"The first 5 2/3 was what I needed," Germano said. "I just made a couple of bad pitch selections."

Khalil Greene hit a two-run homer in the seventh to pull the Padres within 6-3.

Taylor Tankersley relieved Hendrickson to pitch a perfect eighth and Kevin Gregg came in to pitch the ninth. Gregg gave up a leadoff double to Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff singled. Gregg got Greene to ground into a double play, which scored Gonzalez.

Tony Clark came on to pinch hit for Scott Hairston and grounded to a diving Uggla, who threw out Clark from his knees to end the game as Gregg picked up his fifth save of the season.

"You can have those home runs, but that play in the ninth was some kind of good," Fredi Gonzalez said.

"I was lucky to get him," Uggla added. "But I got him and that was the ballgame."

Kouzmanoff tied a career-high with four hits for the Padres.