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Olsen superb as Marlins top Padres

Jul 9, 2008 - 11:45 PM By Tim Powers PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- It took a while, but Scott Olsen found the winner's column, again.

Olsen pitched eight outstanding innings Wednesday, lifting the Florida Marlins to a 5-2 victory over the San Diego Padres.

Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs belted home runs for Florida, which took the rubber match of its three-game set.

Olsen (5-4), yielded a run, four hits and two walks while striking out three to earn his first victory since May 6.

"My ball was down in the zone more (than in previous starts)," Olsen said. "I was throwing first-pitch strikes and throwing my offspeed pitches for strikes. We were pounding the strike zone, and that makes thing a lot easier."

The 24-year-old southpaw, who threw 67 of his 97 pitches for strikes, had been 0-3 in his 11 previous outings.

"There have been a lot of games that I could've won," Olsen said. "There is nothing that I can do about that. Whatever happens after I get taken out, I can't control that."

The lefthander's only mistake was allowing a solo shot by Scott Hairston in the sixth. The homer was Hairston's 14th.

"It's kind of disappointing," Hairston said. "It's bittersweet (to hit a home run) when the team loses. (The Marlins) are swinging the bats, that's for sure. They have lots of guys that can hit for power. That's a good young team."

Marlins reliever Joe Nelson was touched up for a run in the ninth on a single by Chase Headley before Kevin Gregg worked around an error by Ramirez to convert his 17th save in 23 chances.

"We played extremely well," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It was a little hard on the blood pressure there in the ninth with those baserunners, but we got the last out and we're shaking hands."

Ramirez, who saw his 14-game hitting streak end on Tuesday, put Florida on the board first when he hit his 22nd homer in the third off Cha Seung Baek (0-2).

After Josh Willingham led off the fourth with a base hit, Jacobs launched an 0-2 offering over the right-field fence to increase the lead to three. The homer was No. 19 for Jacobs.

Baek allowed three runs, six hits and a walk in falling to 0-4 at Petco Park.

"We hit some balls hard, but couldn't find holes," Padres manager Bud Black said. "(Baek) hung in there. His secondary pitchers were good, but his fastball was not as sharp as it has been. He got his pitch count up and he was pitching deep in the count to a lot of their guys."

Rookie John Baker drove in his first career run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth and Wes Helms drew a bases-loaded walk later in the frame to increase the lead to 5-1.