Major League Baseball
Wright leads Mets past Padres NEW YORK (AP) – David Wright and Johan Santana were feeling a bit numb, for different reasons.
Wright hit a two-out, two-run homer in the ninth inning after the Mets’ bullpen blew another late lead for Johan Santana, lifting New York over the San Diego Padres 5-3 Thursday.
Mets players tumbled out of the dugout to pile on Wright following the first game-ending homer of his major league career.
“I don’t know if it was a release of emotion or it just was everybody’s chance to get some free shots in on me. I think guys were taking advantage of giving me some rib shots and some jabs,” Wright said. “I’m always celebrating everybody’s else’s at home plate, and to get to be the one that jumps into the pile is pretty fun.”
Just 9-7 in his first season with the Mets, Santana left with a 3-1 lead and two on in the eighth. But Adrian Gonzalez singled in a run off Pedro Feliciano, and Jody Gerut homered with one out in the ninth against Scott Schoeneweis.
It was the sixth time in 24 starts this season that the bullpen cost Santana a potential win, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Five of those collapses came in the ninth inning. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner has eight no-decisions, and in seven of those he allowed two runs or fewer.
“It wasn’t my fault. It’s Johan’s,” Schoeneweis said playfully. “It’s his bad luck. The karma just carried over.”
Santana, who applauded from the dugout when second baseman Argenis Reyes started a spectacular, inning-ending double play to preserve the lead in the eighth, watched the ninth unfold from the clubhouse.
“It was numb,” he said.
Aaron Heilman (2-6) got two outs in the ninth for the win.
Wright’s drive off a breaking ball from Heath Bell (6-5) was his 21st homer this season. Wright made base running blunders in each of the first two games of the series and a costly error in Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss. Mets manager Jerry Manuel had broached the idea of a day off.
“He was asking about some of the mental mistakes that I’ve made, and I told him it was a one-time deal and it wouldn’t happen again,” Wright said.
Santana gave up two runs and four hits in seven-plus innings but has a pedestrian record to go along with a 2.85 ERA.
Marlins 3, Phillies 0
PHILADELPHIA – Chris Volstad tossed six sharp innings and combined with four relievers on a four-hitter, helping Florida take two of three from the NL East leaders.
Volstad (3-2) didn’t allow a hit until pitcher Cole Hamels lined a single to center with two outs in the fifth. The 21-year-old right-hander gave up three hits and walked four.
Joe Nelson worked the seventh, Arthur Rhodes and Matt Lindstrom combined for three outs in the eighth, and Kevin Gregg finished for his 25th save in 31 chances.
Hamels (9-8) again was a hard-luck loser. The left-hander allowed three runs – two earned – and seven hits in 6 1-3 innings, striking out seven. He hasn’t won since July 3.
Dodgers 4, Cardinals 1
ST. LOUIS – Clayton Kershaw worked seven dominant innings and Manny Ramirez homered for the fourth time in six games with the Dodgers, who averted a three-game sweep.
Ryan Ludwick’s consecutive home run streak ended at five games, which tied a Cardinals record, after he went 1-for-3 with a single, two strikeouts and a walk.
The 20-year-old Kershaw (2-3), the seventh overall pick of the 2006 draft, allowed only three singles while matching his season best with seven strikeouts and working around four walks. The seven-inning stint was the deepest he’s gone by a full inning in 12 career starts.
Kyle Lohse (13-4) allowed four runs and seven hits in seven innings, including his fifth homer in three starts, missing a chance to match his career high for victories set in 2003.
Nationals 6, Rockies 3, first game
Nationals 6, Rockies 3, second game
DENVER – Lastings Milledge homered twice in the opener and finished the day with five hits and five RBIs to help Washington sweep a doubleheader from Colorado by identical scores.
The Nationals got strong starts from Odalis Perez (5-8) and Jason Bergmann (2-8), who took a shutout into the eighth inning of Game 1 for his first win in nearly three months.
Joel Hanrahan saved both games, giving him three saves this season.
The Nationals were 18-37 on the road before taking three of four at Coors Field. Matt Holliday, Yorvit Torrealba and Garrett Atkins homered for Colorado.
Just off the disabled list, Jeff Francis (3-8) lost his first start since June 28. In the nightcap, the Nationals roughed up Ubaldo Jimenez (8-10), who was 6-1 in his previous seven starts and entered with a 14-inning scoreless streak.
Astros 7, Reds 4
CINCINNATI – Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer and Roy Oswalt improved to 21-1 against Cincinnati as Houston sent the Reds to their third straight loss.
Carlos Lee went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs, and Miguel Tejada and Lance Berkman also had three hits each to help Oswalt (9-8) win his sixth straight start against Cincinnati. He pitched six shutout innings before giving up a run in the seventh – his last inning.
Josh Fogg (2-4) allowed eight hits and six runs in four innings, the big blow coming on Pence’s three-run shot during a four-run third.
Blue Jays 6, Athletics 4
TORONTO – A.J. Burnett won his fourth straight start and the Toronto Blue Jays extended Oakland’s losing streak to 10 games.
Joe Inglett drove in the go-ahead run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, helping Toronto finish a four-game sweep.
Copyright Associated Press 2008