NATIONAL LEAGUE
Orlando Hudson hit a three-run double in the first innings to set the tone early for the Major League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers in their 11-2 thrashing of the New York Mets on Thursday.
The Dodgers (54-31) scored four times in the first inning, while Rafael Furcal recorded three hits and three runs and Matt Kemp tallied three of the team’s 17 hits.
PHOTO: REUTERS
New York pitcher Livan Hernandez lasted just four innings and gave up eight runs. Dodgers left-hander Randy Wolf (4-3) earned the victory, striking out three batters in 6 1-3 innings.
It was the first victory in eight starts for Wolf, who has 12 no decisions this season and switched his uniform number from 21 to 43 in an effort to change his luck. He wore 43 during a successful tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies.
“There’s not a baseball player who isn’t superstitious. I’m happy I changed numbers. We put up 11 runs. I’ll take it,” Wolf said.
The Mets managed two runs against Wolf, including an RBI single in the first inning for Gary Sheffield, who finished 2-for-4.
New York (40-44), however, lost for the 10th time in 13 games and have struggled offensively without the injured Carlos Beltran (knee), Carlos Delgado (hip) and Jose Reyes (hamstring).
Delgado and Reyes have been missing since May, while Beltran has been sidelined since June 22, sending New York into a hitting slump.
Mets All-Star third baseman David Wright had two hits for the second successive day. Prior to Wednesday’s game Wright had hit just 1-for-23 this month.
Los Angeles’ Manny Ramirez finished 2-for-2 with two RBI singles before being replaced in the bottom of the seventh. Ramirez is 6-for-18 with two homers since returning on July 3 from a 50-game suspension for testing positive to a banned drug.
“I feel great. But I’m not 23 anymore,” Ramirez said. “I’ve got to go baby steps.”
PHILLIES 9, REDS 6
At Philadelphia, Jayson Werth homered for the fourth straight game and Chase Utley hit an inside-the-park homer in the Phillies’ win.
Jamie Moyer (8-6) allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings, but Philadelphia’s offense bailed him out again. The Phillies have averaged 8.1 runs in Moyer’s wins.
Werth went deep in the sixth for his seventh homer in 12 games.
MARLINS 14, DIAMONDBACKS 7
In Phoenix, Pinch-hitter Brett Carroll’s three-run homer sparked a franchise-record 10-run eighth inning, helping Florida come back from a seven-run deficit to beat Arizona 14-7 on Thursday night.
Florida matched the team record for the biggest comeback victory and Arizona set a club record for the largest blown lead.
Florida trailed 7-0 after five innings but rallied with three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. Then the Marlins hit Arizona with the 10-spot in the eighth to make a winner of Kiko Calero (2-0).
The Marlins sent 14 batters to the plate in the eighth against three relievers — Juan Gutierrez, Scott Schoeneweis (1-1) and Blaine Boyer.
Carroll’s homer off Schoeneweis gave Florida an 8-7 lead. Dan Uggla, Cody Ross and Jeremy Hermida followed with RBI singles, and John Baker drove in a run with a double. Another run scored on a passed ball, and the final run came in on Russ Gload’s second fielder’s choice grounder of the inning.
In other NL games, it was:
• Nationals 11, Astros 10, 11 innings, completion of suspended game
• Astros 9, Nationals 4
• Rockies 7, Braves 6
• Cardinals 5, Brewers 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
REUTERS AND AP, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
The New York Yankees won for the 13th time in their last 15 games by defeating the Minnesota Twins 6-4 to sweep the season series.
New York (51-34) moved within a half-game of front-running Boston in the American League East. The Red Sox (51-33) were hosting the Kansas City Royals later on Thursday.
The Yankees scored three runs on just one hit in the second, before adding two more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Cody Ransom and Brett Gardner.
New York first baseman Mark Teixeira went deep in the fifth, his 21st homer of the season but his first in 23 games.
Right-hander Jonathan Albaladejo (4-1) got the win in relief for the Yankees while Twins starter, southpaw Francisco Liriano (4-9) took the loss.
New York won all seven games against the Twins (43-43), the first time since 2003 they had swept the season series.
ROYALS 8, RED SOX 6
At Boston, David DeJesus hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the sixth inning as Kansas City rallied from an early four-run deficit to knock Boston out of sole possession of first place in the AL East with an 8-6 victory.
David Ortiz hit his 300th career homer for Boston, which fell to 3-4 on its 10-game homestand. The loss, coupled with New York’s 6-4 victory over Minnesota, has the teams tied.
In other AL games, it was:
Mariners 3, Rangers 1
Rays 3, Blue Jays 2
Indians 10, White Sox 8
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