LA swamps Giants
San Francisco Giants vs Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day April 12. 2005. Dodgers beat the Giants 9-8 with 4 runs in the 9th inning.
(SGVN Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/SXSports)
KEITH BIRMINGHAM
LOS ANGELES — Milton Bradley hit a tying two-run single off Armando Benitez and left fielder Jason Ellison's error on the play allowed the winning run to score, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 9-8 victory over the San Francisco Giants in their home opener Tuesday.
Benitez (0-1) walked J.D. Drew and Jeff Kent, forcing in a run, before Bradley capped a comeback from an 8-3 deficit. Buddy Carlyle, D.J. Houlton and Giovanni Carrara (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings each after Jeff Weaver allowed eight runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings.
Marlins 8, Phillies 2
MIAMI — A.J. Burnett (1-1) allowed eight hits and became the third Florida pitcher to throw a complete game, joining Dontrelle Willis and Josh Beckett. Burnett was helped by three double plats.
Mike Lowell and Paul Lo Duca hit two-run homers off Randy Wolf (0-1), and Miguel Cabrera hit a solo homer and drove in two runs. The Marlins have outscored opponents 34-2 in their four wins and totaled just six runs in four losses.
Philadelphia's Pat Burrell, who leads the major leagues with 17 RBIs, went 1-for-3 but for the first time this season he failed to drive in a run.
Pirates 4, Brewers 2
MILWAUKEE — Mark Redman survived a shaky start and a line drive off his right kneecap, and Daryle Ward ended Pittsburgh's homerless streak at 56 innings when he connected off Gary Glover (0-1) in the sixth.
Redman (1-0) allowed his first two batters to score but settled down after that, allowing just three more hits — and five overall — with no walks and five strikeouts in six innings. Jose Mesa got three straight outs for his third save.
Rob Mackowiak had four hits for Pittsburgh.
Nationals 4, Braves 3
ATLANTA — New Braves closer Dan Kolb (0-1) gave up three runs in the ninth, ruining a strong outing by Tim Hudson, who allowed six hits in eight innings and left with a 3-1 lead.
Cristian Guzman hit a sacrifice fly and Brian Schneider had a two-out, two-run double off Kolb, acquired from Milwaukee during the offseason to replace John Smoltz as closer.
After a 31-minute rain delay, Chad Cordero finished off his first save. Luis Ayala (1-0) got the win with a scoreless eighth.
Cardinals 5, Reds 1
ST. LOUIS — Jason Marquis (1-0) hit a bases-loaded triple and pitched into the seventh inning for the Cardinals.
Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders hit back-to-back homers in the sixth inning for the Cardinals.
Diamondbacks 4, Rockies 2
PHOENIX — Pinch-hitter Tony Clark hit an RBI double off the center-field wall in the eighth inning and scored the go-ahead run on Royce Clayton's single, helping Arizona extend Colorado's worst start in team history at 1-6.
Brandon Lyon pitched a scoreless ninth for his third save.
The eight-inning rally against Colorado relievers Brian Fuentes (0-2) and Ryan Speier ruined Shawn Chacon's bid for a win in his first start after a year in the bullpen. It also extended Colorado's losing streak to six games.
Brandon Webb (2-0) prevailed in the second straight pitching duel between the teams, working eight innings and allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks. Arizona's Brad Halsey beat the Rockies 2-0 on Monday.