Giants turn triple play; Cubs stage rally against Rockies

Baseball Betting Lines

05/31/2008 -

Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a fast start with a seven-run second against the Florida Marlins. The Chicago Cubs erased the Colorado Rockies' big lead with a six-run seventh inning.

Giants reliever Keiichi Yabu was similarly efficient on the mound, getting San Diego's Kevin Kouzmanoff to ground into a triple play on his only pitch in the eighth inning of San Francisco's 7-3 loss in 13 innings on Friday night.

``So many good things happened tonight,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ``That's a tough one to lose.''

In other NL games, it was: Los Angeles Dodgers 9, New York Mets 5; Cincinnati 3, Atlanta 2 in 11 innings; Milwaukee 5, Houston 1; St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 4; and Washington 7, Arizona 4.

At Philadelphia, Utley hit his major league-leading 18th homer to help Brett Myers (3-6) win for the first time in six weeks.

Ryan Howard and Chris Coste each had three-run shots for the Phillies, who won their fifth straight game and moved into first place in the NL East - a half-game ahead of the surprising Marlins.

Philadelphia scored seven off Mark Hendrickson (7-3) in the second and chased the left-hander with four more in the fourth. Hendrickson lasted just 3 2-3 innings, allowing 10 runs and seven hits.

The Phillies, who led the league in runs the previous two seasons, have scored 60 in the past five games. Only the Cubs have more runs this season.

``It's ridiculous,'' Myers said. ``I feel bad for anybody that has to pitch against us right now.''

Chicago also had a big day at the plate with the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field.

Jim Edmonds and Mark DeRosa delivered key hits and the Cubs overcame an eight-run deficit to earn their fifth straight victory.

``I mean, unbelievable,'' DeRosa said. ``It was pretty special. I mean it was pretty ugly there early.''

Down 8-0 in the fourth inning still trailing 9-1 in the sixth, the Cubs came back and sent Colorado to its fifth loss in a row.

Scott Eyre (2-0) recorded the final out of the seventh inning and Kerry Wood pitched the ninth for his 13th save in 17 chances. Manny Corpas (0-3) got the loss.

At San Francisco, Yabu entered in the eighth with runners on first and second and got Kouzmanoff to hit the first pitch for the Giants' first triple play since June 14, 1999.

Third baseman Jose Castillo fielded the hard grounder near the bag and retired Brian Giles on the forceout, then relayed to second baseman Ray Durham to get Adrian Gonzalez. Durham then fired the ball to first baseman John Bowker for the third out.

``I was thinking groundball and double play, then we turned the triple play,'' said Yabu, who worked three perfect innings. ``Unbelievable. I had never seen one. We usually see triple plays where they catch a line drive. It's the first time I saw a groundball triple play.''

Khalil Greene drew a bases-loaded walk against Billy Sadler (0-1) to force in the go-ahead run in the 13th.

Cha Seung Baek (1-0) struck out the side in the 12th for the Padres.Dodgers 9, Mets 5

Russell Martin went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs to lead Los Angeles.

After prized prospect Clayton Kershaw was chased in the fourth inning of his second major league start, Chan Ho Park (2-1) shut down the Mets to give manager Joe Torre a victory in his return to New York.

The Dodgers broke out of their offensive slumber by battering reliever Aaron Heilman (0-2) in a five-run eighth.

Luis Castillo hit a two-run homer for the Mets, who had won three straight after a 1-7 stretch. The second baseman left in the seventh with a strained left hip flexor after turning a difficult double play.Reds 3, Braves 2, 11 innings

Rookie Jay Bruce had four hits - three of them off 300-game winner Tom Glavine - and scored on Chipper Jones' error in the 11th inning to give the Reds the win.

Bruce opened the 11th with a single off Royce Ring (1-1). Ken Griffey Jr. then singled past Jones, and the third baseman also failed to come up with Brandon Phillips' grounder for a game-ending error.

Bruce also doubled home a run and scored in the sixth, adding to his growing lore. Cincinnati's top prospect has become the fans' favorite while going 8-for-14 in his first four games.

Kent Mercker (1-0) went one inning, got his first victory since June 30, 2006.Nationals 7, Diamondbacks 4

Willie Harris snapped out of a slump with a tiebreaking three-run homer, helping Washington.

Harris went deep on an 0-1 pitch from Micah Owings (6-3) with one out in the seventh to put the visiting Nationals in front 6-3.

Joel Hanrahan (1-2) threw 1 2-3 scoreless innings, and Jon Rauch pitched the ninth for his 12th save in 14 chances and his 10th in a row.

Orlando Hudson and Chad Tracy hit solo homers for the Diamondbacks, who have lost five straight.Brewers 5, Astros 1

Ryan Braun homered and matched a career high with four hits, Manny Parra pitched six strong innings and the Brewers won for the fourth time in five games.

Prince Fielder and Mike Cameron also homered for Milwaukee.

Parra (3-2) allowed one run and four hits.

Brandon Backe (4-6) gave up five runs and six hits over five innings for the visiting Astros, who have lost three straight.Cardinals 5, Pirates 4

Albert Pujols homered for the third time in four games and Todd Wellemeyer worked seven sharp innings for the Cardinals.

Pujols's 14th homer was a two-run shot to straightaway center in the bottom of the first that answered Nate McLouth's 13th homer, a solo shot just over the right-field wall, in the top half for Pittsburgh.

Wellemeyer (6-1) won his career-best fourth straight decision.

Zach Duke (2-4) worked six innings for the visiting Pirates and gave up three runs, two earned, and five hits.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.