Reynolds Homers Twice As D-Backs Cruise

[April 08, 2008]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Mark Reynolds hit two of Arizona's four home runs Monday night, and the Diamondbacks won their home opener 9-3 over the Los Angeles Dodgers to stretch their winning streak to four games.

Orlando Hudson had a two-run homer, and Chris Young added a solo shot and an RBI single after agreeing to a six-year contract extension earlier in the day. Reynolds and Young each have four home runs in Arizona's seven games.

Dan Haren gave up three runs -- one earned -- in six innings to get his first Arizona victory. Haren (1-0), acquired in a trade with Oakland in the offseason, allowed six hits, struck out five and walked none.

Reynolds, who had homered in the ninth in Arizona's 10-inning win at Colorado on Sunday, hit a first-inning two-run shot off Esteban Loaiza some 455 feet deep into the left-field stands. His opposite-field solo homer off Chan Ho Park in the sixth barely cleared the right-field fence.

Jeff Kent drove in two runs with a homer and RBI single for Los Angeles.

Arizona's Justin Upton went 3-for-4 with a double but his throwing error resulted in two runs in the sixth.

The Diamondbacks unveiled their NL West champion banner, their fourth in the franchise's 10-year history, in front of a capacity crowd of 49,057, then scored four runs by the time Loaiza threw his 11th pitch.

Young led off with a walk, then scored when Eric Byrnes tripled to right-center.

Hudson hit the next pitch into left for an RBI single. After Conor Jackson popped out, Reynolds slammed the first pitch he saw into the seats, and it was 4-0.

Loaiza (0-2) settled down to retire 10 straight before being lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth. He threw just 53 pitches, allowing four runs on four hits.

The Dodgers cut it to 4-1 on Kent's second homer of the season, a two-out solo shot on a 1-2 pitch from Haren in the fourth, then Upton's errant throw from right field over the head of the third baseman Reynolds led to two unearned runs that cut the lead to 4-3 in the sixth.

Reynolds' second homer made it 5-3, then Young and Hudson hit home runs off Scott Proctor in the seventh to blow open an 8-3 advantage.

Notes: Dodgers manager Joe Torre left slumping outfielder Matt Kemp (.125) out of the lineup, but he had a pinch-hit single in the seventh. ... On Tuesday night, Arizona LHP Doug Davis will get his last start before undergoing surgery for thyroid cancer.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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