National League roundup

[May 06, 2009]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- One more victory will give the Los Angeles Dodgers a longer home winning streak from the start of a season than any major league team since 1900. And the lowly Washington Nationals are coming to town, trying not to be a footnote to history.

Tuesday night's 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks gave the Dodgers a share of the record, which the Detroit Tigers set under manager Hughie Jennings by winning their first 12 games at Bennett Park in 1911 -- the year before they moved into Tiger Stadium.

"I'm glad it's finally something that happened before I was born," said Joe Torre, the Dodgers' 68-year-old manager. "It's something to admire when you look back on it and know that there you are. You're in the record books and you were a part of that team that did it."

The Dodgers' longest home winning streak in Los Angeles at any point in a season was 13 games in 1993. They won 14 straight at Ebbets Field in 1921.

"To be a part of something like this is really special," winning pitcher Jeff Weaver said. "I'm just happy for the team about the 12-0 start here. Hopefully we can get 13."

The Dodgers' sixth straight victory made them a major league-best 20-8 overall, their best start since the 1983 club started out 21-7 under Tommy Lasorda. That same year, the Atlanta Braves started out 10-0 at home under Torre.

"I think anytime you put a streak together like this, it's a surprise -- that things keep going your way," Torre said. "But the thing that doesn't surprise me is that we've been going out there every day and grinding it as a team."

"Baseball's full of streaks. You just hope the good ones outnumber the bad ones," he added. "I just don't want this to stop. And it's not about the streak. It's just about winning ballgames and putting them on the right side of the ledger. These games count every but as much as the ones later on."

The Dodgers have the same overall record Arizona had after 28 games last season, when the Diamondbacks held first place in the NL West and led Los Angeles by 5 1-2 games. Torre and Co. ended up winning the division title by two games.

Weaver (1-0) allowed a run and five hits over five innings and struck out six in his first start in the big leagues since Sept. 28, 2007 with the Seattle Mariners. The 10-year veteran right-hander outpitched Max Scherzer (0-3), who is 0-7 through his first 12 big league starts despite a respectable 3.16 ERA.

Padres 2, Rockies 1, 10 innings

At San Diego, Brian Giles doubled in the winning run in the 10th inning and the Padres snapped a six-game losing streak.

Giles' one-out double off Matt Daley (0-1) gave San Diego only its third win in 15 games.

Giles, who came into the game hitting .153 and was on a 3-for-27 skid, went 2 for 3 with two walks.

Heath Bell (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Brewers 8, Pirates 5

At Pittsburgh, J.J. Hardy drove in four runs and Milwaukee won its 17th straight over the Pirates, the majors' longest winning streak by one team against another in nearly 40 years.

The Pirates haven't beaten the Brewers since May 22, 2008.

Hardy was 3 of 27 before reaching base four times on two run-scoring singles, an RBI double and a walk to back Jeff Suppan (2-2).

Ian Snell (1-4) gave up five runs and four hits and walked five in five-plus innings.

Reds 7, Marlins 0

At Miami, Brandon Phillips tied a career high with six RBIs and Edinson Volquez allowed three hits in eight innings for Cincinnati.

Nick Masset pitched a perfect ninth to complete the Reds' sixth shutout this season, and their fourth in six games. Volquez (4-2) extended a personal streak of 16 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings.

Phillips had three hits, including a three-run homer.

Florida's Chris Volstad (2-1) gave up four runs in six innings.

Mets 4, Braves 3

At Atlanta, Livan Hernandez earned his fourth win in 25 career starts against the Braves and New York won two games for their first sweep at Turner Field since 2007.

David Wright and Ramon Castro had run-scoring doubles in the third inning off Kenshin Kawakami (1-4), who lost his fourth straight start. Carlos Delgado had two hits, including a two-run single in the ninth.

Hernandez (2-1) gave up seven hits and one run in 6 1-3 innings and improved to 4-15 in his career against the Braves.

Phillies 10, Cardinals 7

At St. Louis, Shane Victorino was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs and Jayson Werth had a three-run shot and four RBIs for Philadelphia.

Ryan Ludwick and Yadier Molina hit solo homers in a span of three at-bats before Werth answered with a three-run shot in the fifth off Adam Wainwright (3-1).

Albert Pujols hit his 10th homer in the ninth off Brad Lidge.

Brett Myers (2-2) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Giants 6, Cubs 2

At Chicago, Tim Lincecum allowed four hits over seven innings and Bengie Molina hit a three-run homer for San Francisco.

Lincecum (3-1) struck out seven and walked two in ending the Cubs' four-game winning streak.

Bobby Scales, a 31-year-old infielder making his big league debut after spending 11 years in the minors, was 1 for 4 and scored a run before striking out to end the game.

Nationals 10, Astros 10, 11 innings, suspended

At Washington, A sloppy matchup between Washington and Houston wound up without a winner when the game was suspended by rain with the score tied at 10 in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Because the Astros aren't scheduled to return to Washington this season, the game will be resumed July 9 in Houston with the Nationals as the home team.

Cristian Guzman hit a two-run homer in the eighth that put the Nationals ahead 10-9. The Astros tied it in the ninth on Geoff Blum's sacrifice fly.

[Associated Press]

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