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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, August 17, 2009

Dodgers roll, 9-3


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf finished a triple short of the cycle.

RICK SCUTERI | Associated Press

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PHOENIX — Randy Wolf finished a triple short of the cycle and pitched neatly into the eighth inning, leading Los Angeles to a 9-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks that snapped a three-game skid yesterday.

"What can I say? He did it all," Los Angeles manager Joe Torre said. "The best part about watching what he did today, he just kept them off the fat of the bat. Took a little off. Put a little on. Threw a lot of strikes."

Wolf (7-6) retired 20 straight batters after Ryan Roberts singled with one out in the first inning. Arizona rookie second baseman Rusty Ryal broke the streak with his first major league homer leading off the eighth inning.

"My past few outings, I've been a lot more aggressive, going after guys a lot more and pitching in a lot more," Wolf said. "As long as my fastball feels good and I am able to locate it, I'm going to keep on throwing a lot of those."

Los Angeles right fielder Andre Ethier had four hits, finishing a triple short of the cycle, and four RBIs. His three-run homer 10 pitches into game off Yusmeiro Petit (2-7) gave Wolf an early cushion.

Wolf and Orlando Hudson had two-out, two-run homers in the fourth inning for a 7-0 lead. Wolf also hit a single and an RBI double.

NATIONALS 5, REDS 4:

A defensive lapse in the eighth inning allowed Josh Willingham to hustle home from third base with the winning run as Washington swept host Cincinnati. Drew Sutton — playing second base — allowed the go-ahead run to score from third when he lobbed a relay throw to first baseman Joey Votto behind the mound on pinch-hitter Ryan Zimmerman's hit.

MARLINS, ROCKIES SPLIT:

Clint Barmes and Brad Hawpe each hit two-run homers and Colorado beat host Florida, 7-3, for a split of a doubleheader. The Marlins won the opener, 10-3, behind homers from Hanley Ramirez and Chris Coghlan and a two-run single by Chris Volstad in a five-run second inning.

ASTROS 8, BREWERS 5:

Geoff Blum hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Houston avoided a three-game sweep at Milwaukee.

METS 3, GIANTS 2:

Daniel Murphy hit a game-ending RBI single in the ninth inning, Luis Castillo blasted a two-run homer and host New York won two of three from San Francisco.

CARDINALS 7, PADRES 5:

Colby Rasmus' two-run homer capped a three-run ninth inning off Padres All-Star closer Heath Bell, giving host St. Louis a three-game sweep over San Diego.

PHILLIES 4, BRAVES 1:

Ryan Howard homered twice and drove in four runs, and rookie J.A. Happ (9-2) allowed three hits in 7 2/3 innings as Philadelphia won two of three at Atlanta.