Associated Press
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Marcell Ozuna’s pregame meal is up for debate. He claims that just before batting practice he consumed three In-N-Out cheeseburgers and three chocolate chip cookies, while many others in the Miami clubhouse insist their animated center fielder actually ate five double cheeseburgers.
Either way, there’s no arguing Ozuna delivered again. A night after producing a pinch-hit, two-run single, he came through with his bat and throwing arm to make up for failing to chase down Hunter Pence’s RBI double in the fifth inning.
Ozuna hit a go-ahead single in the eighth after tying it with an RBI single in the sixth, and the Miami Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3 on Friday night for their ninth straight win at AT&T Park.
“My teammates say five (burgers),” Ozuna said. “Just three cheeseburgers and three cookies — 3 for 3. That’s a good deal.”
Ozuna also threw out Andres Torres trying to stretch a sixth-inning double into a triple. Torres left the game after injuring his right knee on a hard slide. X-rays were negative.
Manager Mike Redmond also got in on the razzing of Ozuna.
“I told him after the game I think he had four or five In-N-Out burgers and it may have been the reason he couldn’t catch that ball,” Redmond said. “He continues to grind and have good at-bats, and he’s gotten some big hits for us.”
Logan Morrison hit his first home run in nearly a year and also had an RBI triple for the Marlins, who haven’t lost in San Francisco since July 28, 2010.
The Marlins aren’t sure why they have enjoyed such success in the Giants’ waterfront ballpark.
“I don’t know, I’m a baseball player not a sociologist,” Morrison said.
A.J. Ramos (1-2) pitched a 1-2-3 seventh for his first major league win.
Pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs added an insurance run-scoring single in the eighth, when the Marlins rallied against Jake Dunning (0-1).
Morrison was activated from the 60-day disabled list June 9 after missing 11 months because of a knee injury that required surgery on Sept. 5.
He connected for his first home run since last July 6 leading off the second and tripled in the sixth. He now has a four-game hitting streak against the Giants.
Miami’s Ricky Nolasco was tagged for nine hits — one below his season high — and three runs in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander is still an impressive 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in five career starts at AT&T Park, but nearly doubled his ERA in the waterfront ballpark. Steve Cishek, the Marlins’ fourth reliever, allowed a pair of singles before finishing for his 12th save in 14 opportunities.
San Francisco starter Tim Lincecum retired 11 straight batters during one stretch but wound up with a no-decision in one of his better outings over the past month and also hit a stand-up triple in the sixth to end an 0-for-22 funk, sparking a roaring ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,490. It was the second triple of his career and first extra-base hit since a double on June 7, 2009, at Florida — also against Nolasco.
Lincecum felt as if he only made a couple of mistakes.
“I wasn’t overthrowing,” he said. “I know that’s not going to make a difference. It’s location. It worked out for the most part. I felt like my pitches were coming out of my hand well.”
The triple chased Nolasco this time, but Gregor Blanco struck out against reliever Dan Jennings to strand Linceucm. The right-hander allowed three runs and four hits, struck out eight and walked one in seven solid innings as San Francisco lost for the fifth time in seven games.
Reigning NL MVP and batting champion Buster Posey went 0 for 5 while making his fifth start at first base to give him a break from catching. Pence and Marco Scutaro each hit RBI doubles for the Giants, who have a season-high seven-game home run drought.
NATIONALS 2, ROCKIES 1
WASHINGTON — Stephen Strasburg struck out nine over seven innings, Ian Desmond homered in the seventh and the Nationals beat the slumping Colorado Rockies.
Making his 14th start of the season, Strasburg (4-6) allowed one run and five hits for his first win since May 31. After DJ LeMahieu’s RBI single in the third, Strasburg kept the Rockies scoreless.
Colorado lost its fifth straight.
Ryan Zimmerman hit a tying double with two outs in the sixth off Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood. Facing reliever Manny Corpas (0-2) leading off the seventh, Desmond swatted a 2-0 pitch to center for his 12th homer.
Drew Storen worked the eighth and Rafael Soriano pitched the ninth for his 19th save.
METS 4, PHILLIES 3
PHILADELPHIA— Juan Lagares hit a go-ahead double, Jeremy Hefner pitched six effective innings and New York came back from a three-run deficit to beat Philadelphia.
Hefner (2-6) gave up three runs — two earned — and 10 hits to help the Mets snap a five-game losing streak against the Phillies.
Eric Young Jr. had two hits, including a two-run single for the Mets, who have won three of four. Scott Rice and Carlos Torres each tossed a hitless inning and Bobby Parnell finished for his 12th save in 15 tries.
Cole Hamels (2-11) blew a 3-0 lead in another disappointing outing for the three-time All-Star. He allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.
BREWERS 2, BRAVES 0
MILWAUKEE — Jean Segura homered and Wily Peralta allowed two hits in seven innings to lead Milwaukee past Atlanta for its second shutout of the season.
Peralta (5-8) won for the second time in his last eight starts, giving up two singles to go with four strikeouts and four walks.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched the eighth and Jim Henderson the ninth for his 10th save.
Segura finished with three hits, including his 11th homer, and Norichika Aoki added three singles after the birth of his son Thursday.
Atlanta was shut out for the 10th time and lost for the fourth time in five games. Julio Teheran (5-4) gave up two runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 11, REDS 5
PHOENIX — Paul Goldschmidt homered twice and Arizona beat Cincinnati in Johnny Cueto’s worst outing in three seasons.
Goldschmidt drove in three runs to raise his NL-leading RBI total to 65. Gerardo Parra hit a leadoff home run for the Diamondbacks and Jason Kubel tied his career high with four hits.
Kubel doubled in a run and scored twice.
Cueto (4-1) went 4 1-3 innings and allowed seven runs, his most since Milwaukee scored eight against him on Sept. 22, 2010. The 11 hits off him matched his career worst.
Jay Bruce hit his 150th career home run for the Reds. Joey Votto drove in two runs with a long homer and a double.
Will Harris (1-0) got one out in relief of starter Wade Miley.
Goldschmidt has four home runs in four games and 19 for the year, one fewer than he had last season.
PADRES 5, DODGERS 2
SAN DIEGO — Chris Denorfia and Chase Headley each had two RBIs as San Diego touched up Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw.
Four relievers shut down the Dodgers after Clayton Richard left two pitches into his start with shoulder pain. Tim Stauffer (1-0) gave up one run in four innings for his first win since Sept. 16, 2011, and Huston Street secured his 15th save in 16 chances.
The surging Padres are an NL-best 13-7 in June. San Diego has won eight straight at Petco Park and nine of its last 11 overall. The Dodgers have lost nine of 12.
Kershaw (5-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, dropping to 0-3 with a 4.67 ERA in three starts against San Diego this season.
RANGERS 6, CARDINALS 4
ST. LOUIS — Nelson Cruz snapped a ninth-inning tie with a two-run single through a drawn-in infield and Texas beat St. Louis in the opener of a series between 2011 World Series opponents.
Derek Holland went seven innings after a shaky start and Neal Cotts (4-1) escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth when Jon Jay tapped out on a full-count pitch. Joe Nathan finished for his 23rd save in 24 chances.
Left fielder David Murphy robbed Carlos Beltran of an extra-base hit and saved a run with a running catch at the wall in left-center to end it.
The game drew a sellout crowd of 45,228 to Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals closed out the 2011 Series with wins in Games 6 and 7.
Trevor Rosenthal (1-1) took the loss.
CUBS 3, ASTROS 1
CHICAGO — Matt Garza pitched into the ninth inning and Anthony Rizzo hit his first home run since May 18 to lead Chicago over Houston after a rain delay that lasted 3 hours, 18 minutes.
Darwin Barney and Scott Hairston also homered for the Cubs, who had lost four of five. Barney was a triple short of the cycle.
The subject of trade speculation, Garza (2-1) allowed four hits and struck out eight for his first win since beating Arizona on May 31. The right-hander walked Jose Altuve to begin the ninth and was replaced by Kevin Gregg, who earned his 11th save in 11 tries.
Chris Carter broke up Garza’s shutout bid with his 15th homer in the seventh.
Dallas Keuchel (4-4) gave up three runs and nine hits in six innings. Houston had won six of eight.