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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • mlb (External Link)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, May 11, 2008 NL ROUNDUP: Reds, Mets split doubleheader Associated Press NEW YORK -- Throughout his horrendous start to the season, Bronson Arroyo insisted he was fine. He proved it on Saturday. Arroyo pitched eight dominant innings to win a matchup of struggling pitchers and Jeff Keppinger had a career-high five hits, lifting the Cincinnati Reds over the New York Mets 7-1 for a split of their day-night doubleheader. "The tides got to turn at some point," Arroyo said after retiring 16 of his last 17 batters. "You throw it up there enough times and they've got to hit it on the ground eventually -- instead of over infielders heads." In the opener, Carlos Beltran hit a bases-loaded triple and drove in five runs to back Johan Santana's first home win for the Mets in a 12-6 victory. Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider hit New York's first back-to-back homers of the season during a makeup of Friday night's rainout. Ken Griffey Jr. had two hits and an RBI in the nightcap, but remained stalled in his bid to become the sixth player with 600 home runs -- he is homerless in 59 at-bats. He missed No. 598 by inches in the opener when he hit a drive off the top of the wall for a two-run double that earned him a start in the second game. The Reds outhit the Mets in the loss, 15-12, and the win, 14-4 -- but they also got pitching and defense in the nightcap. They broke open the game in the ninth thanks to two errors by the Mets and Scott Hatteberg's third RBI of the game. That prompted angry Mets closer Billy Wagner, who entered in the ninth to get some work in, to knock over a water cooler in the dugout after he was pulled. "Our bullpen -- we just stunk," said Wagner, who was charged with three unearned runs. Arroyo struck out the side in the first and immediately put to rest any thoughts of a repeat of his awful outing a week ago, when he gave up seven runs in the shortest start of his career -- 1 1-3 innings. The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the second but Arroyo struck out Ramon Castro, and pitcher Mike Pelfrey (2-3) flied out to right fielder Griffey, who made a basket catch on the run. "Griffey making that play was big to get out with no runs -- I've been having trouble in the second inning all year," Arroyo said. Griffey had an RBI single an out after Ryan Freel doubled to lead off the game. The Mets tied it in the third when David Wright hit a run-scoring single an out after Jose Reyes doubled. Griffey then had an assist when Wright was thrown out at the plate on Beltran's double to help end the rally. The Reds took the lead in the sixth on Hatteberg's double, scoring Keppinger. Hatteberg drove in Keppinger again in the eighth with a single off Duaner Sanchez. Baffled by his 8.63 ERA entering Saturday despite being healthy, Arroyo struck out the side again in the seventh, then fanned Reyes to start the eighth. The right-hander finished with nine strikeouts and two walks. "He had them off balance," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He was dealing tonight. To go eight innings like he did, makes everybody feel better." Francisco Cordero worked a perfect ninth to complete the four-hitter. In the opener, Wright broke out of a 1-for-13 slump with two hits and three runs, helping the Mets score 12 times for the second consecutive game. Moises Alou had two RBIs and New York began a seven-game homestand against last-place teams. Manager Willie Randolph started Santana in the opener instead of Pelfrey, Friday's scheduled starter, because "I like to get my best going first," he said. Santana matched a career high by giving up 10 hits, though he never was in serious trouble until the sixth, when he needed 38 pitches to get out of the inning. "Allergies have been bothering me, but it's no excuse," Santana said. "My eyes, my nose, I battled through and we were able to win. ... When I see my team hitting balls and scoring runs you feel good." But Pelfrey vastly improved on his last two starts in which he gave up five runs and 13 total baserunners in each. He worked six effective innings Saturday, giving up eight hits and two runs. He struck out three and walked one. Santana (4-2) allowed Edwin Encarnacion's eighth homer in the fourth inning and scattered five other hits through five. But he gave up four hits in the sixth, including a leadoff triple to Brandon Phillips and RBI singles to Encarnacion and pinch-hitter Hatteberg. Santana has allowed 10 hits in a game five times. Beltran's triple off reliever Mike Lincoln in the sixth made it 10-3. The slugger had an RBI single in the third and a sacrifice fly in the fifth for his first RBIs since April 26. Delgado homered off Lincoln with one out in the seventh, his fifth, and Schneider followed with his first of the season. After beginning the day with a .216 average, Delgado had three hits from the No. 7 spot in the order, missing the cycle by a triple. It was the first time he batted that low since Sept. 30, 1995, with Toronto against the New York Yankees, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Matt Belisle (1-3) gave up six runs -- five earned -- and seven hits in five innings. He threw a wild pitch that let a run score and committed a two-base throwing error that led to two runs in the fifth. Delgado batted fifth against Arroyo and extended his hitting streak to eight games with a single in the first inning. Giants 8, Phillies 2 SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum (5-1) struck out eight in eight impressive innings to outpitch 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, and the Giants ended a season-worst five-game skid. Omar Vizquel had three hits and scored a run in a successful return from the disabled list, Randy Winn hit his first home run of the year and Aaron Rowand connected against his former club for the second time in just more than a week. Ryan Howard hit a leadoff homer on the first pitch from Lincecum in the second to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead, then Rowand tied it with his fourth homer leading off the bottom half. Chris Coste also homered for Philadelphia, a seventh-inning solo shot. Moyer (2-3) faced a pitcher 22 years his junior for the second straight start. The 23-year-old Lincecum was born on June 7, 1984 -- eight days after Moyer signed his first contract. Cubs 7, Diamondbacks 2 CHICAGO -- Alfonso Soriano had four hits, including a go-ahead double in a six-run seventh inning, and showed some flair on the bases to help the Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kosuke Fukudome's first homer since opening day capped the seventh-inning rally as the Cubs won their second straight against the team that swept them in the first round of the playoffs last October. After a strong performance by Diamondbacks' rookie Max Scherzer, the Cubs trailed 2-1 headed into the seventh when they got to Arizona reliever Chad Qualls (0-4). Cubs starter Ryan Dempster gave up only three hits and two runs in six innings. Scott Eyre (1-0), who just came off the disabled list Friday, pitched the seventh for the win. Cardinals 5, Brewers 3 MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Ludwick hit a two-run single with two outs in the ninth inning, and St. Louis' shaky bullpen held on as the Cardinals snapped a season-long three-game skid. Prince Fielder hit a tying homer in the eighth for Milwaukee, and Ben Sheets set a franchise record for strikeouts with 1,086. Still, the slumping Brewers lost for the seventh time in eight games as Eric Gagne (1-2) took the loss. Gagne gave up consecutive singles to start the ninth, intentionally walked Albert Pujols to load the bases with one out. Ludwick grounded a single just past shortstop J.J. Hardy one out later to give St. Louis a 5-3 lead. Russ Springer (1-0) earned the win and Ryan Franklin, who took over the closer's role Saturday from struggling Jason Isringhausen, got three outs for his third career save and second this year. Pirates 5, Braves 2 PITTSBURGH -- Tom Gorzelanny (3-3) shook off Mark Teixeira's two-run homer in the first inning to shut out Atlanta during the rest of his 7 1/3 innings, Jason Bay homered and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended the Braves' road woes. Bay doubled and scored on Ronny Paulino's sacrifice fly in the second inning, then followed Jason Michaels' leadoff single with a two-run homer to left-center in the fourth off Chuck James (2-2). Paulino added a two-run double in the sixth and drove in three runs during Pittsburgh's fifth consecutive victory. The Braves, who came to Pittsburgh after sweeping a six-game homestand against San Diego and Cincinnati, lost their sixth in a row away from home and are a major league-worst 4-13 on the road. The Braves own the majors' best home record of 14-4. Marlins 11, Nationals 0 WASHINGTON -- Dan Uggla drove in five runs, Andrew Miller allowed two hits in seven innings and the Florida Marlins won their sixth straight. The Marlins' winning streak is their longest since they won nine in a row from Aug. 20-29, 2005. Florida (22-14) is eight games over .500 for the first time since Sept. 18, 2005. Florida chased Mike O'Connor (1-1) -- making his first start since Sept. 28, 2006 -- during a seven-run fourth inning highlighted by Uggla's second career grand slam. Miller (3-2) gave up singles in the first to Cristian Guzman and sixth to Felipe Lopez. He struck out seven and walked one. Astros 5, Dodgers 0 LOS ANGELES -- Chris Sampson pitched three-hit ball over seven innings, and Darin Erstad and Miguel Tejada each drove in two runs for the Houston Astros. Sampson (2-3) matched his longest outing of the season. The right-hander, who began his professional career as a shortstop, had given up 18 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings over his previous four starts. Chad Billingsley (2-5) allowed five runs -- four earned -- and six hits in five innings for the Dodgers.

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