Last Updated on June 28, 2007 9:24 pm by admin
MIAMI (AP) -Scott Olsen struck out his first five batters and finished with 10, one shy of his career high, as the Florida Marlins defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-7 Thursday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Mike Jacobs and Hanley Ramirez each had three of Florida’s 15 hits, and Matt Treanor hit a two-run homer, his first since June 20 last year off Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera.
Florida led 5-0 after two innings and 8-2 before Pittsburgh scored five runs in the seventh.
Adam LaRoche had a two-run homer for the Pirates, who lost for the sixth time in eight games.
Olsen (6-6) gave up five runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, becoming the first Marlins pitcher to start a game with five strikeouts. His career strikeout high was set in a 4-1 win over the Pirates in Miami on July 21, 2006.
Kevin Gregg gave up a single to Freddy Sanchez leading off the ninth, then got three straight outs for his 15th save in 15 opportunities.
Zach Duke (3-7) allowed six runs and 12 hits in four innings, dropping to 1-2 in six June starts.
Dodgers 9, Diamondbacks 5
PHOENIX (AP) – Russell Martin spoiled Randy Johnson’s return with a home run and finished with three hits, and Los Angeles took three of four from Arizona.
Randy Wolf (9-6) allowed three runs in six-plus innings and Jeff Kent drove in three runs for the Dodgers, who opened a half-game lead over idle San Diego in the NL West. Arizona trails Los Angeles by one game.
Johnson (4-3), who went on the 15-day disabled list June 16 retroactive to June 11 with muscle tightness in his buttocks and a sore back, never looked comfortable in his first start in 18 days. He threw most of his 70 pitches thigh-to-chest high with velocity topping out at 94 mph in the first inning and declining thereafter.
The 43-year-old left-hander allowed four runs – three earned – and six hits in three innings. He struck out two, walked two and hit a batter with a pitch.
Wolf (9-6) gave up four hits, struck out four and walked six. He left after Arizona loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh.
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