Joneses' homers evict Dodgers

By wire services
Published May 16, 2005

LOS ANGELES - Andruw Jones hit his third homer in two games, doubled and scored a run Sunday, leading the Braves to a 5-2 victory and helping to knock the Dodgers out of first place in the West.

Chipper Jones and Adam LaRoche also homered, and Tim Hudson pitched six effective innings as the East-leading Braves won their 10th game in the past 14.

The Joneses homered for the second straight game. They've done so three times this season and 43 times overall.

The Braves are 37-6 in those games.

"It's just good to get a home run," Andruw Jones said with a smile. "I'm seeing the ball pretty good, getting pitches to hit."

Andruw Jones hit .413 with 10 homers in spring training but got off to a horrible start in the regular season, going hitless in 28 at-bats at one point.

But he turned things around in late April. He has 25 hits in 56 at-bats with seven homers in his past 14 games to raise his batting average from .187 to .293.

"I was putting pressure on myself," he said. "I'm just relaxing, letting it happen.

"It's a long season. You just have to keep battling. Life is not easy, period - off the field, on the field. You've just got to try to enjoy it even if you're not doing well."

"That tandem right there is one of the best, and it's been like that for years," Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley said. "Andruw started off slow, but now he's hot. And Chipper's hot."

The Dodgers lost for the fourth time in five games to fall out of first place for the first time since April 28.

ASTROS 9, GIANTS 0: Morgan Ensberg hit three home runs and Brandon Backe pitched a four-hitter for his first shutout for host Houston.

Ensberg hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Jeff Fassero, a solo homer off Jeremy Accardo in the fifth and another solo homer in the seventh off Jason Christiansen for the 11th three-homer game by an Astros player.

The last to do it had been Richard Hidalgo on Sept.3, 2003, against Colorado.

PADRES 12, MARLINS 4: Dave Roberts hit a three-run homer and Brian Giles a two-run single in a 10-run seventh for San Diego.

The Padres won for the 12th time in 16 games and swept the Marlins for the first time in a three-game series in San Diego.

Khalil Greene had three hits while Roberts and Giles each had three RBIs.

DIAMONDBACKS 5, ROCKIES 4: Craig Counsell hit his first homer since July and Brian Bruney converted a rare save opportunity for host Colorado.

Counsell took a 3-and-2 pitch from Jason Jennings over the wall in right-centerfield with one out in the seventh for a 4-3 lead. Alex Cintron had a run-scoring double to make it 5-3 in the eighth.

Jennings was seeking to become the winningest pitcher at Coors Field, but he remained tied with Pedro Astacio at 24. Jennings threw 61/3 innings, allowing six hits and four runs.

PHILLIES 4, REDS 3: Vicente Padilla pitched six scoreless innings for his first win of the season and was backed by solo homers from Chase Utley and Bobby Abreu for host Philadelphia.

Padilla tossed four-hit ball in his longest outing of the season to earn his first win since Sept.29. He wasn't particularly sharp.

He threw 96 pitches and tied a career high with six walks, but he worked out of a couple of jams to help the Phillies split the four-game series.

PIRATES 4, BREWERS 2: Daryle Ward homered and drove in two runs, and starter Dave Williams repeatedly pitched out of trouble in host Pittsburgh's ninth victory in 12 games.

NATIONALS 5, CUBS 4: Second baseman Neifi Perez's two errors helped host Washington score the go-ahead run in the sixth, and Nick Johnson hit a two-run homer.

CARDINALS 4, METS 2: Matt Morris pitched effectively into the eighth inning, and John Mabry homered and drove in three runs for St. Louis. Reggie Sanders hit his 10th home run for the Cardinals, who took two of three and improved to 12-4 on the road.

[Last modified May 16, 2005, 01:22:06]