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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, June 12, 2008

Uggla's walk-off slam beats Phillies

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Photo gallery: Major League Baseball

Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Dan Uggla

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MIAMI — Bases loaded, tie game, bottom of the ninth inning. Dan Uggla has longed to be in that situation.

When the opportunity arose, he delivered in dramatic style.

Uggla hit a game-ending grand slam with one out in the ninth off Tom Gordon, and the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-2, yesterday for their second win in as many nights against the NL East leaders.

"The whole at-bat, I'm looking for one pitch in one spot," Uggla said. "Whether I get it or whether I chase something, I'm looking for something I can drive out in the outfield."

Or in this case, drive over the outfield.

It was a no-doubter; the ball sailed high into the night, he threw his right arm in the air after dropping the bat and the Marlins dugout immediately emptied while the Phillies slowly walked off the field.

"We were just looking for a sacrifice fly there," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said with a wry smile. "The ball just carried a little bit. Hate when that happens."

Jorge Cantu homered twice for the Marlins off Cole Hamels, who was nearly flawless otherwise. Hamels struck out 13 in eight innings.

Gordon relieved Hamels to start the ninth and gave up a single to Cantu and a pair of walks. Gordon (5-3) fell behind Uggla as well, and the Marlins' stocky slugger crushed a 3-1 offering high over the left-field scoreboard for his team-leading 19th home run.

"I just left it over the plate," Gordon said. "And he got it."

PIRATES 3, NATIONALS 1

Ryan Doumit homered for the third time in two games and Ian Snell (3-6), who hadn't won since April 12 and had lost six straight decisions, allowed a run and six hits in six-plus innings to lead host Pittsburgh past Washington.

CARDINALS 10, REDS 0

Rick Ankiel hit a three-run homer, Jason LaRue added two-run shot — both off Johnny Cueto (5-6) — and Braden Looper (8-5) pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout as visiting St. Louis routed Cincinnati.

CUBS 7, BRAVES 2

Ryan Dempster (8-2) pitched a four-hitter and struck out 11 in his first complete game in almost five years, and Kosuke Fukudome hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning off Jeff Bennett (0-4) as Chicago beat Atlanta

METS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3

Carlos Beltran hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning, and New York overcame another blown save by Billy Wagner to rally past Arizona and snap a five-game losing streak.

BREWERS 10, ASTROS 6

Corey Hart hit two of Milwaukee's season-high five home runs, and Russell Branyan, Mike Cameron and Jason Kendall also went deep to help the visiting Brewers snap a five-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park.

ROCKIES 1, GIANTS 0

Garret Atkins scored on Yorvit Torrealba's bases-loaded fly ball in the bottom of the ninth inning as Colorado beat San Francisco in only the fifth 1-0 game in Coors Field history and the first since Aug. 1, 2006.

PADRES 4, DODGERS 1

Randy Wolf (5-4) gave up a run and four hits in seven innings, two relievers finished the five-hitter, and rookie Edgar Gonzalez and Khalil Greene hit solo homers to lead host San Diego over Los Angeles.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

ANGELS 4, RAYS 2

Gary Matthews Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero homered, Maicer Izturis hit a go-ahead single, and John Lackey (3-1) allowed two runs and four hits over 7 1/3 innings as host Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay to snap Scott Kazmir's (6-2) six-game winning streak.

MARINERS 2, BLUE JAYS 1

Ichiro Suzuki drew a walk in the top of the ninth, stole second and third, and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Raul Ibanez as Seattle beat Toronto.

RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 3

Bartolo Colon (4-1) allowed one run and five hits over six innings for his 150th career victory, and Jason Varitek capped a five-run bottom of the first inning with a three-run homer to lead Boston over Baltimore.

TWINS 8, INDIANS 5

Justin Morneau drove in three runs, Jason Kubel hit a homer, and Nick Blackburn (5-4) won for the first time since May 16, allowing two runs and seven hits over six innings, as visiting Minnesota ended a six-game losing streak.

TIGERS 5, WHITE SOX 1

Justin Verlander (3-9) pitched a four-hitter for his third career complete game and Marcus Thames hit a three-run homer to lead visiting Detroit past Chicago.

RANGERS 11, ROYALS 5

David Murphy hit two home runs, including his first career grand slam, and drove in a career-high five runs as visiting Texas rallied from a 5-1 deficit after six innings to beat Kansas City.

ATHLETICS 8, YANKEES 4

Jack Cust drove in three runs, Justin Duchscherer (6-4) won for the third time in four starts and improved to 5-0 at the Coliseum, and host Oakland roughed up New York starter Darrell Rasner (3-4), who gave up seven runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.

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