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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, September 7, 2009

MLB: Ramirez homers, gets tossed in Dodgers’ 7-2 win


Associated Press

PHOENIX — Manny Ramirez hit his 17th home run of the season before being ejected and Los Angeles late-season acquisitions Vicente Padilla and Ronnie Belliard contributed to the Dodgers’ 7-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ramirez hit a solo homer in a three-run second inning off right-hander Max Scherzer (9-9) but was tossed after flinging his bat and helmet to the ground near home plate after striking out to end the third.
Belliard and James Loney also hit bases-empty homers for the Dodgers, who have won all three starts Padilla (2-0) has made joining the rotation Aug. 27.
Belliard, acquired from Washington on Aug. 30, had three hits and two RBIs, finishing a triple short of the cycle.
He had an RBI double and Russell Martin hit a sacrifice fly in two-run eighth inning, which began when Juan Pierre, Ramirez’s replacement, singled and stole second and third. Pierre added an RBI single in the ninth.
Dodgers right-hander Jonathan Broxton got a four-out save, entering to strike out Justin Upton with runners on first and second and two outs in the eighth inning. Broxton has 33 saves in 38 chances.
The Dodgers (82-57) lead the NL West by 3› games with 23 games to play and remain tied with St. Louis for the best record in the National League.
Arizona lost its fifth straight game.
Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning off Padilla to make it 4-2.
Young has 11 homers, four in the last two games after hitting three bases-empty homers in a 13-5 loss at Colorado on Sunday. The major league record for homers in two consecutive games is five, last done by the Alex Rodriguez on Aug. 17-18, 2002 with Texas.
Padilla, signed to a minor league contract Aug. 19 after being released by Texas on Aug. 17, is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA in three starts since joining the Dodgers’ rotation.
Padilla gave up six hits and struck out three in his second consecutive start against Arizona, which scored only one run off him in 5 1-3 innings of a no-decision Sept. 1. Padilla beat Colorado in his first start.
Scherzer gave up four runs and six hits in seven innings. The three homers allowed tied a career high.
Scherzer and Martin exchanged words in the middle of the fourth inning, after Scherzer hit Martin with a pitch behind the left shoulder with two outs in the top of the inning. That came two batters after Belliard’s homer gave the Dodgers a 4-0 lead.
Martin stared at Scherzer as he walked toward first base, escorted by home plate umpire Doug Eddings, and Scherzer took a few steps toward the base line. The two exchanged words on the field after Padilla flew out to end the inning.
Then, after Scherzer lined a single to right field to open the sixth inning, Dodgers’ right fielder Andre Ethier threw to first base in an attempt to get Scherzer, who made it easily.
NOTES: Upton was back in the lineup Monday after being replaced for failing to run hard on a fly ball in the third inning of a 13-5 loss at Colorado on Sunday. Upton, who thought his fly to deep right field would be a home run, was held to a single when the ball hit the fence and center fielder Carlos Gonzalez returned the ball quickly to the infield. “It’s a growing and maturing moment, and it is my job to remind him of those moments,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ... Upton has two hits and five strikeouts in nine plate appearances against Broxton. ... Young became the first player in major league history to hit three home runs in a game with a batting average under .200 and a minimum of 300 at-bats Sunday, according to research done by Elias. Young entered the game with a .191 average and finished hitting .198 after going 3 for 3 with two walks.