Green's record day lifts Dodgers in runaway

MILWAUKEE -- Shawn Green punctuated his record-setting day with a boom, hitting a 450-foot shot in the ninth inning Thursday to become the 14th player to homer four times in a game in Los Angeles' 16-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers.

Amazingly, the Dodgers' slugger did it exactly three weeks after Mike Cameron's four-homer game for Seattle against the Chicago White Sox. Two players had never hit four home runs in a game in the same season.

Green went 6-for-6 with six runs scored and seven RBIs. His 19 total bases broke the major league record of 18 set by Joe Adcock of the Milwaukee Braves on July 31, 1954.

After hitting an RBI double his first time up, Green hit a three-run homer off Glendon Rusch (3-4) in the second and solo shots off Brian Mallette in the fourth and fifth innings as the Dodgers took a 10-1 lead.

After singling in the eighth inning, Green connected for the record-tying homer in the ninth against Jose Cabrera, a shot to the right-field power alley. Green received a standing ovation from the crowd of 26,728 at Miller Park.

The Dodgers hit eight homers to back Kazuhisa Ishii (7-1).

Marlins 8, Reds 4

CINCINNATI -- Luis Castillo hit his first career homer from the left side, a three-run shot off Jose Rijo (4-2) that sent Florida past Cincinnati.

Castillo had three hits for the second consecutive game, jump-starting an offense that has languished during the longest trip in Marlins history. Castillo has an 11-game hitting streak, going 23-for-49.

The Reds hit a grand slam in each of the first two games of their series, but Julian Tavarez (2-3) and the bullpen kept them in the park. Vladimir Nunez pitched the last two innings for his 10th save.

Castillo's homer was his first in 76 games and in 1,772 career at-bats swinging left-handed.

Cubs 11, Pirates 6

CHICAGO -- Fred McGriff homered and almost did it a second time, and rookie Bobby Hill hit his first major league home run as Chicago beat Pittsburgh.

Hill snapped an 0-for-9 slump as he went 3-for-5 with four RBIs, coming within a double of hitting for the cycle. McGriff drove in three runs for the Cubs, who won their third straight.

Matt Clement (2-3) held the Pirates scoreless for five innings before giving up Jason Kendall's two-run double in the sixth inning. He allowed six hits in seven innings, striking out seven.

Kris Benson (0-2) struggled again for the Pirates, who dropped a season-low four games below .500 with their third straight loss.

Rockies 16, Padres 3

DENVER -- Todd Zeile drove in five runs, and Larry Walker and Todd Helton homered on consecutive pitches as Colorado beat San Diego.

John Thomson (6-3) pitched seven strong innings, Todd Hollandsworth hit a three-run homer and Bobby Estalella had three straight doubles for the Rockies, who posted their first three-game series sweep of San Diego in Denver since 1995.

Padres starter Brett Tomko (3-4) departed in the fifth with a bruised left calf after being struck by Zeile's liner.

Mets 1, Phillies 0

PHILADELPHIA -- Pinch-hitter Mark Johnson's RBI double in the ninth inning broke a scoreless tie, lifting New York over Philadelphia.

The Mets had lost three straight and the Phillies had won three in a row.

Joe McEwing hit a one-out single off Jose Mesa (1-4), moved to second when Jeromy Burnitz was hit by a pitch and scored on Johnson's double to right.

Scott Strickland (3-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win and Armando Benitez got his ninth save.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1

BOSTON -- Pedro Martinez won his seventh straight decision to open the season, matching last year's win total and leading Boston.

Boston, which lost 10 of its last 11 games against the Yankees last season, is 4-1 against them this season and 31-13 overall. The Yankees (31-17) lost their second straight game after winning six in a row.

Martinez struck out 10 in seven innings, allowing one run, four hits and two walks. He started last season at 6-0 but finished 7-3 without a win after May. He was troubled for much of the season by shoulder problems.

Nomar Garciaparra hit an RBI double in the first against Ted Lilly (1-4). Boston added two runs in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Trot Nixon and Rickey Henderson's RBI single.

Ugueth Urbina got his 15th save.

Mariners 7, Devil Rays 3

SEATTLE -- James Baldwin settled down after a rocky first inning to shut down Tampa Bay and help Seattle snap a four-game losing streak.

Ichiro Suzuki and Ruben Sierra had three hits apiece and John Olerud hit a three-run homer for the Mariners, who broke out of a slump with 11 hits. The Devil Rays had won a season-high four straight games.

Four of the first five batters reached base against Baldwin (4-4) as the Devil Rays took a 2-0 lead. That prompted a visit to the mound from manager Lou Piniella as John Halama began warming up in the bullpen. Baldwin retired 20 of the next 21 batters, including the final 18 he faced.

Tanyon Sturtze (0-5) took the loss.

Orioles 11, Athletics 3

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Chris Singleton and Marty Cordova each homered and drove in three runs as Baltimore beat up Mark Mulder and Oakland.

Singleton extended his season-high hitting streak to 12 games with a three-run homer in the second inning off Mulder (2-4), who has lost three straight since returning from the disabled list with a strain in his left forearm.

Cordova hit his fourth homer, a three-run shot off Mike Holtz in the eighth.

Sidney Ponson (3-3) allowed two runs and five hits in six innings.