NEW YORK // Manny Ramirez and Casey Blake each hit their first homers since joining Los Angeles as the Dodgers secured a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. With a runner on, Ramirez - acquired in a last-minute, three-way deal with the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates two days earlier - hammered a first-pitch fastball from the Arizona starter Yusmeiro Petit (1-2) into the left-field bleachers to give the Dodgers a 2-0 first-inning lead. The blast was the 511th of Ramirez's career, tying him with Mel Ott for 22nd on the all-time list.
It also brought the sell-out crowd of 54,544 to its feet for a curtain call, of which Ramirez happily obliged. The offensive fireworks supplied more than enough support for starter Hiroki Kuroda (6-8), who picked up his first win in five starts, yielding one run and four hits with six strike-outs over seven and a third innings. Barry Zito outduelled a fellow Cy Young Award winner and the San Francisco Giants mounted just enough offense to support him in a 2-0 triumph over the San Diego Padres in the second of a three-game series. Zito (6-13) turned in his longest outing of the season, tossing eight scoreless innings to pick up his third win in his last five starts.
The left hander, 30, who took home the American League Cy Young Award in 2002, struck out five and walked four batters. Brian Wilson worked a scoreless ninth to post his 21st consecutive save - and 30th in 32 chances - to secure the win for the Giants, who have won all four games between the two teams at Petco Park this season. Ted Lilly allowed one run in six and one third innings and Reed Johnson recorded three hits, leading the Chicago Cubs to a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
* PA Sport
