HENDERSON, ROSS COMBINE FOR 5 HRS IN DODGERS ROMP
L.A. Sets Club Mark for Runs, Hits

LOS ANGELES, July 18 (AP) - Rickey Henderson and Dave Ross combined for five home runs and 10 runs batted in as the Los Angeles Dodgers pummeled the St. Louis Cardinals, 15-3, at Dodger Stadium.  In the process, the Dodgers set new season club highs for runs (15) and hits (18).  In fact, the Dodgers--the lowest scoring team in the major leagues--hadn't scored more than 10 runs in a single game all season prior to erupting against the Cardinals.

Henderson hit three home runs, marking the tenth time this season, and the fourth time this month, that a major league player has accomplished the feat.

The Dodgers put the game away early, but spotted St. Louis a run in to the top of the first inning.  Los Angeles starter Kazuhisa Ishii committed a balk with the bases loaded, allowing Albert Pujols to score.  But the Dodgers exploded for five runs in the bottom of the frame against Cardinals starter Brett Tomko.  Henderson drew a lead-off walk and advanced to third on Alex Cora's single.  Shawn Green's base hit scored Henderson to tie the game and chased Cora to third.  Paul Lo Duca rolled into a fielder's choice, forcing Green at second, but Cora scored on the play to give the Dodgers the lead.  Adrian Beltre singled Lo Duca to third and Ross belted his first home run of the game into the left field seats to put the Dodgers ahead, 5-1. 

Los Angeles added a pair of runs in the second.  Henderson led off the inning with his first home run of the season and, one out later, consecutive doubles by Green and Lo Duca made it 7-1 and drove Tomko from the game.

The Dodgers essentially put the game on ice in the third.  Facing Estaban Yan, Ross led off with a double and advanced to third on an infield roller off the bat of Cesar Izturis.  Ishii grounded to third with the infield in for the second out with Ross holding at third but Henderson made it all moot by belting a majestic shot into the left field pavilion.  His second home run of the game put the Dodgers ahead 9-1.

The Cardinals pulled a run closer in the fifth on Pujols' RBI double but the Dodgers got that tally back and then some in the home half of the same inning.  With two outs, reliever Jason Simontacchi hit Ishii with a pitch.  Henderson then belted his third home run of the game to make the score 11-2.  It was just the second time this season that a major league player had hit home runs in three consecutive at bats in the same game.  Cora singled; Green doubled him home and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Lo Duca's single plated Green to make it 13-2.

Edgar Renteria's RBI double in the top of the sixth cut the lead to 13-3 but in the bottom of the frame Beltre led off with a single and trotted home on Ross' second homer of the contest.  That capped the scoring.

For the game, Henderson and Ross combined to go 7-for-10 with a walk, two doubles, five home runs, 10 runs batted in and seven runs scored.

7/18/2003, StL03-LA03, Dodger Stadium
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP
2003 Cardinals         1  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0     3  5  0     8  0
2003 Dodgers           5  2  2  0  4  2  0  0  x    15 18  0     5  0
 
Cardinals            AB  R  H BI   AVG    Dodgers              AB  R  H BI   AVG
Hart              2b  5  0  0  0  .256    Henderson         lf  4  4  3  5  .444
Edmonds           cf  5  1  1  0  .272     Ruan             cf  0  0  0  0  .121
Pujols            1b  4  1  2  1  .371    Cora              2b  5  2  3  0  .232
 Eldred           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Green             rf  5  2  3  2  .287
Rolen             3b  3  0  0  0  .276    Lo Duca           1b  5  0  2  2  .275
Perez,EA          rf  2  1  0  0  .270    Burnitz           cf  5  1  0  1  .287
Renteria          ss  2  0  1  1  .290     Barnes           lf  0  0  0  0  .280
Drew,J            lf  3  0  0  0  .255    Beltre            3b  5  2  2  0  .237
Widger            c   4  0  1  0  .217    Ross,D            c   5  3  4  5  .216
Tomko             p   0  0  0  0  .242    Izturis           ss  5  0  1  0  .270
 Yan              p   0  0  0  0  .000     Cabrera,J        2b  0  0  0  0  .287
 Delgado,W        ph  1  0  0  0  .115    Ishii             p   2  1  0  0  .172
 Simontacchi      p   0  0  0  0  .059     Kinkade          ph  1  0  0  0  .235
 Palmeiro,O       ph  1  0  0  0  .309     Alvarez,W        p   0  0  0  0  .250
 Painter          p   0  0  0  0  .000                         42 15 18 15
 Robinson         rf  1  0  0  0  .218
                     31  3  5  2
 
Cardinals                        INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Tomko            L 7-8           1.1  8  7  7  1  1  39  27  6.20
Yan                              2.2  3  2  2  0  4  45  33  6.11
Simontacchi                      1.0  4  4  4  0  1  25  15  5.48
Painter                          1.2  2  2  2  0  0  29  19  7.00
Eldred                           1.1  1  0  0  0  1  21  16  3.35
                                 8.0 18 15 15  1  7 159 110
 
Dodgers                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Ishii            W 9-7           6.0  5  3  3  4  6 100  55  5.08
Alvarez,W        S 1             3.0  0  0  0  2  2  50  29  0.77
                                 9.0  5  3  3  6  8 150  84
 
StL: Delgado,W batted for Yan in the 5th
     Palmeiro,O batted for Simontacchi in the 6th
     Perez,EA moved to 1b in the 7th
     Robinson inserted at rf in the 7th
LA : Kinkade batted for Ishii in the 6th
     Ruan inserted at cf in the 9th
     Cora moved to ss in the 9th
     Barnes inserted at lf in the 9th
     Cabrera,J inserted at 2b in the 9th
 
2B-Pujols(30), Renteria(20), Green 2(29), Lo Duca(21), Ross,D 2(4),
Izturis(19). HR-Henderson 3(3), Ross,D 2(5). RBI-Pujols(79), Renteria(43),
Henderson 5(5), Green 2(39), Lo Duca 2(41), Burnitz(43), Ross,D 5(12).
SB-Pujols(3). K-Hart 2, Rolen 2, Drew,J, Widger, Palmeiro,O, Robinson,
Lo Duca, Burnitz 3, Beltre, Ross,D, Ishii. BB-Rolen, Perez,EA 2, Renteria 2,
Drew,J, Henderson. SH-Tomko. HBP-Ishii. HB-Simontacchi. WP-Simontacchi.
BALK-Ishii 2.
GWRBI: Burnitz
Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: none.
Attendance: 47,105
Game Time: 3:04