Ethier homerun keeps Dodgers on the National League lead

LOS ANGELES – Andre Ethier homered his first two times at bat, helping the National League-leading Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-4 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

Matt Kemp hit a go-ahead shot, and Orlando Hudson also went deep for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles pitcher Chad Billingsley overcame a shaky start to notch his eighth win, tying the NL lead.

The win came after suspended slugger Manny Ramirez made a surprise visit to the Dodgers’ clubhouse with 20 games left on his 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

In New York, ace pitcher Johan Santana had a rare bad outing but New York got enough runs to bail him out and beat NL East rival Philadelphia, 6-5.

The Mets got three homers in a win that cut their deficit to Philadelphia to two games.

Santana allowed four home runs for only the second time in 221 major league starts.

But Santana also helped himself with his bat, hitting a tying double in the sixth inning.

In Miami, Jeremy Hermida homered leading off the ninth inning, lifting Florida over St. Louis, 4-3.

Hermida hit a pitch into the right-field seats for his first career game-winning homer. That completed an impressive rally by the Marlins, who were three runs down early.

In Milwaukee, Colorado got three runs in the seventh inning to overhaul Milwaukee, 3-2, and continue a recent resurgence in road games.

Carlos Gonzalez had a pair of doubles for the Rockies, who have won six straight on the road.

Milwaukee didn’t get a man on base after the fourth inning.

In Atlanta, Yunel Escobar hit a two-run single in the seventh, carrying Atlanta to a 4-3 victory over Pittsburgh.

The Braves won their third straight game – matching the season high – and were glad to get it done in regulation after a 15-inning marathon the previous night.

Atlanta’s Derek Lowe pitched seven solid innings, walking only one.

In Phoenix, Pablo Sandoval had four hits and drove in three runs as San Francisco came back to beat Arizona, 9-4.

Sandoval’s towering two-run homer in the fifth gave the Giants a 5-4 lead, and they didn’t trail again.

Giants pitcher Matt Cain won his fifth straight start and shares the NL lead for wins. But he wasn’t as dominant as usual, giving up six hits and five walks.

San Francisco had a season-high 17 hits.

In Houston, Ted Lilly pitched 6 2-3 shutout innings, guiding Chicago to an easy 7-1 win over Houston.

Lilly beat the Astros for the sixth straight time.

The Cubs improved to 5-1 at divisional rival Houston this season.

Only a homer in the ninth prevented the Astros’ sixth shutout loss of the season.

In Washington, Cincinnati pitcher Johnny Cueto had another one-run outing, helping down Washington, 3-2.

Cueto’s only blemish in seven innings was a solo homer in the fourth. His ERA dropped to 2.33 after the sixth start this season in which he allowed one or no runs.     

Brandon Phillips knocked in a pair of runs with a double for the Reds, who opened a six-game road trip. (AP)