Arizona shortstop Bryce Ortega had some empathy for Loyola Marymount on Monday, but not too much after UA rallied in the ninth for a 7-6 victory.

Ortega laid a sacrifice bunt down in the bottom of the ninth at Sancet Stadium, just trying to get Mike Weldon to second base.

Ortega got much more when Loyola pitcher John Lally retrieved the grounder, but threw wildly to first base.

The Lions went chasing after the ball in the right-field corner while Weldon sped home to tie the game and Ortega went to third with nobody out.

Brad Glenn eventually hit a walk-off sacrifice fly ball to center field to score Ortega after Dillon Baird and Jett Bandy were intentionally walked to load the bases.

“It was the easiest walk-off I’ve ever had,” Glenn said.

The Wildcats (25-23), lacking late-inning breaks all season, finally got one on Lally’s error.

“I feel bad for the other team. I’ve been in that boat walking back to the bus, but right now I don’t really care,” Ortega said.

Arizona swept the three-game series with the Lions. UA begins a home series against Washington on Saturday.

Weldon opened the home ninth by being hit by a pitch. Ortega had a drag bunt down the first base line. The throw to get him wasn’t close.

“I saw him jump and I said, ‘Oh God, it’s going down the line,’ then turned on the afterburners,” Ortega said.

The ninth-inning rally was only the second comeback the Wildcats have had all season. Glenn also drove in that winner with a two-run single for a 7-6 victory over USC on April 3.

The Wildcats, trailing 5-2 heading into the seventh inning Monday, were unable to get the big hit through most of the game, leaving runners in scoring position in the first, fifth, seventh and eighth.

Arizona didn’t need a hit in the ninth to prevail.

“It is good to get a win, although we didn’t hit the ball like we had in the past,” Glenn said. “The whole night was kind of dead with our bats. We were not hitting like we usually do, but we hung in there.”

Loyola Marymount starter Ramiro Carreon, who had a 5.31 ERA coming into the game, gave the Wildcats few good looks.

He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits, while striking out six and walking none.

The Wildcats’ biggest chance came in the fifth after Carreon retired 11 straight batters. Bobby Coyle and Hunter Pace reached with singles. Coyle scored on a Dwight Childs groundout to trim the deficit to 5-2.

Ortega singled and Baird was hit by a pitch to load the bases. But Bandy hit a harmless fly ball to right field to end the threat.

The Lions had a four-run first inning off starter Daniel Workman. The freshman, suffering from strep throat, lasted only two-thirds of an inning.

Angelo Songco highlighted the frame with a towering three-run homer. He also had a solo blast against Joe Allison in the third for a 5-1 Lions lead.

It was one of the few mistakes Allison made. The reliever kept the Lions under control, giving up four hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. Jason Stoffel (2-1) picked up the win.

“Usually we are in the other end of these one-run losses,” Ortega said.

“(This) is a little gratifying.”

———

UA BASEBALL

Washington (23-24, 12-9) at Arizona (25-23, 8-13)

Saturday: 7 p.m. (1290 AM)

Sunday: 6 p.m. (1290 AM)

Monday: noon (1290 AM)

The Giants' Randy Winn steals second as Washington Nationals second baseman Ronnie Belliard awaits the throw on Monday in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO – Randy Johnson struck out nine in his 298th career victory, and Randy Winn had three hits and scored three runs in the San Francisco Giants’ 11-7 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night.

Ryan Zimmerman extended his hitting streak to 29 games and went 4 for 5 with two homers for the Nationals, including a three-run shot in the ninth.

Zimmerman also hit a solo shot in the sixth off the 6-foot-10 Johnson (3-3), who yielded eight hits and four runs while outdueling 6-foot-9 Daniel Cabrera in the tallest pitching matchup in baseball history.

Travis Ishikawa had three hits and drove in two runs for the Giants, who produced their biggest run total of the season in their 14th victory in 20 games.

Johnson, San Francisco’s 45-year-old left-hander, threw five strong innings before fading in the sixth after a long, chilly stroll around the basepaths while the Giants drew five consecutive walks and scored five unearned runs in their eighth straight victory over Washington.

Braves 8, Mets 3: At New York, Derek Lowe outlasted Johan Santana in a matchup of aces and Atlanta ended New York’s seven-game winning streak.

Shortstop Jose Reyes’ two-out error in the seventh inning led to four runs, saddling Santana (4-2) with his second loss this season when he did not allow an earned run.

AL: Pavano leads Indians past ChiSox

CLEVELAND – Carl Pavano won his third straight start and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-4 on Monday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Pavano (3-3) allowed four runs and 10 hits over 6 1/3 innings in his first appearance against the White Sox in nearly five years. The right-hander didn’t issue a walk and struck out three.

Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta drove in three runs apiece for Cleveland, which had 13 hits.

NEW YORK – Roger Clemens broke his silence Tuesday, again denying that former personal trainer Brian McNamee injected him with performance-enhancing drugs in his first public comments in more than a year.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner was interviewed by phone on ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning.” He said he chose to speak out Tuesday because it was the official release date of a book about his alleged drug use.

“He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids,” Clemens said of McNamee, who told baseball investigator George Mitchell he had injected Clemens with drugs.

“American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime,” by four New York Daily News reporters, recaps previous reports in the newspaper. It had been available to reviewers and had excerpts published before Tuesday.

Clemens said he had given a DNA sample to federal investigators but that syringes provided by McNamee would not link him to performance-enhancing drug use.

“It’s impossible because he’s never given me any,” Clemens said.

Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington that is trying to determine whether he lied when he told a congressional committee last year that he had not used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens said he had not been summoned to testify before the grand jury.

He also has sued McNamee for defamation.

Clemens’ radio appearance returns him to the spotlight as other stars had replaced him as the most visible reminders of baseball’s drug scandal. Alex Rodriguez admitted before the season that he had used steroids, and Manny Ramirez was suspended last week for violating MLB’s drug policy.

“Everywhere I’ve gone and gotten the opportunity to speak to young kids or college kids, I take a lot of pride in telling those boys to get after it and do things the right way and take care of your body, because I know how I did it; I know how hard I worked,” Clemens said. “For some of that to come in question, of course it’s hurtful. But it’s not going to break my spirit.”

Clemens said it would have been “suicidal” for him to use steroids because of a history of heart problems in his family. He also repeated his much-lampooned use of the word “misremembers” about friend and former teammate Andy Pettitte’s statement that Clemens told him he used HGH.

Clemens said he has spoken to Pettitte a few times, but not about the drug allegations.

Asked about polls showing the public doesn’t believe him, Clemens said, “All I can do is speak the truth and from my heart to them.”

“That’s all I can do,” he said. “I know what your polls say, (but) I’ve been getting great responses everywhere I’ve gone in the cities I’ve traveled to. All I can do is be me and give them the message I just told you about that steroids are bad for these kids. You don’t want to have anything to do with them the way they tear your body down.

“But I can’t defend a negative. When you’ve got somebody that’s out there that is really just crawling up your back to make a buck — which is what this is — other than speaking out, what else can you do?”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – All-Star closer Joakim Soria was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a shoulder injury, and the Kansas City Royals recalled right-hander Luke Hochevar from Triple-A Omaha.

Soria was second in the American League last year with 42 saves. He has seven saves in seven chances this season and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA.

Hampered by lingering soreness in his right shoulder, he’s appeared in only eight games.

The Royals said Sunday that Soria was diagnosed with a strained right rotator cuff and they were uncertain when he might return.

Hochevar, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft, was 5-0 with a 0.90 ERA at Omaha. The Royals said he will start Tuesday at Oakland in place of Sidney Ponson, who moves to the bullpen.

After his team’s 4-3 loss at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, Kansas City manager Trey Hillman said the Royals would close “by committee” until Soria returns. He went on the DL retroactive to May 8.

Hamilton close to return

ROUND ROCK, Texas – Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton played six innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Hamilton is on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his left rib cage area. He went 1 for 2 in the RedHawks’ 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Round Rock Express.

He walked, flied out and singled. He also scored a run.

Hamilton says he plans to be ready to play for the Rangers against Seattle on Tuesday night. He says he didn’t feel any pain when he slipped in the outfield and landed on his ribs Sunday.

Hamilton is batting .242 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 18 games for Texas.

Reynolds

PHOENIX – Yes, that was Mark Reynolds starting at first base on Sunday against the Nationals.

No, it isn’t a sign of things to come regarding a position change.

For now, new manager A.J. Hinch is calling it a one-game decision. It primarily was made because the team was facing a left-handed starting pitcher and wanted as many right-handed bats in the lineup as possible.

With Conor Jackson unavailable because of a fever, Hinch moved Reynolds from third base to first and started Ryan Roberts at third. Reynolds played one inning at first base a year ago.

There is a school of thought that Reynolds likely would cut down on his errors if he moved to first base, which could help Chad Tracy get time at third and allow him to find a rhythm at the plate.

Tracy is scheduled to start at third today when the Diamondbacks begin a three-game set against the Reds. Reynolds, however, doesn’t anticipate donning a first baseman’s glove beyond Sunday.

“If it means I’m going to help the team win and I’m still here and have a jersey for every game, I’ll do whatever they tell me to do,” he said.

Calling pitches

Many managers will send signals to the catcher about what pitch they want in certain situations. Bob Melvin, fired last week, did it during his tenure with the Diamondbacks.

Hinch said he will trust catchers Chris Snyder and Miguel Montero to call the shots.

“We talk about it after innings, between innings and before innings, but Snyder and Montero know everything we’re trying to do,” Hinch said. “Will I offer a suggestion now and then? Sure, but I haven’t (called pitches), and I don’t intend to unless I feel very strongly about something.”

Short hops

• Shortstop Stephen Drew, on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring, went 1 for 5 with a triple in his first game of a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno on Sunday.

Hinch said Drew could be activated before the end of this homestand.

• Augie Ojeda, who has been ill, is expected to start at shortstop Monday, Hinch said.

San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval receives congratulations from his teammates after scoring in the 13th inning Sunday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES – The timing couldn’t have been better for the San Francisco Giants, who came into Dodger Stadium for a three-game series just one day after Manny Ramirez received a 50-game suspension for using a banned drug.

The Giants took two of three against their archrivals, who were off to their best start in 26 years. In Sunday’s series finale, Randy Winn hit a tiebreaking two-run single with the bases loaded in the 13th inning and finished with four hits in San Francisco’s 7-5 victory.

The defending NL West champion Dodgers are 1-3 since their slugging left fielder was suspended.

“We’re not concerned about those things,” Giants center fielder Aaron Rowand said. “We’re concerned about winning ballgames, and that’s all that matters. We know whenever we play the Dodgers, with or without Manny, they’re going to be a tough team no matter what because they have a lot of great talent.”

Juan Pierre had three hits for the second straight game, doubled home a run and scored three times for the Dodgers, who went 8-3 on a history-making homestand in which they set a modern major league record with a 13-0 start at home.

The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the 13th against Guillermo Mota (2-1), getting infield hits from Edgar Renteria and Steve Holm around a walk to Pablo Sandoval. Winn got a fastball low and away on a 1-0 count and drove it into the left-field corner.

Cardinals 8, Reds 7, 10 innings: At Cincinnati, Colby Rasmus doubled home a run in the 10th inning Sunday, and the Cardinals overcame five Cincinnati homers – including two solo shots in the ninth.

Mets 8, Pirates 4: At New York, Livan Hernandez survived a shaky start to go six innings and New York welcomed manager Jerry Manuel back from his one-game suspension with their seventh straight victory.

Cubs 4, Brewers 2: At Milwaukee, Alfonso Soriano hit a towering two-run homer in a four-run third inning and Chicago beat Milwaukee to avoid a series sweep.

Braves 4, Phillies 2: At Philadelphia, Casey Kotchman had three hits and three RBIs, Kenshin Kawakami pitched six effective innings and Atlanta rallied to get the win.

Rockies 3, Marlins 2: At Denver, Aaron Cook pitched six solid innings and Troy Tulowitzki homered as part of a third consecutive multihit game, leading Colorado to the win.

Astros 12, Padres 5: At Houston, Miguel Tejada and Carlos Lee each drove in four runs to help Astros ace Roy Oswalt get his first win of the season.

AL: Mariners snap losing skid

MINNEAPOLIS – Ken Griffey Jr. hit a tying, two-run homer in the eighth inning Sunday to rouse the Seattle Mariners in a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins that stopped their six-game losing streak.

Wladimir Balentien added an RBI double in that breakthrough eighth, ruining seven shutout innings by Nick Blackburn and helping the Mariners bring their record back to .500.

Angels 4, Royals 3: At Anaheim, Calif., Torii Hunter made a leaping catch above the left-center field fence to rob Miguel Olivo of a tying homer in the ninth inning, and Los Angeles won.

Blue Jays 5, Athletics 0: At Oakland, Calif., Brett Cecil yielded five hits over eight impressive innings to earn his first major league victory, Alex Rios drove in three runs and Toronto beat Oakland for its seventh win in 10 games.

Tigers 5, Indians 3: At Cleveland, Rick Porcello extended Detroit’s streak of strong pitching, and the Tigers completed a three-game sweep of the struggling Indians.

Yankees 5, Orioles 3: At Baltimore, Johnny Damon hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning, the biggest blow in a long-ball surge that carried New York past Baltimore.

Rangers 7, White Sox 1: At Chicago, Hank Blalock homered twice, Vicente Padilla allowed one hit in seven innings and the Rangers ended Bartolo Colon’s dominance against them by beating Chicago.

Red Sox 4, Rays 3: At Boston, Jonathan Papelbon powered his way out of a ninth inning jam with three straight strikeouts after Jason Bay doubled home the go-ahead run in the eighth.

The Associated Press

University of Arizona pitcher Kyle Simon is proving that “on-the-job training” can pay off.

The freshman recorded his first win as a starter during a 9-5 victory over Loyola Marymount on Sunday night at Sancet Stadium.

“If you would have talked to me on January 15th, I would have said we’re probably going to redshirt this guy and let him find his way in college baseball,” Arizona coach Andy Lopez said. “(Now) it’s on-the-job training for him.”

Simon is finding his way despite his 3-5 overall record. The Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School graduate pitched six solid innings against Loyola, allowing three runs and nine hits.

The Wildcats (24-23), who beat Loyola 12-2 on Saturday, will try for a series sweep at 6 p.m. Monday at Sancet Stadium.

Simon kept the Lions (29-23) off-balance with a combination of fastballs and change-ups, plus a slider that he has been working on in bullpen sessions.

“The slider really came through,” UA catcher Daniel Butler said. “Coaches will give him something to work on and he actually would do just that where other guys wouldn’t. You can see he has made the adjustment and is taking things to heart. He’s doing it.”

Simon picked up Arizona’s first win of the season Feb. 20 in relief, a 5-3 victory over Sacramento State. He’s worked his way into the starting rotation, solidifying himself as the No. 2 starter.

He had a career-high six strikeouts against Loyola Marymount, including striking out side in the fifth inning.

So much for redshirting.

“You have to make yourself here. You have to impress somebody every day,” said Simon, who was 15-4 in high school with an earned-run average of about 2.00.

“I have worked on doing my job and kind of achieved that,” Simon said.

Simon started out shaky Sunday. UA trailed 3-0 heading into the bottom of the third. It could have been worse but the Wildcats turned double plays in the first and third innings.

But no one could touch his pitches when he struck out the side in the fifth.

By then Arizona scored enough to give the freshman the win.

A bloop double by Bryce Ortega in the eighth sealed the victory, scoring Bobby Coyle and Hunter Pace to take a 9-4 lead.

Arizona’s Brad Glenn tied the game at 3 in the bottom of the third on a run-scoring single.

His line drive through the left side of the infield followed back-to-back RBI doubles from Jett Bandy and Dillon Baird.

The Wildcats took a 5-3 lead in the fourth on a groundout RBI by Kyle Stiner and a Pace double to bring in Coyle.

“The way we have been swinging it I don’t think we were nervous to come back,” Baird said.

“We have been putting up runs like crazy. We were not panicking at all.”

It helped that Simon settled down.

———

UP NEXT FOR UA

Monday: vs. Loyola Marymount, 6 p.m.

Saturday: vs. Washington, 7 p.m.

Sunday: vs. Washington, 6 p.m.

May 18: vs. Washington, noon

All games at Sancet Stadium, 1290 AM

PHOENIX – Arizona’s offense has been awful, and no one has struggled more than Chris Snyder and Eric Byrnes.

Both players had shown signs of breaking out lately, and they led the Diamondbacks to a breakthrough performance Sunday.

Snyder and Byrnes each drove in three runs and Arizona piled up a season-best 17 hits to beat the Washington Nationals 10-8 and give new manager A.J. Hinch his first victory.

Ryan Zimmerman pushed his hitting streak to 28 games with a double and two singles, and Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham both homered twice. But that wasn’t enough to extend the Nationals’ season-best three-game winning streak.

Snyder, the Diamondbacks’ catcher, gave Hinch the game ball.

“Granted, it’s been great to get a first win as a manager,” Hinch said. “But honestly, this team needed it and I’m happy for everybody” on the team.

Arizona’s Justin Upton had three hits, including a double, to run his hitting streak to 17 games, second only to Zimmerman’s in the majors this season. Ryan Roberts also had three hits, knocking in two runs, as Arizona snapped a three-game slide, the last two under Hinch after Bob Melvin was fired.

“It felt great, being able to push runs across the plate,” said Upton, who has raised his average to .309 after a difficult start. “Just continuing to hit, not giving up when we fell behind.”

———

UP NEXT

Cincinnati (Arroyo 4-2) at Arizona (Garland 3-1), 6:40 p.m. Monday. TV: FSNA. Radio: 1490 AM

Nationals catcher Jesus Flores catches a pop-up by Arizona's Mark Reynolds for an out during the seventh inning Friday. The Nationals won 5-4.

PHOENIX – It was only one game, just the first in A.J. Hinch’s new career as a major-league manager.

But if that’s what the Arizona Diamondbacks are going to call “organizational advocacy,” they may as well change the team’s color scheme back to purple and teal while they’re at it.

At least they won a World Series in the old threads.

Friday night, with the young former front-office man now running the team from the dugout, the Diamondbacks didn’t look terribly different than they did under deposed manager Bob Melvin.

They lost to the team with the worst record in baseball, as the Nationals handed them a 5-4 defeat in front of 28,640 at Chase Field.

Arizona (12-18) has dropped five of its past six and continues to draw skeptics, especially after naming a managerial replacement with no prior coaching or managing experience.

“I was proud of the guys for battling back and kind of answering the bell,” Hinch said. “Obviously we left a lot of guys on base, had some opportunities which you always reflect on, but the effort was there. I felt like the intensity was high. We came up a run short, which is unfortunate.”

Hinch’s debut started off well enough, with Yusmeiro Petit pitching out of a first-inning jam and Justin Upton driving in Felipe Lopez for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning.

But just like Hinch figures to have to do for the next several months, if not years, the Diamondbacks spent the rest of the night trying to catch up.

Cristian Guzman hit a two run-double in the second and Adam Dunn, the slugger the Diamondbacks let go during the winter by choosing not to tender him a qualifying offer, hit his eighth homer of the season in the third to give Washington (9-18) a 3-1 lead.

Jesus Flores added a homer in the fourth and hit a run-scoring single in the sixth as the Nationals led 5-3, despite RBI singles from Chris Young and Eric Byrnes.

Byrnes’ RBI single snapped a 0-for-17 skid at the plate. Entering the game as part of a double switch in the sixth, he singled again in the eighth and stole second as the Diamondbacks tried to mount a comeback.

Byrnes tried to steal third but was thrown out for the second out of the inning, and Lopez ended it by popping up to the catcher.

“It was a tough day,” Lopez said, “but everybody was focused” on trying to win a ballgame.

Meanwhile, a couple of hitting streaks continued Friday.

Washington first baseman Ryan Zimmerman extended his streak to 26 games, the longest in the majors, with a single off Petit in the first inning.

Upton’s single in the seventh extended his career-high streak to 15 games.

“I had to show up for work and be professional,” Upton said, “and the rest of the team did, too.”

Dunn, who spent part of last season with the Diamondbacks, praised Melvin.

“Bob, from the time I was here, was unbelievable,” Dunn said, “a great person, a great guy and a great baseball guy. It’s sad that someone like him has to get fired, because I know he did everything in his power. He’s just such a great baseball person. I can’t say enough good things about that guy.”

Detroit center fielder Curtis Granderson goes up the wall to take a two-run homer away from Cleveland's Grady Sizemore in the ninth inning Friday. The Tigers won 1-0.

PHILADELPHIA – Cole Hamels left the mound on his terms.

Hamels pitched six impressive innings to earn his first win since the World Series, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 10-6 on Friday night.

Jayson Werth, Chris Coste and Chase Utley homered for the National League East leaders, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Making his first start since spraining his left ankle on April 28, Hamels (1-2) allowed two runs, three hits and struck out seven. Hamels was MVP of the National League Championship Series and World Series last year, but struggled the first month mostly because of a series of freak injuries.

“I’m glad nothing came down and hit me,” he said. “It was almost abnormal, being out there in the sixth inning.”

Atlanta’s Casey Kotchman hit a three-run homer off Brad Lidge in the ninth, and Omar Infante also homered.

Braves starter Jo-Jo Reyes (0-2) lost his ninth straight, allowing eight runs – four earned – and five hits in five innings.

Other NL games

Mets 7, Pirates 3: At New York, Carlos Delgado hit a three-run homer in a five-run eighth inning and finished with five RBIs, helping the surging Mets to their fifth straight win.

Astros 2, Padres 0: At Houston, Wandy Rodriguez threw eight sharp innings and Hunter Pence’s two-run single in the fifth inning lifted the Astros over the Padres.

Reds 6, Cardinals 4: At Cincinnati, Johnny Cueto extended his scoreless-inning streak to 15 before giving up his only run, and the Reds won their second in a row with a depleted lineup.

Brewers 3, Cubs 2: At Milwaukee, Ryan Braun hit a two-run homer in the eighth and the Brewers rallied.

Marlins 8, Rockies 3: At Denver, Ricky Nolasco settled down after a shaky beginning to earn the first win by a Florida starter in more than three weeks.

Giants 3, Dodgers 1: At Los Angeles, Barry Zito outpitched Chad Billingsley to record his first win of the season on his sixth attempt. The Dodgers have lost both games they’ve played since slugging left fielder Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for using a banned drug.

AL: Verlander outduels Lee

CLEVELAND – Justin Verlander struck out 11 and outpitched reigning Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee for the second time in a week, and the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 1-0 Friday.

Curtis Granderson made a leaping catch at the wall with a runner on first in the ninth to preserve the win for the Tigers.

Verlander pitched a two-hitter for the third shutout and fourth complete game of his career to improve to 2-7 at Progressive Field and 6-10 overall against the Indians.

Other AL games

Rangers 6, White Sox 0: At Chicago, Matt Harrison threw a four-hitter in his second career shutout for Texas.

Twins 11, Mariners 0: At Minneapolis, Scott Baker pitched seven shutout innings for his long-awaited first victory of the season, and the light-hitting Twins broke the game open with three homers in the fifth inning.

Red Sox 7, Rays 3: At Boston, Jason Bay and J.D. Drew homered in Boston’s second straight big sixth inning and the Red Sox won.

Angels 4, Royals 1: At Anaheim, Calif., Howie Kendrick’s two-run, inside-the-park homer in the sixth inning helped Los Angeles win.

Athletics 5, Blue Jays 3: At Oakland, Calif., Ryan Sweeney hit a two-run homer and four Oakland relievers combined to wrap up the win.

BALTIMORE – Alex Rodriguez walked to the plate, and a dozen fans behind the screen swung into action. Holding up giant, foam syringes, they started with the taunts.

Rodriguez answered them, all right. Back in the big leagues, the Yankees star launched the first pitch he saw deep into the left-field seats for a three-run homer Friday night.

“One swing, and the rest was easy,” Rodriguez said.

That might have hushed his tormentors – for a moment. But baseball figures to face a much tougher time silencing the boos, jeers and doubts stirred up by Manny Ramirez and sport’s latest scandal from the Steroids Era.

A day after the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger was suspended 50 games for using a banned drug, A-Rod returned to the scene.

Off the disabled list from hip surgery, he played in the majors for the first time since admitting in February that he used steroids when he was a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

As he walked on the grass before the game, a fitting song played over the sound system at Camden Yards: “Circus,” by Britney Spears.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. They’ve been well-documented. I’ve paid the price,” Rodriguez said before New York’s 4-0 win over Baltimore.

The rocky relay from Ramirez to Rodriguez made for yet another stain on the sport and left the pair, sharing huge salaries and megatalent, chasing the same impossible dream: To just play ball.

Yet like their many home runs, their errors off the field will stay on the board. And no doubt, as Rodriguez circled the bases to a mix of cheers and boos with his 554th home run, many fans wondered how many of them should really count because of performance enhancers.

“It’s heat on baseball. It’s horrible for baseball,” Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon said. “Now you look at all the superstars who got busted – or allegedly. This era is definitely tarnished.”

Ramirez, meanwhile, remained in seclusion, a day after the Dodgers played for the first time without their dreadlocked star and saw their record home winning streak come to an end.

Although fans and players had plenty to say, Ramirez offered little explanation, simply apologizing for “the whole situation” and leaving Dodgers manager Joe Torre to plead his star’s case, saying Ramirez felt he was a disappointment.

Rodriguez never said the word “steroids” during a pregame news conference. He also said he would not answer any questions related to the newly released book about him by Selena Roberts.

Pressed as to whether he used performance-enhancing drugs in high school, as the book suggests, he said, “The answer is no.”

GM Byrnes on a limb with selection of Hinch as manager

New Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch shares a laugh with third base umpire Casey Moser prior to Arizona's game against the Nationals on Friday in Phoenix.

PHOENIX – Josh Byrnes is a visionary. Or he’s a classic meddler consumed with regaining his wonder-boy status.

Either way, it’s his neck on the line now.

The Arizona Diamondbacks general manager just fired a consummate professional and deep thinker, replacing him with a man who has never coached or managed on any level. And this is progress?

Bob Melvin is gone. A.J. Hinch, 34, is the new boss, inexplicably signed through 2012. For the second time in their brief history, the Diamondbacks are acting as if they’re smarter than everyone else in baseball.

They acted this way under the little dictator, Buck Showalter. They’re acting that way now.

During the news conference, Byrnes dropped phrases like “organizational advocacy” and “collaboration” and how Hinch had a “greater understanding of standards and concepts.”

He talked so far above the room that he might as well have been standing on Pluto. It’s unbecoming, and this stuff makes other teams extremely motivated.

“(Hinch) has never done a double switch,” Byrnes said. “But he knows what it looks like. He’ll figure it out.”

You can convince me that this team needed a new voice, a new leader. After losing 5-4 to Washington on Friday, the D’backs are 12-18.

Many fans are extremely disgusted with this group and envisioned a new manager who would flip tables, throw coolers and light a fire under listless players struggling to hit their own weights.

They would have gladly embraced a Mark Grace, a Kirk Gibson, and maybe even Chip Hale, an ex-Arizona Wildcat who will stay on as third base coach.

“Why so unconventional? Why did we choose A.J.?” Byrnes said. “I’m very happy to answer that.”

Byrnes went on to paint Hinch as a great untapped leader who can connect the organization “from top to bottom.” He intimated that Melvin had created a bad vibe, a negative energy in the room that exacerbated the failure.

That’s very possible, and possibly very insightful. But the solution is bizarre.

After the news conference concluded, managing general partner Ken Kendrick engaged in heated exchanges with skeptical members of the media.

It was beyond comical. At one point, Kendrick asked why he should follow conventional wisdom and hire from the traditional talent pool when that pool is full of losers who had failed in the past.

It’s a good point. Of course, that doesn’t explain why he once hired Melvin, who was fired in Seattle.

And nobody had a good answer how a manager with no experience can turn a fragile team around, or why they didn’t just place the interim tag on Hinch and see how he performed.

“I understand the enormity of the job,” Hinch said. “I have a lot to learn.”

Inside the clubhouse, many players are scratching their heads.

They know Hinch is Byrnes’ right-hand man. They are free to wonder whether the new manager expedited the departure of their ex-manager. They might wonder what the new manager is telling the general manager on a daily basis, realizing now that no secrets are safe.

They also know that Melvin’s daily lineup was beginning to have Byrnes’ fingerprints all over it, a fact that Byrnes did not dispute or apologize for before Friday’s game.

That dynamic grated on Melvin, but it will assuredly continue under the Hinch reign.

“At game time, the manager is the manager, there’s no question about that,” Byrnes said.

To the paying customers, the selection of Hinch only adds to the Diamondbacks’ credibility problems.

This organization has some strange ideas, from embarrassing in-game entertainment to a broadcast that’s often sophomoric and self-serving.

The best coach in the organization, Bryan Price, just quit out of respect for Melvin. It’s a long way from 2007, when the Diamondbacks were considered the model franchise in Major League Baseball.

But don’t feel sorry for Melvin. He’s the big winner here. This early termination turned him into a martyr and a scapegoat, and his popularity is higher today than it has been in over a year.

As for Byrnes, he better hope this unusual maneuver turns into an inside-the-park home run. After all, the general manager’s batting average is plummeting, just like some of his prized players.

Notable

Former Arizona Wildcat Jack Howell, a Palo Verde High School grad, was named the Diamondbacks’ hitting coach and Mel Stottlemyre Jr. the pitching coach.

Howell for the past five years has been the organization’s minor league field coordinator, a role in which he helped oversee the club’s minor league operations.

Stottlemyre, the son of longtime pitching coach Mel Sr. and brother of former Diamondbacks pitcher Todd, has been the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator the past two-plus years.

Lopez looking to fill starters’ spots

Daniel Workman was not supposed to be in the starting rotation, but nothing is keeping him from that role now.

The University of Arizona baseball team has sought consistency from its pitchers this year, and Workman, who attended Sierra Vista Buena High School, has delivered.

“When you have the kind of year we have had, where we have struggled, there are always going to be some surprises, both ways, good and bad,” UA coach Andy Lopez said. “Daniel has been a pleasant, pleasant surprise. He has a bright future. He has a chance to be pretty good when it is all said and done.”

Workman is not fully recovered from the ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John) surgery he had in February 2008.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pound pitcher has been on a pitch count of 85 per game. That took him through six innings against a hard-hitting California team last week, when he allowed only two runs on five hits.

He will get the call for the Wildcats against Loyola Marymount on Monday as the No. 3 starter.

The three-game series at Sancet Stadium starts at 7 p.m. Saturday.

The right-hander has posted a team-best 2.27 ERA in 31 1/2 innings. He is 2-1 and has struck out 21 hitters while walking nine.

“I was just trying to fit in wherever I could,” Workman said. “I’m working on my fastball location and getting ahead of hitters so the team can get back into the dugout.”

The Wildcats have tried several starting pitchers as Kyle Simon, Joe Allison, Bryce Bandilla, Donn Roach and Matt Veltmann have all gotten turns to try and complement No. 1 starter Preston Guilmet.

“It is neat the way it has all worked out for him,” Lopez said. “If we don’t get some guys hurt he may have had to work his way through more traffic. With us struggling he not only got his chance but he has run with it.

“I just sat down (Friday) morning projecting next year and he is in our plans. He is near the top of the list for the guys we want coming back. He is going to be a factor.”

Workman, who is the son of an Army intelligence officer, hurt his arm while throwing a fastball at Salt Lake City College.

“It was a one-time thing,” Workman said. “I threw a fastball and it hurt. It felt like somebody put a three-inch blade into my arm.

“I’ve always wanted to come back (to southern Arizona), and I always wanted to play here where my grandfather is a big UA fan and (I’m) an hour away from home.”

———

Next up

Loyola Marymount (29-21) at Arizona (22-23)

Saturday: 7 p.m. (1290 AM)

Sunday: 7 p.m. (1290 AM)

Monday: 6 p.m.

Washington's Nick Johnson follows through on a two-run double in front of Dodgers catcher Russell Martin during Thursday's game in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES – Nick Johnson and Adam Dunn each had three RBIs, and the Washington Nationals rallied for 10 runs in the final three innings Thursday night to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on the first day of Manny Ramirez’s 50-game drug suspension.

Josh Willingham homered for the Nationals, who had lost their previous 10 games at Dodger Stadium. Ryan Zimmerman went 2 for 4, extending the longest hitting streak in the majors this season to 25 games.

Matt Kemp hit his third career grand slam to highlight a six-run first inning for the defending National League West champion Dodgers, who lost at Chavez Ravine for the first time this season after setting a modern major league record Wednesday night with a 13-0 start at home.

Dodgers left-hander Randy Wolf allowed five hits over six innings and left with a 6-1 lead after 109 pitches. But manager Joe Torre’s usually reliable bullpen faltered.

Cristian Guzman began the rally with a run-scoring groundout in the seventh off Ramon Trancoso, and Will Ohman surrendered Dunn’s two-run double two batters later.

Other NL games

Mets 7, Phillies 5: At New York, Carlos Beltran and David Wright each hit a two-run homer in the first inning off Jamie Moyer, and the Mets won their fourth straight by beating the Phillies.

Braves 4, Marlins 2: At Miami, Jair Jurrjens gave up just three hits in seven innings to help the Braves complete a two-game sweep.

Reds 6, Brewers 5: At Cincinnati, right-hander Micah Owings pitched six innings and had a tiebreaking triple, leading Cincinnati’s flu-depleted lineup to the victory.

Cardinals 5, Pirates 2: At St. Louis, Todd Wellemeyer threw seven innings of four-hit ball and Jason LaRue hit a go-ahead homer in the fifth, leading St. Louis to the win.

Giants 8, Rockies 3: At Denver, Bengie Molina homered twice and Matt Cain threw six innings of one-hit ball to help San Francisco get the win.

Cubs 8, Astros 5: At Houston, Alfonso Soriano homered twice to lead Chicago to the two-game sweep.

Red Sox explode in sixth in win

BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox tied a modern major league record with 12 runs in an inning before making an out and Tim Wakefield won his fourth straight decision in a 13-3 over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

Jason Bay hit a three-run homer and an RBI double and four other batters had two-run hits in the sixth when the Red Sox obliterated a 2-1 deficit and broke the American League record of 11 runs before an out was recorded in an inning.

They did it all without three of their regulars. David Ortiz was scratched from the lineup with a stiff neck, Kevin Youkilis missed his third straight game with tightness in his left side and Jacoby Ellsbury sat out his second in a row with a tight right hamstring.

Other AL games

Rays 8, Yankees 6: At New York, Mariano Rivera gave up home runs to consecutive batters for the first time in his major league career, with Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria connecting in the ninth inning as the surging Rays won.

White Sox 6, Tigers 0: At Chicago, Mark Buehrle was perfect into the seventh inning and allowed one hit over eight innings, leading the White Sox.

Royals 3, Mariners 1: At Kansas City, Mo., Brian Bannister worked six scoreless innings to outpitch Jarrod Washburn and the Royals won again.

Athletics 9, Rangers 4: At Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust hit a grand slam and Matt Holliday added a three-run shot for Oakland.

Angels 6, Blue Jays 1: At Anaheim, Calif., Jered Weaver allowed three hits in his first career complete game as Los Angeles cruised.

Orioles 5, Twins 4: At Baltimore, Lou Montanez singled in Melvin Mora with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning.

Director of player development expected to be named manager Friday.

Hinch

SAN DIEGO – Off to an uneven start to a season that was brimming with expectations, the Arizona Diamondbacks fired manager Bob Melvin on Thursday night.

Melvin was given the news Thursday night after the team returned from its road trip in San Diego, and the club announced the move shortly after in a news release.

Director of Player Development A.J. Hinch is expected to be named as Melvin’s replacement at a 3 p.m. Friday news conference.

In addition, hitting coach Rick Schu was fired, and pitching coach Bryan Price resigned. Third base coach Chip Hale, a former Arizona Wildcat, is expected to stay in that position.

“Bob has done great things for this organization,” general manager Josh Byrnes said in the statement. “Having worked with him for nearly four years, I have a great deal of respect for his character and skills. This is a difficult decision, but I feel that our organization needs to move forward with a new voice. I am grateful for all the success and memories associated with Bob.”

Melvin had one year left on a contract that was negotiated after he was named the National League’s manager of the year in 2007.

After a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon, the Diamondbacks fell to 12-17. They opened the day 8 1/2 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West standings.

Melvin and his staff drew criticism for an offense that is hitting .222 and has largely struggled since a hot start to last season.

Another reason for the dismissal appears to be what sources describe as a deteriorating relationship between Melvin and Byrnes, who gave the manager a three-year extension after Melvin guided the team to the National League Championship Series in 2007.

Several key players are underperforming compared to their career averages, including left fielder Conor Jackson, center fielder Chris Young, first baseman Chad Tracy, catcher Chris Snyder and outfielder Eric Byrnes.

Melvin, the winningest manager in franchise history, departs with a 337-340 record with the Diamondbacks.

Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall suggested that changes to the roster might be coming, intimating that the club is considering sending Young, who is hitting .177, to the minors.

Melvin