Dodgers rip Giants apart on Belliard's grand slam

LOS ANGELES – Ronnie Belliard hit a grand slam and Matt Kemp and James Loney added back-to-back drives off former teammate Brad Penny as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the San Francisco Giants, 12-1, in the National League on Saturday.

Jon Garland (11-11) gave up an unearned run and seven hits in eight innings, tying his longest outing of the season. He’s unbeaten in his last six starts, four of those with the Dodgers after he was acquired from Arizona on Aug. 31.

Penny (10-9) gave up seven runs and five hits in 2 2-3 innings – equaling his shortest outing of the season.

San Francisco’s Randy Johnson made his first relief appearance since 2005, facing three batters in the sixth, and giving up consecutive doubles to Rafael Furcal and Andre Ethier before retiring pinch-hitter Juan Pierre.

At St. Louis, Brendan Ryan hit an outfielder-assisted homer and singled in the winning run in the ninth inning, helping St. Louis close in on the Central division title with a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

The Cardinals beat Chicago in the ninth inning for the second straight game, this time prevailing after Ryan Franklin’s third blown save in his last five appearances. Franklin (4-3) allowed two hits and a tying sacrifice fly to Jeff Baker in the ninth.

Left fielder Bobby Scales had Ryan’s drive in his glove in the fifth as he banged into the 8-foot-high fence. But it popped out and over for Ryan’s third homer of the season and the Cardinals’ only run off Ryan Dempster.

At New York, Tim Redding pitched splendidly into the eighth inning as New York ended its six-game losing streak by beating Washington, 3-2.

New York scored twice in the seventh to snap a 1-all tie, taking advantage of a defensive mistake by rookie Ian Desmond, who was playing his first professional game in the outfield. (AP)