Dodgers Pound Braves Again in 9-4 Victory : Sax Leads 15-Hit Attack With Triple, Two Singles; Stubbs and Trevino Homer

Steve Sax paced a 15-hit Los Angeles attack by getting three hits, driving in two runs and scoring twice Thursday as the Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves, 9-4.

“The main thing is that the ballclub won,” said Sax. “I just try to contribute any way that I can.”

Los Angeles Manager Tommy Lasorda said, “We finally put together some runs to go with the hits.”

The Dodgers had 42 hits in the three-game series, losing the opener, 4-3, in 10 innings before winning Wednesday night, 5-2.

“The good news is we’re getting the hits. The bad news--before today--was we weren’t getting any runs,” said Lasorda.

Franklin Stubbs and Alex Trevino added late home runs for the Dodgers, who reached the .500 mark at 33-33 with the victory.

Orel Hershiser, 6-5, survived a shaky start to collect his first victory since May 25. The right-hander allowed nine hits, struck out three and walked one in his fourth complete game.

Hershiser gave up a sole home run to Bob Horner in the third. It was Horner’s 12th of the season and 200th of his career.

The Dodgers scored seven runs with 12 hits against Atlanta starter Zane Smith, 5-8, in 5 innings.

Sax drove in the Dodgers’ first run in the first inning with a single that scored Mariano Duncan, who had singled and stolen second. Sax got another run-batted in in the second inning when he grounded into a forceout, scoring Dave Anderson, who had singled.

Atlanta scored three runs in the third for a 4-2 lead. Horner singled home one run and Ozzie Virgil had a two-run single.

The Dodgers came back for four runs in the fourth. Reggie Williams led off with a double and scored on an RBI groundout by Duncan. Enos Cabell singled home another run and later scored during a rundown.

Sax tripled and Cabell doubled in the sixth. Trevino hit a solo home run in the seventh, his second, and Stubbs connected leading off the ninth, his 13th.

The Dodgers open a three-game series at home tonight against the San Diego Padres. In tonight’s game, Rick Honeycutt (4-3) faces the Padres’ Dave Dravecky (5-7).

The Dodgers will then close out the short homestand with three games against the Braves starting Monday.