Giants’ Power Surge Ruins Padres’ Opener

Hitting two homers was no big deal for Jeff Kent, last year’s National League most valuable player.

But Armando Rios?

Now that was huge.

Kent and Rios each homered twice and drove in the San Francisco Giants’ first eight runs Tuesday in an 11-6 victory that spoiled the San Diego Padres’ home opener.

Kent had five runs batted in and homered for the third time in six days against the Padres. The defending National League West champion Giants are 4-0 against the Padres, who finished last in 2000, 21 games behind the Giants.

Rios, a left-hander, is coming back from off-season reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He underwent a “Tommy John” procedure Oct. 26.

“Today was very big for me,” he said. “I haven’t hit a home run in so long. In batting practice, I haven’t been driving the ball. The last thing I was thinking was home runs.

“I’m pretty pumped up not only because of the home runs, but it’s been so long and now I can start driving the ball.”

His last homer was Sept. 13 at Houston.

“We knew it was coming,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “You just want to make sure he’s healthy. He’s got to get base hits before he hits them out of the park.”

Kent and Rios homered in both the first and third innings, quickly silencing a sellout crowd of 61,277, which had given Tony Gwynn a long standing ovation during pregame introductions and cheered new Hall of Famer Dave Winfield during the ceremonial first pitch.

Philadelphia 7, Florida 6--Scott Rolen and Doug Glanville each had three RBIs and Jimmy Rollins drove in the go-ahead run for the Phillies with an eighth-inning sacrifice fly at Philadelphia.

The Phillies are 5-0 against the Marlins.

Pinch-hitter David Newhan led off the eighth with a double against Antonio Alfonseca (0-1), who hadn’t pitched since opening day. He moved to third on a sacrifice by Glanville and scored on Rollins’ fly to right.

Chicago 4, Montreal 2--Sammy Sosa hit his third homer in two games at Chicago and the Cubs ended the Expos’ four-game winning streak.

Sosa hit a two-run shot in the sixth inning for his fourth homer of the season.

Sosa’s home run was the 390th of his career, moving him one ahead of Johnny Bench and tying him with Graig Nettles for 36th on the all-time homer list.

Houston 3, Milwaukee 0--Chris Truby hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning at Milwaukee and the Astros sent the Brewers to their first loss in four games at Miller Park.

Jose Lima (1-0) gave up six hits and struck out five, leaving after Tony Fernandez’s infield single in the ninth.

Billy Wagner then struck out the side on 11 pitches for his second save.

Truby’s home run, his fourth of the season, came with one out in the ninth against Curtis Leskanic (0-2) after singles by Richard Hidalgo and Daryle Ward, and a sacrifice by Brad Ausmus.