Dodgers Tie Major League Home Run Record

Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate as (5) Nomar Garciaparra touches home plate after hitting a walk off two run home run to defeate the San Diego Padres 11-10 in the 10th inning of a baseball game, Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis) (Jeff Lewis - AP)

-- When things looked bleak for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they found their power stroke. The Dodgers hit four consecutive homers in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game, and Nomar Garciaparra's two-run drive in the 10th lifted Los Angeles to an 11-10 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

On a night when the New York Mets clinched the NL East title, the Dodgers moved back into first place in the NL West, a half-game ahead of the Padres.

"That was the greatest game I've ever seen. I've never seen anything like that," Dodgers reliever Brett Tomko said.

After Los Angeles tied it in the ninth with four straight homers _ just the fourth time that's happened in major league history _ the Padres went ahead on Brian Giles' double and Josh Bard's two-out single off Aaron Sele (8-6).

But Rudy Seanez (1-2) walked Kenny Lofton to begin the bottom half, and Garciaparra followed by hitting his 18th homer deep into the left-field pavilion.

In other NL games, it was: New York 4, Florida 0; Chicago 11, Philadelphia 6; Milwaukee 4, St. Louis 3; Houston 5, Cincinnati 3; Colorado 20, San Francisco 8; and Atlanta 6, Washington 1.

At Los Angeles, Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew opened the ninth with homers off San Diego's Jon Adkins. Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson then connected on the first two pitches thrown by Trevor Hoffman, who entered with 475 career saves _ three shy of Lee Smith's major league record.

The last time a team hit four consecutive homers was on May 2, 1964, when the Minnesota Twins accomplished the feat against Kansas City in the 11th inning.

"It was a great baseball game _ two good teams going at it. They got the last big hit," Giles said.

Anderson had a career-high five hits, and Kent had four for Los Angeles.

"I can't explain it. It's absolutely the most wonderful night of my career, for sure," Anderson said. "And to be able to do it on this stage _ in a pennant race _ it was awesome. The guys pulled together and stuck together. That was absolutely the most wonderful game I've ever seen in my life at any level."

Mets 4, Marlins 0