[0] MONDESI GETS BACK ON HOME RUN TRACK : DODGERS 6, ARIZONA 5.Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer Raul Mondesi watched Mark McGwire's first at-bat from the Dodgers dugout Tuesday afternoon and thought about a little home run history of his own. Stuck on 29 homers for nine games - including the three he missed with a sore lower back - Mondesi returned to hit a game-tying three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning that helped the Dodgers to a 6-5 victory in 11 innings over the Arizona Diamondbacks This article is about the baseball team. For other uses, see Diamondback. The Arizona Diamondbacks (also referred to as the D-backs) are a Major League Baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of the National League. in front of 40,262 at Bank One Ballpark. The game was won on a sacrifice fly by Eric Karros Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 38th round of the 1996 MLB amateur draft, Kubenka would make his Major League his first major-league victory. But it was Mondesi who gave the Dodgers a chance. It was hardly McGwire-like. The St. Louis first baseman finished Tuesday by setting a major-league record with his 62nd home run of the year. But Mondesi was pleased with hitting a career-high 30th for the second consecutive year. ``He's incredible, what can you say,'' Mondesi said of McGwire. ``And I think he'll keep it going. Me, I'm just happy playing again and doing what I can do.'' Mondesi, who said Monday he no longer wanted to play center field because of the strain it caused his back, came back in right and showed the flair that won him two Gold Gloves. He ran down a potential game-winning extra-base hit ex·tra-base hit n. Baseball A double, a triple, or a home run. by Jay Bell at the right-field wall in the bottom of the eighth. But it was the home run off former Dodger Willie Banks This article is about the track and field athlete. For other uses, see Willie Banks (disambiguation). William Augustus ("Willie") Banks III (b. March 11, 1956 at Travis Air Force Base, California) is an American athlete. that helped the Dodgers avoid a second consecutive loss to the expansion Diamondbacks. Mondesi came in with just two hits in his last 18 at-bats, no homers and two RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in . He walked and scored in the fourth, homered and doubled. ``That's what I was doing most of the season, hitting home runs getting extra-base hits,'' he said. ``But I could no longer do that and play center. It was too much.'' Overall, the Dodgers had 15 hits but had runners in scoring position In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on with less than two outs in the ninth and 10th and couldn't score. Mondesi doubled to open the 10th off Arizona closer Gregg Olson
In the ninth, Eric Young beat out a high bouncer in front of home plate and went to second on a sacrifice by Alex Cora. Young did not score on a single to center by Eric Karros, but the inning ended when Bobby Bonilla grounded into an inning-ending double play. Mondesi's homer helped Ismael Valdes avoid his first loss since July 11. Valdes returned from disabled list last Tuesday after missing five weeks with a strained left side muscle and pitched seven scoreless innings against the Phillies. It was in his second start that he looked rusty, seven hits and four runs in six innings. His biggest mistake was a two-run homer by shortstop Jay Bell in the sixth that gave Arizona a 4-2 lead. Kubenka, who missed 2-1/2 months of the Triple-A season with a broken foot, took over to start the ninth. He allowed one hit and got the win after Karros' sacrifice fly off Alan Embree (4-2). The game also featured a single by Dodgers rookie catcher Angel Pena in his first at-bat. But it was Kubenka, a little lefty with a good screwball screw·ball n. 1. Baseball A pitched ball that curves in the direction opposite to that of a normal curve ball. 2. Slang An eccentric, impulsively whimsical, or irrational person. adj. , who gave the Dodgers bullpen a big relief. Shaw, who has pitched sparingly since blowing four saves in six days, looked strong Tuesday and recorded his 41st save. ``I was supposed to be here earlier this season when I broke my foot,'' Kubenka said. ``It was tough to see all my teammates get called up when I was sitting there rehabbing. But tonight made it all worth it. I have the ball and the scorecard. ``The paper will say, `McGwire set record, Kubenka gets first win.' I wonder which story will go on top.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO RAUL MONDESI It took him 10 games to get home run No. 30, but it proved to be the difference in Tuesday's game. |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion