DODGERS' POWER RUNS DEEP : DODGERS 9, ST. LOUIS 5.Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer Early in this baseball season, the Dodgers' apparent offensive philosophy was summed up simply: Waiting for Mike. How the All-Star catcher went, so went this team. Most everyone in the lineup seemed to be hanging around, relying on Mike Piazza Michael Joseph Piazza (born September 4, 1968 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is an American Major League Baseball player who currently plays for the Oakland Athletics. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played for the Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres to do something special. It was beyond lazy. It was dangerously one-dimensional. Lately, several of the Dodgers have remarked on how refreshing it is to see the contributions being spread around so evenly. Eric Karros 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 . Raul Mondesi is tearing the cover off the ball. Todd Hollandsworth Todd Mathew Hollandsworth (born April 20, 1973 in Dayton, Ohio) is an outfielder in Major League Baseball. Previously, Hollandsworth played with the Los Angeles Dodgers (1995-2000), Colorado Rockies (2000-2002), Texas Rangers (2002), Florida Marlins (2003), Chicago Cubs is belying his rookie status at the top of the lineup. And Piazza is still out front in his chase for the National League batting title. On Saturday night, the unlikeliest of contributors clamored to join the mix. A 9-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals For the National Football League team that played in St. Louis from 1960 to 1987, see . The St. Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards" or "the Redbirds") are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. at Dodger Stadium • • [ was keyed by the three-run home runs of two all-but-forgotten souls: shortstop Greg Gagne Greg Gagne may refer to:
Ashley was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 1988 MLB Draft. He started his professional career with the Gulf Coast Dodgers in 1988 and 1989. . Don't rub your eyes; you read correctly. Gagne, who was averaging a home run per every 42 at-bats this season, delivered off Cardinals ace Andy Benes Andrew Charles Benes (born August 20 1967 in Evansville, Indiana) is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for four teams: the San Diego Padres, the Seattle Mariners, the St. in the sixth inning. Ashley, who seems to average an appearance per every 42 days, connected against left-handed reliever Tony Fossas He was signed as a 12th round pick by the Texas Rangers during the 1979 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. in a pinch at-bat in the eighth. As if that weren't enough drama for one night, an umpire's disputed call figured heavily in the outcome for the second straight game. This time the ump's gaffe fell in the Dodgers' favor - and sent Cardinals manager Tony La Russa bounding out of the dugout to protest in vain. St. Louis rallied for three runs in the eighth inning against a tiring Ramon Martinez Ramon Martinez is the name of several people:
When Ray Lankford delivered an RBI hit to left, Royce Clayton also tried to score - from second, as the potential tying run in a 6-5 game. Hollandsworth threw home on one hop, but as Piazza raised his mitt to breadbasket level to field the ball, Clayton appeared to slide safely between his knees. Plate umpire Charlie Reliford, one night after colleague Gary Darling ruled a similar play against the Dodgers, called Clayton out. Gagne rescued the Dodgers at a precarious moment. They had collected just one run in their previous 17 innings, and trailed the Cardinals 2-1 in the sixth. But with two out and two runners on, Gagne, with a 2-2 count against Benes, fouled off four straight pitches, worked the count full, then homered into the Dodgers' bullpen in left. Go figure: Gagne had gone 16 consecutive games without a homer. No. 10 on the season couldn't have come at a more fortuitous time. The victory - this team's 17th in its last 22 games - enabled the Dodgers (83-65) to maintain their half-game lead in the National League West over the San Diego Padres (83-66), who won in extra innings against Cincinnati on Saturday. And it continues to be a dilly dil·ly n. pl. dil·lies Slang One that is remarkable or extraordinary, as in size or quality: had a dilly of a fight. of a duel. The Dodgers and Padres have been separated by a game or less for 15 days in a row. Gagne's homer seemed to provide some much-needed offensive impetus for the Dodgers. Why, even Piazza did his thing - clubbing home run No. 34 with a man on in the seventh - but his effort merely widened the Dodgers' advantage, rather than wholly comprising it. Ashley's home run was his fourth in a pinch role this season, which ties for the major-league lead. The Dodgers' output backed up Martinez (13-6), who has saved some of his best work for the stretch drive. The Dodgers are 7-0 in the right-hander's last seven starts. Martinez worked into the eighth before requiring help from Guthrie and Antonio Osuna. ``I just see a consistency there,'' pitching coach Dave Wallace said of Martinez, who is also 7-1 in the 10 games he's started following a Dodgers loss this season. ``I think the guys learned from last year, going through a (stretch drive). ``It was the first time a couple of them had been through the heat of battle like that. I think that has to help them.'' WILD FINISH A look at the NL playoff race and the chase for the league batting title: Dodgers (-1/2 games up in West): Beat St. Louis 9-5 Padres (-1/2 game up for wild card): Beat Cincinnati 3-2 (12 inn.) Expos (-1/2 game back for wild card): Beat Florida 3-2 Mike Piazza, Dodgers: 2 for 5, HR, 3 RBI (.348) Ellis Burks, Colorado: 3 for 3, SB (.345) Tony Gwynn, San Diego: 1 for 4 (.351) - does not have enough plate appearances to qualify. CAPTION(S): Box Box: WILD FINISH (see text) |
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