DODGERS ARE IN FAIL-SAVE MODE RELIEVERS CAN'T HOLD LEADS DURING 10-INNING DEFEAT.Byline: ARAM TOLEGIAN Staff Writer Spot-starter Eric Stults Eric William Stults (born December 9, 1979 in Plymouth, Indiana) is a pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Stults played in college for NAIA Bethel College (Indiana). did what he was supposed to do, then name after name started spilling out of the taxed Dodgers bullpen, and it was no surprise what happened next. Pinch-hitter Chip Ambres Raymond Payne "Chip" Ambres (born December 19, 1979 in Beaumont, Texas) is a right-handed hitting center fielder for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball. As a senior at West Brook Senior High School in Beaumont, Texas, Ambres was named a second team All-American by singled in Lastings Milledge Lastings Darnell Milledge (born April 5, 1985) is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the New York Mets as well as a rapper. He was the youngest player in the National League during the 2006 season.[1] Early life Milledge was born in Bradenton, Florida. with the go-ahead run in the 10thinning to complete not one, but two comebacks by the New York Mets
Closer Billy Wagner William (Billy) Edward Wagner (born July 25, 1971 in Tannersville, Virginia) is a Major League Baseball closer for the New York Mets. Previously, Wagner pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies (2004-2005) and the Houston Astros (1995-2003). He bats and throws left-handed. took it from there, stranding the tying run at third and the winning run at second in a 5-4 win in front of 49,092 at Dodger Stadium • • [ . All totaled, the Dodgers' bullpen used five pitchers, blew two saves and took the loss, costing the team a chance to take its first two-game lead in the National League West standings since May 19. "I don't think it can be much worse, but that's the way it is right now," Dodgers manager Grady Little said. "We'll get through this and we'll all be better human beings for it." Stults led 2-0 into the sixth inning, but allowed a run and turned the game over to the bullpen after working 51/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out six. From there, the Dodgers lost two leads and suffered one of the most frustrating losses of the season. The second blown save bordered more on luck than legitimacy, not that the Mets will complain. But these are probably the type of things that happen when the bullpen is a patchwork mess, with closer Takashi Saito the latest besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. component. Saito's sore back kept him out of a save opportunity for the second consecutive day. He was scheduled to have an MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. on his right shoulder blade shoulder blade n. See scapula. this morning. Jonathan Broxton, who went 12/3 innings for a save on Saturday, was called on again Sunday for ninth inning protection. Broxton entered with a 4-3 lead and promptly got in trouble. Carlos Delgado led off with a single. Anderson Hernandez ran for Delgado and soon found himself at second on a wild pitch. Hernandez eventually reached third with one out and scored the tying run an error by outfielder Matt Kemp, who couldn't handle a fly ball while coming in on the run in shallow right. "No excuse, I got a bad jump on the ball," Kemp said. "Things happen. I'm human. Everybody makes mistakes, and that was one mistake that I made. It was pretty costly, and we lost the game because of it." D.J. Houlton (0-1) started the 10th inning and got the loss after allowing three hits, including Ambres' winner. Ambres, who was called up last week, made his third at-bat of the season count with a single under Nomar Garciaparra's glove. Ambres doesn't figure to be around too long with injured outfielder Moises Alou expected back soon, but he was more than enough to drive home the point the Dodgers are in serious late-inning disarray as it pertains to the bullpen. Even starter Derek Lowe skipped his usual throwing on the side Sunday to work the seventh inning. Lowe remains on schedule to start Wednesday in Houston. "These are the times you go through sometimes in the course of a season," Little said. "Anytime you're in a situation where some of these guys are getting out of their regular roles, it's hard to ask them for the same outcome every time." The Dodgers had their chances against Wagner, who recorded his 22nd save, but not without a fight. Juan Pierre started the 10th with a walk and made his way to second after a botched botch tr.v. botched, botch·ing, botch·es 1. To ruin through clumsiness. 2. To make or perform clumsily; bungle. 3. To repair or mend clumsily. n. 1. pickoff pick·off n. 1. Baseball A play in which a runner is caught off base and is put out by a quick throw, as from the pitcher or catcher. 2. Sports An interception, as in football. that should've had him in a rundown were it not for Mets first baseman Shawn Green dropping the ball while trying to throw to second. Pierre (0 for 5) saw his hitting streak snapped at 14 games. Russell Martin couldn't move Pierre over and struck out. Wagner intentionally walked Jeff Kent, then struck out Kemp for the second out. Pierre and Kent moved up on a wild pitch with Nomar Garciaparra at the plate. The game ended with Garciaparra dazed daze tr.v. dazed, daz·ing, daz·es 1. To stun, as with a heavy blow or shock; stupefy. 2. To dazzle, as with strong light. n. A stunned or bewildered condition. by a called third strike over the outside corner with the count full. Stults might have earned himself a second start with his impressive performance and the Dodgers current predicament. He was making his first start after working solely in relief since being called up July 4 from Triple-A Las Vegas, where he was a starter. "I started to run out of gas there in the sixth, just because I hadn't started in two weeks," Stults said. "I was able to get all three pitches over for strikes today." Although Garciaparra failed to come through in the 10th, he did have the team in position to win earlier in the game. Garciaparra belted his third home run of July, a two-run shot into the Dodgers bullpen, for a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning. It came just after the Dodgers blew their first lead, when Stults and reliever Rudy Seanez combined to allow two runs in the sixth. aram.tolegian@sgvn.com (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2239 SUNDAY N.Y. Mets 5 Dodgers 4 TODAY Dodgers (Billingsley 6-0) vs. Houston (Sampson 7-6), 5:05 p.m., Minute Maid Park • • [ , TV: Prime CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) The Dodgers' James Loney tags out the Mets' Jose Reyes in the third inning. (2) The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Mets' David Wright slides in under Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal's tag. Edna T. Simpson/Daily News |
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