DODGERS HEAD OUT WITH LOSS PEREZ SOLID EARLY BUT STUMBLES LATE WASHINGTON 5, DODGERS 2.Byline: Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer The Dodgers already faced a long Wednesday night, with their charter flight not expected to arrive in Cincinnati until 6:45 this morning for the beginning of a seven-game road trip on Friday. And as sendoffs go, the Dodgers couldn't have fared much worse. The team's offense resumed its recent sputter, Odalis Perez saw a solid start fall apart late in the game and another significant player fell to injury as the Dodgers lost 5-2 to the Washington Nationals This article is about the current Major League Baseball team. For other uses, see Washington Nationals (disambiguation). The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington DC. before an announced 33,081 at Dodger Stadium • • [ . Perez (4-2) had allowed only one run on three hits through six innings, but he collapsed quickly, as the Nationals struck for four runs, all charged to Perez, in the seventh. The Dodgers had their chance in the fifth, when they left the bases loaded, and Washington starter Livan Hernandez otherwise dominated, scattering two runs and six hits in a complete-game victory. Hernandez (4-2) struck out four and walked three. ``It pretty much came down to who was going to strike first,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy
``Once Livan Hernandez has a cushion like that, he's a very tough pitcher to beat.'' The Dodgers' loss might be magnified if Cesar Izturis has lingering problems. Izturis fouled a ball off the inside of his right foot in the fifth inning and twisted his ankle as he fell but stayed in for two innings before leaving for a defensive replacement in the eighth. He was diagnosed with a mildly sprained ankle A sprained ankle, also known as a ankle sprain, ankle injury or ankle ligament injury, is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn. . Norihiro Nakamura Norihiro Nakamura(中村 紀洋, born July 24, 1973) is a Japanese professional baseball third baseman. Career He was born in Osaka, Japan, and spent almost all of his professional career in Japan with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. replaced Izturis at shortstop for the final two innings. Izturis is listed as day to day, and the Dodgers are helped by the fact that today is an off day. ``It's sore a little bit, but I just sprained it - there's not that much damage,'' Izturis said. ``On the plane, I'll put some ice on it, and we'll see what happens.'' With third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Jose Valentin already out because of a serious knee injury, the Dodgers can't afford another injured middle infielder, and Izturis' departure put a damper on an already grim evening. With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Jose Vidro led off with a single. One out later, Vinny Castilla ``I was right there until the seventh, and I believe I threw the ball well,'' said Perez, who went 6 1/3 innings, allowed seven hits and struck out four. ``I left some pitches a little bit up (in the strike zone), and they took advantage of it. ``Livan is one of the best pitchers in the game, and to hit against that guy, it's tough.'' From the beginning, it seemed clear that it would be a minimalist night for the Dodgers' offense. Hernandez retired the lineup in order through the first three innings before the Dodgers pushed across a run in the fourth with some old-fashioned small ball. Cesar Izturis led off with a sharp single to right, stole second with Hee-Seop Choi
Izturis scored easily from third when J.D. Drew grounded out to second for the game's first run. The second run, with the Dodgers trailing 5-1, came in similar fashion in the seventh. Ricky Ledee doubled, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Nakamura's groundout. In what seemingly has become a trend, the Dodgers failed to capitalize on Cap´i`tal`ize on` v. t. 1. To turn (an opportunity) to one's advantage; to take advantage of (a situation); to profit from; as, to capitalize on an opponent's mistakes s>. a bases-loaded chance to take a lead in the fifth. Ledee led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jason Phillips. Nakamura walked, and both runners moved into scoring position on Perez's sacrifice bunt. Izturis then loaded the bases with a walk, in the at-bat in which he injured his ankle. Choi, who the night before had tied the score with a fourth-inning, bases-loaded single, meekly popped up to shortstop to end the inning and strand three runners. Rich Hammond, (818) 713-3611 rich.hammond(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, 3 boxes Photo: Dodgers pitcher Odalis Perez hangs his head after struggling against the Nationals in a 4-run seventh inning Wednesday. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer Box: (1) GAME RECAP (2) HOW THE RUNS SCORED (3) ALMANAC almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. |
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