DODGERS NOTEBOOK: LOFTON GETTING COMFY.Byline: TONY JACKSON
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer When Kenny Lofton Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967 in East Chicago, Indiana) is a Major League Baseball outfielder. He bats and throws left-handed. He currently plays left field for the Cleveland Indians, with whom he has spent 10 seasons during three separate stints. appeared to be struggling at the plate after being activated from the 15-day disabled list last weekend, the Dodgers center fielder downplayed his lack of production. When he entered Saturday with a modest three-game hitting streak In baseball, a hitting streak refers to the consecutive number of official games in which a player gets at least one base hit. Games in which a player does not have any official at bats due to walks, or sacrifice bunts, or being hit by a pitch, are ignored (neither break the streak , looking like he finally was comfortable at the plate, he downplayed that, too. "You get some bloop bloop Baseball n. A blooper. tr.v. blooped, bloop·ing, bloops To hit (a ball) into the air just beyond the infield. adj. Hit just beyond the infield. hits here and there, and people don't say anything," Lofton said. "You hit the ball hard and make outs, and people say you're struggling. I don't even look at that. Everybody else looks at that. "I just hit the ball and see what happens. There are times when you feel good and get no hits, and there are other times when you feel bad and get three or four hits." Lofton's mini-resurgence is evident in his at-bats. After falling behind 0-2 to Chicago's Will Ohman William McDaniel Ohman (born August 13, 1977 in Frankfurt, Germany) is a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Chicago Cubs. Ohman made his major league debut in 2000 and also pitched in 2001, but had elbow surgery in 2002, and recovered from it in the in the ninth inning Tuesday night, he worked a walk, stole second base and scored on J.D. Drew's game-winning single. He followed each of his two hits in Friday night's win over Arizona by stealing second base and eventually scoring. --Loney out: As expected, rookie first baseman James Loney was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. to clear a roster spot for Nomar Garciaparra Anthony Nomar Garciaparra[1] (born July 23, 1973, in Whittier, California) is a Mexican-American baseball player who currently plays third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. , who was activated and started at first base Saturday. The once-struggling Loney had settled in of late, raising his average to .225 with three hits in his past seven at-bats, but the demotion de·mote tr.v. de·mot·ed, de·mot·ing, de·motes To reduce in grade, rank, or status. [de- + (pro)mote. was no surprise to anyone, including Loney. "I thought he played well," general manager Ned Colletti said. "He probably learned more in (18) days here than he has ever learned in any other stretch of (18) days. I thought he adjusted well and hung in there, and his defense was outstanding." --Carter struggles: Reliever Lance Carter, an All-Star closer with Tampa Bay in 2003, failed to retire either of the two batters he faced in the ninth inning Friday. It was his first appearance in five days, and he now has retired only two of the five first batters he's faced, and he's allowed both of his inherited runners to score. "It's unfair to judge him right now," manager Grady Little said. "We know what he can do. Once he gets more work, he'll be more effective." Asked when that increased workload might come, Little said: "He has to get people out when we do put him in there." tony.jackson@dailynews.com (818) 713-3675 |
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