DODGERS NOTEBOOK : MONDESI'S KEY HIT COULD BE BIG STEP.Byline: Eric Noland Daily News Staff Writer Raul Mondesi's game-winning single Wednesday night in the Dodgers' 2-1 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. might have been his most important at-bat of the season. It's not that Mondesi is having a bad year. He is batting .271 and leads the team with five homers and 14 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 . Mondesi, however, was dropped from the No. 3 spot in the lineup to his familiar No. 5 two games ago because he lacked patience at the plate. In the eighth inning Wednesday, he showed plenty. Against sinkerballer Mark Petkovsek Mark Joseph Petkovsek (born November 18, 1965 in Beaumont, Texas) was a Pitcher for the Texas Rangers (1991 and 2001), Pittsburgh Pirates (1993), St. Louis Cardinals (1995-98) and Anaheim Angels (1999-2000). , Mondesi fell behind 1-2. The next two pitches were breaking balls away, but Mondesi laid off. With a full count, Mondesi singled sharply to left, scoring Greg Gagne Greg Gagne may refer to:
Laying off those pitches was critical, but he also fouled off two sinkers earlier in the count just trying to make contact. That never has been Mondesi's style. ``Mondy showed a lot of patience there,'' Dodgers manager Bill Russell Noun 1. Bill Russell - United States basketball center (born in 1934) William Felton Russell, Russell said. ``He's really maturing and he showed it by taking two close pitches and getting the one he wanted.'' Although Brett Butler Brett Butler can refer to different people:
intr.v. siz·zled, siz·zling, siz·zles 1. To make the hissing sound characteristic of frying fat. 2. To seethe with anger or indignation. 3. at the top of the order, the Dodgers need their big three - Mondesi, 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 and Eric Karros Streaking veterans: Gagne and Butler have nine- and eight-game hitting streaks respectively. More impressively, they are averaging two hits a game during their streaks. Gagne, who never has hit higher than .280 and has a lifetime average of .254, raised his average to .358 with 18 hits in his last 38 at-bats. Gagne, moved to the No. 2 spot two games ago, plays down his success. ``I think maybe I've shortened up my stroke,'' he said. ``I'm still being aggressive. I'm hitting the ball hard, but I've gotten some broken-bat hits, too.'' In the last eight games, Butler is 17 for 33. Marlins hooked: After opening the season 8-1, Florida has dropped five straight and eight of 10. Averaging 5.1 runs a game during the streak, the Marlins are scoring 2.5 during the slump. Leadoff hitter Luis Castillo is batting .230 (9 for 39) and No. 2 Edgar Renteria is at .100 (4 for 40) during the stretch. Renteria batted .309 last season, when many thought he was the National League's top rookie instead of the Dodgers' Todd Hollandsworth.He made just 11 errors in 109 games at shortstop. He already has seven this year. Gary Sheffield, Bobby Bonilla and Devon White were a combined 6 for 42 (.142) on the winless road trip to San Francisco and Colorado. ``When you don't have success, you can't mope and grope,'' Sheffield, who homered and doubled in the final game of the trip, told the Miami Herald. ``You face it head on and take it like a man.'' DODGERS TODAY Game Time: 4:05 p.m. Matchup: Dodgers open a seven-game trip against the slumping Florida Marlins, who have dropped five straight and eight of 10. Hideo Nomo (2-1, 3.28) faces Al Leiter (2-1, 4.71). CAPTION(S): Box Box: DODGERS TODAY (See Text) |
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