DODGERS PACK PUNCH IN OPENER : MARTINEZ DOMINATES PADRES DODGERS 7, SAN DIEGO 0.Byline: Tim Brown Timothy Donell Brown (born July 22, 1966) is a retired wide receiver, who played in the National Football League. He spent sixteen years with the Oakland Raiders, during which he established himself as one of the League's most prolific wide receivers. Daily News Staff Writer Davey Lopes Adj. 1. goateed - having a small pointed chin beard unshaved, unshaven - not shaved , tanned and in his San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. Padres uniform behind the batting cage Noun 1. batting cage - a movable screen placed behind home base to catch balls during batting practice cage baseball equipment - equipment used in playing baseball , and announced with a grin, ``There's no ducking in baseball.'' That would be his ballclub, then, with the big, bulbous bulbous /bul·bous/ (bul´bus) 1. bulbar. 2. shaped like, bearing, or arising from a bulb. bulbous having the form or nature of a bulb; bearing or arising from a bulb. , bloody nose. Velcroed together for more than two months atop the National League West, the Dodgers and Padres, for whom Lopes is employed as a coach, finally stopped eye-balling each other Thursday afternoon and played for the first time since July 17. The Dodgers scored four times in the first two innings against Fernando Valenzuela
Martinez called it his best start of the season, and the Padres, who had 18 of their last 19 batters set down, nine by strikeouts, did not object. ``Today,'' said Padres cleanup hitter In baseball, the cleanup hitter is the hitter who bats fourth in the lineup. Strategy Cleanup hitters often have the most power on the team and are typically the team's best all-around hitter; their job is to "clean up the bases", hence the name. Ken Caminiti, who struck out three times, ``Ramon Martinez beat us.'' As a result, the Dodgers increased their lead in the West to 1-1/2 games, with nine to play. Six of those are against the Padres, including the next three. Therefore, the Dodgers did not claim total victory, and the Padres did not budge, either. Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros did admit that it was, ``good to come in here and get off on the right foot. Every facet of our game was clicking today. There wasn't any part of our game that was off.'' His, in particular. Karros had three hits, including a two-run home run in the first inning. Mike Piazza had three 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 , the first on a first-inning sacrifice fly and the next two on a ninth-inning home run, his 35th. The latter brightened up what previously was a 1-for-14 stretch for Piazza, who nonetheless has stayed in the race for the batting title. He also drove in his 100th run for the second time in his four full seasons. ``Piazza,'' Dodgers manager Bill Russell said, ``might have put it away with that last home run.'' Eight innings earlier, the Dodgers started it against Valenzuela (13-8), who allowed three first-inning runs after Caminiti committed an error on the first play. In the second inning, Greg Gagne took a leadoff walk and scored on Martinez's one-out single. When Chad Curtis walked and, an out later, Piazza walked, Valenzuela was relieved after only 1-2/3 innings, his shortest start of the season. ``I'm disappointed,'' said Valenzuela, who blamed his control more than anything the Dodgers did. ``I'm frustrated because I wanted to help my team. I didn't do my job today, and that's the reason I'm frustrated.'' Martinez (14-6) worked through two early dicey situations, in the first and third innings, then allowed two hits and only those two baserunners in the last six. He has won his last six decisions, and the club has won each of his last eight starts. Martinez struck out Greg Vaughn with two runners on base to end the first inning, and Caminiti with runners at first and third to end the third inning. He alternately overpowered o·ver·pow·er tr.v. o·ver·pow·ered, o·ver·pow·er·ing, o·ver·pow·ers 1. To overcome or vanquish by superior force; subdue. 2. To affect so strongly as to make helpless or ineffective; overwhelm. 3. the Padres with fastballs and tricked them with changeups and curveballs, as the shadow between the pitchers mound and home plate grew. ``In the first couple of innings I felt like my ball was moving too much,'' said Martinez, who walked his only batter - Caminiti - in the first inning. ``But, after the fourth inning or so, everything was smoother. I would say this was my best game this year.'' The complete game was the sixth for the Dodgers, and the second in three games, after Hideo Nomo's no-hitter Tuesday in Colorado. It also was their ninth shutout, the fourth by one pitcher. More importantly, it came here, in the series everyone has anticipated. ``Ramon throwing a shutout, any of our starters throwing a shutout, is not a fluke,'' said center fielder Curtis, who singled and scored two runs in a rare start. ``I'd like to think this was a tone-setter. The way we've been playing lately, we have that crescendo effect going.'' The Dodgers have won 21 of their last 27 games, 10 of their last 14 road games, and the first game in their last nine series. ``It is encouraging,'' Karros said, ``but we still have three games to go here.'' WILD FINISH A look at the NL playoff race and the chase for the league batting title: Dodgers (1-1/2 games up in West): Beat San Diego 7-0 Padres (tied for wild card): Lost to Dodgers 7-0 Expos (tied for wild card): Beat Atlanta 5-1 Mike Piazza, Dodgers: 1 for 3, HR, sac. fly, 3 RBI (.342) Ellis Burks, Colorado: 0 for 2, 2 walks (.341) Tony Gwynn, San Diego x: 2 for 4 (.357) x - does not have enough plate appearances to qualify. CAPTION(S): 4 Photos, Box Photo: (1-2--color) The Dodgers set the tone for th e game early when Eric Karros (23) homers in the first with Todd Hollandsworth aboard, left, which spelled the beginning of the end for Padres starter Fernando Valenzuela, above. (3) Mike Piazza's two-run homer in the ninth gave Ramon Martinez more cushion to work with. Associated Press (4--color) PIAZZA Box: WILD FINISH (see text) |
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