DODGERS WIN WILD GAME L.A. SCORES FOUR IN 11TH TO WIN DODGERS 12, ARIZONA 10.Byline: Tony Jackson
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer PHOENIX - A year ago, the Dodgers' bullpen was the picture of perfection, or at least near-perfection, built as it was around an efficient group of blue-collar types who routinely carried the game from the starting pitcher Noun 1. starting pitcher - (baseball) a pitcher who starts in a baseball game baseball, baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; to baseball's most invincible closer. That invincible closer, Eric Gagne, is on the disabled list now. And that near-perfect bullpen is teetering on the edge of disaster. Yhency Brazoban, handed the closer role in Gagne's absence despite the fact he still technically is classified as a rookie, blew a one-run, ninth-inning lead against Arizona on Saturday night, as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks tied 8-all and went to extra innings Noun 1. extra innings - overtime play until one team is ahead at the end of an inning; e.g. baseball extra time, overtime - playing time beyond regulation, to break a tie before the Dodgers prevailed 12-10 in 11 innings. The Dodgers scored four in the 11th to take a 12-8 lead. Jeff Kent Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968 in Bellflower, California) is a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former MVP winner. Early career had a three-run double and Milton Bradley  This article or section is written like a personal reflection or and may require .Please [ improve this article] by rewriting this article or section in an . followed with a single to score Kent. The Diamondbacks scored twice in the bottom of the 11th, but the Dodgers held on for the win. Brazoban's failure left the Dodgers bullpen with a collective ERA of 6.43 through the 10th inning, although this was the club's first official blown save of the young season. Brazoban did redeem himself somewhat by pitching into trouble in the 10th and then deftly pitching out of it. With one out, he gave up consecutive singles to Craig Counsell Craig John Counsell (born August 21, 1970 in South Bend, Indiana) is a Major League Baseball infielder who plays for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers. and Jose Cruz Jose Luis Cruz (Cheo) can refer to different people:
Green was a 1st round draft pick, and has been a two-time major league All-Star. on a called third strike, the second time in two innings that Green had been rung up. Brazoban's outing began with the first strikeout of Green, who complained long and loudly to plate umpire Tim Welke. But Tony Clark followed with a drive to straightaway straight·a·way adj. 1. Extending in a straight line or course without a curve or turn. 2. Unhesitating; immediate: a straightaway denial. n. center field. Milton Bradley, who had made one dazzling catch and another spectacular one to preserve the Dodgers' one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth, ran straight back and attempted to make a leaping catch at the wall, but couldn't come up with the ball. It caromed off the 407-foot sign and back toward the infield, and by the time anyone caught up with it, Clark was on his way to third. With Luis Terrero pinch running for Clark, Chad Tracy pinch hit for Diamondbacks reliever Brian Bruney. Tracy hit a bouncer to Brazoban's right, and Brazoban reached just far enough for it to tick off his glove and roll away. Although he recovered quickly enough to throw out Tracy at first, Terrero could have walked home with the tying run. Brazoban then bought himself more trouble by walking Chris Snyder, but the Arizona catcher than inexplicably tried a delayed steal and was easily thrown out at second, sending the game to a 10th inning when Brazoban was forced to hit for himself with two outs and none on to save what was left of the Dodgers' razor-thin bench and bullpen. The blown save wasted another stirring rally by the Dodgers after their four-run ninth on Friday night had given them an 8-7 victory over the Diamondbacks. This time, they fell behind 7-3 in the fifth inning, due mostly to a lackluster Dodgers debut by veteran right-hander Scott Erickson, who gave up six earned runs on seven hits while failing to last more than 4 1/3 innings. Arizona starter Javier Vazquez opened the door for this comeback by walking Jeff Kent to lead off the sixth. Bradley followed with a single, and after Friday hero Jose Valentin popped up, Ricky Ledee yanked a double down the rightfield line. Bradley slid in just ahead of the throw, making it 7-5 and chasing Vazquez from the game. Paul Bako greeted reliever Oscar Villareal by singling Ledee to third, and Jason Grabowski's sacrifice fly pulled the Dodgers to within a run. The Dodgers completed their comeback in the eighth, again spurred by a leadoff walk, this time to Valentin. After Ledee grounded into a force, Jason Phillips bounced out, moving Ledee to second. Pinch hitter Olmedo Saenz then drew another walk as Ledee moved to third on a ball-four wild pitch, and Cesar Izturis tied the game with an 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 single. Hee-Seop Choi then broke an 0-for-11, seven-strikeout slump to begin the season, shooting a go-ahead single to center field. But the inning ended when Izturis rounded the bag too far at second and got hung up. In the bottom of the eighth, Bradley made a running catch in left-center field to rob Craig Counsell of extra bases with Royce Clayton on first and none out. Later, with Clayton on third, Jose Cruz Jr. on first and two outs, Troy Glaus hit a high pop fly to shallow center that appeared destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to fall in front of the hard-charging Bradley. But at the last possible second, Bradley lunged forward and made a rolling catch. CAPTION(S): 3 photos, 5 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) Arizona's Javier Vazquez reacts after Jeff Kent hit a home run in the early going during Saturday night's 12-10 L.A. victory. (2) Dodgers baserunner Milton Bradley slides under the tag of Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder in Saturday's game. Tom Hood/Associated Press (3 -- color) no caption (J.D. Drew) Box: (1) DODGERS at ARIZONA - Tony Jackson (2) GAME RECAP (3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED (4) 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. (5) J.D. DROUGHT |
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