FANS OPEN IRE ON CLOSER GAGNE'S GAFFE ADDS TO DODGERS' WOES SAN DIEGO 4, DODGERS 3.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer Eric Gagne saved plenty of cliff-hanging, harrowing Dodgers victories in the past 244 games that he could be forgiven for an ugly moment of brain-lock. However, it didn't keep a smattering of fans from booing one of the top closers in baseball after Gagne committed an egregious mental error that helped the 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 score twice in the 10th inning and hold on to send the fading Dodgers to a 4-3 loss Wednesday, their fifth in a row, at Dodger Stadium • • [ . Indeed, even the usually reliable and unflappable Gagne, who has converted all 29 of his save chances this season, succumbed to the bugaboo that's engulfed the Dodgers during this disastrous spell. Gagne allowed 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 to Mark Loretta Mark David Loretta (born August 14, 1971 in Santa Monica, California) is a second baseman in Major League Baseball who plays for the Houston Astros. Previously, Loretta played with the Milwaukee Brewers (1995-2002), Houston Astros (2002), San Diego Padres (2003-2005) and Boston to break a 2-2 tie in the 10th inning, then failed to back up home plate and took his glove off with the play ongoing. Dodgers left fielder Mike Kinkade's throw to the plate was wide of catcher David Ross David Ross refers to:
For the son, see Gary Matthews Jr. A native of Whittier, California[1], Kotsay was selected by the Florida Marlins the 9th pick of the Amateur Draft in 1996 out of Cal State Fullerton. also raced home to give the Padres a 4-2 lead. ``That's the dumbest mistake I've ever seen,'' Gagne said, who lost his second consecutive outing. ``I didn't go get the ball. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . I wasn't focused. I wasn't there. I thought the game was over. I don't know what the (expletive) happened. It's the dumbest mistake I've ever made in my life.'' San Diego's added run turned out to be crucial because the offensively inept Dodgers staged a quasi-rally in the ninth inning when Ross homered - it was the Dodgers' third of the night - off Padres closer Rod Beck However, the Dodgers offense, which managed just six hits, couldn't help but stumble over itself one last time. Pinch hitter pinch-hit intr.v. pinch-hit, pinch-hit·ting, pinch-hits 1. Baseball To bat in place of a player scheduled to bat, especially when a hit is badly needed. 2. Fred McGriff followed Ross' homer with a pinch-hit single to left. Alex Cora tried to bunt, but popped up to hard-charging third baseman Sean Burroughs and pinch runner Larry Barnes was doubled off first base. Cesar Izturis grounded back to Beck, a product of Grant High in Van Nuys, to end the game. ``When it came off the bat, I thought it was going to fall,'' Barnes said. ``I don't know what happened. I didn't see the replay. I just got caught in the middle trying to get to second. I thought the bunt was down.'' Former Dodgers fan favorite Matt Herges (2-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the victory and Beck earned his fifth save. ``It's very difficult to win baseball games when you're scoring three runs or less nearly every time you go out there,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``That is the biggest key. Beyond three solo home runs we hit, there really was very little opportunity for us to score runs.'' Nothing is going the Dodgers' way now, particularly at the plate, and not even a change in appearance could help that. Looking to alter the mojo - or whatever negative vibe has infiltrated the clubhouse - that was dragging his already dreadful offense so much lower, Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a catcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the New York Mets. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004) and Florida Marlins (2004-2005). shaved his head and sported a wide-brimmed, bright-purple velvet retro '70s hat, hoping the new look also would serve as a new beginning. Ross, Kinkade and Shawn Green each hit solo shots, but the Dodgers still couldn't top the three-run mark for the seventh time in eight games. ``I think it's got to the point where we've got to stop looking to score 15 runs or whatever,'' Lo Duca said. ``If the game's 2-1 or 1-0, you win the game. No matter how you get it done, we have to start getting it done and it's not that we need to score nine or 10 runs, get 20 hits. If it takes two hits, one hit, whatever it takes, we've got to get it done. To me, that's what we need to do.'' Brian Dohn, (818) 713-3607 brian.dohn(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Struggling Dodgers outfielder Shawn Green heads back to the dugout after tying the game Wednesday with his first homer since June 20 but it wasn't enough. John Lazar/Staff Photographer Box: DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO - Brian Dohn |
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