FRUSTRATION GROWS FOR DODGERS L.A. LOSES FOR 12TH TIME IN 13 GAMES SAN DIEGO 7, DODGERS 3.Byline: VINCENT VINCENT Vital Information Necessary Centralized (movie, The Black Hole) BONSIGNORE Staff Writer So this is what it's come to for the increasingly slumping Dodgers: A struggling J.D. Drew finally gets a clutch hit in a one-run game, only he hits the ball too hard. Well, hard enough for 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 center fielder Mike Cameron Michael Terrance Cameron (born January 8 1973 in LaGrange, Georgia) is an outfielder in Major League Baseball with the San Diego Padres. Overview Mike Cameron was a standout player at LaGrange High School. to quickly corral corral a small fenced-in enclosure with high, wooden fences, suitable for holding cattle or horses. corral system a management system in which range cattle are put into corrals and fed hay for a period when the environment is most the ball, then set and throw to catcher 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 to nail Toby Hall Toby Hall (born October 21, 1975 in Tacoma, Washington) is a major league catcher for the Chicago White Sox . Hall attended El Dorado High School in Placerville, California where he earned All-State honors. at home plate to enable the Padres to preserve a one-run lead. Drew's 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 that got away wasn't the definitive play in the Padres' 7-3 victory against the Dodgers in front of 51,334 at Dodger Stadium, but it was a huge momentum-changer. Who knows what happens if the Dodgers actually tie the score then? As it was, Dodgers reliever Danys Baez was touched for three runs in the ninth inning to eliminate any chance of the Dodgers rallying for a win in the bottom of the inning Noun 1. bottom of the inning - the second half of an inning; while the home team is at bat bottom inning, frame - (baseball) one of nine divisions of play during which each team has a turn at bat . Baez left the game with flu-like symptoms. The Dodgers, falling deeper into last place in the National League West, lost for the seventh straight game to fall 6 1/2 games behind the first-place Padres, whom they`ve dropped two straight against. The Dodgers send ace Brad Penny to the mound this afternoon hoping to salvage at least one game in the series, but at this point the Dodgers aren't taking anything for granted. ``When it rains, it pours,'' Hall said. ``And it's definitely pouring.'' Hall was at second base when Drew was summoned to pinch-hit for starter Mark Hendrickson, who pitched decently while giving up four runs on eight hits over six innings. The struggling Drew was given the day off to regroup re·group v. re·grouped, re·group·ing, re·groups v.tr. To arrange in a new grouping. v.intr. 1. To come back together in a tactical formation, as after a dispersal in a retreat. from his recent hitting woes, but with the score 4-3 and the gap between the Dodgers and Padres widening, Dodgers manager Grady Little wanted one of his top hitters at the plate with two outs. The strategy worked as Drew sent a low liner to center. The only problem: Hall -- not the most fleet-footed player -- was the runner at second base. ``He hit it hard and (Cameron) just made a perfect throw,'' said Hall, who was thrown out by at least twofeet. ``I'm sure it would have been a close play even if (speedy Rafael Furcal) had been running. He would have gotten there quicker, of course.'' The fact Hall, rather than Furcal furcal /fur·cal/ (fur´k'l) shaped like a fork; forked. fur·cal adj. Forked. furcal forked. , was the runner illustrates the Dodgers' struggles. ``You can't pick and choose who's at second base when you hit line drives,'' Hall said. Just the Dodgers' luck these days. ``We're doing just enough to lose ballgames,'' Little said. Little is doing what he can, but working with an injury-depleted roster is taking a toll. He drew up a lineup card Tuesday for the first-place Padres that was missing Nomar Garciaparra (knee), Jeff Kent (oblique) and Drew. The group is better known as the middle of the Dodgers' hitting order, and it's going to be a little while before Little can pencil them in together again. Still, the Dodgers have to figure out a way to pull themselves from their slump, or start charting plans for 2007. ``It's a real easy time and situation for guys (in the clubhouse) to start pointing fingers,'' Little said. ``But it's also a great time for each and every one of them to take a look in the mirror and ask if they're doing everything they can.'' The Padres took a 2-0 in the third on a two-run home run from Cameron. The Dodgers tied it up, getting a home run from Kenny Lofton in the fourth, then Furcal's run-scoring double in the fifth. But the Padres came back in the sixth, getting doubles from Piazza and Adrian Gonzalez to make it 3-2. Chan Ho Park followed with a 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. single to make it 4-2. Then came the sixth, and after trimming the lead to 4-3 on a ground out by Cesar Izturis, Drew was called on to pinch-hit. He did his job. But it wasn't enough. vincent.bonsignore@dailynews.com (818) 713-3612 CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) The Dodgers' Toby Hall is tagged out a home plate by San Diego catcher Mike Piazza on Tuesday. Ana P. Gutierrez/Special to the Daily News (2) PENNY Box: DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO - Vincent Bonsignore |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion