INJURY CAN'T KEEP STAR DOWN LO DUCA OK AFTER COLLISION WITH WALL DODGERS 9, COLORADO 3.Byline: Matt McHale Staff Writer As 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). rolled on the grass in pain Sunday afternoon, he wasn't thinking about missing his first All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games . He was frightened about losing the rest of the season. Lo Duca Lo Duca is the surname of the following people:
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are in the West Division of the National League. at Coors Field • • [ . He already has seen teammates Kevin Brown The name Kevin Brown can refer to several different people, including the following:
David Ray Roberts (born May 31, 1972 in Okinawa, Japan), is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the San Francisco Giants. , Fred McGriff tr.v. ter·ri·fied, ter·ri·fy·ing, ter·ri·fies 1. To fill with terror; make deeply afraid. See Synonyms at frighten. 2. To menace or threaten; intimidate. . ``I tried to get up and I couldn't and I was a little panicked,'' said Lo Duca, who left after the game to attend Tuesday's All-Star Game festivities fes·tiv·i·ty n. pl. fes·tiv·i·ties 1. A joyous feast, holiday, or celebration; a festival. 2. The pleasure, joy, and gaiety of a festival or celebration. 3. at U.S. Cellular Field • • [ in Chicago. ``You worry about your career, but (the leg) came back to life. Right now all it is is a bad bruise.'' The Dodgers (49-44) are grateful. By beating the Rockies, they head into the three-day All-Star break alone in third place in the National League West, 7 1/2 games behind division leader San Francisco with 69 to play. They aren't happy, but they know it could be worse. ``The second half is when championships are won,'' Dodgers manager and leading optimist Jim Tracy said. ``That's when you make your push for the division and the wild card.'' Lo Duca, who made the NL All-Star team as a reserve catcher after hitting .307 in the first half, will be needed if the Dodgers are going to make a push. He has been playing several positions recently because of injuries to teammates, and Sunday he started in left field. During the fifth inning, 50 mph wind gusts struck and made every fly ball an adventure. Lo Duca had just caught a drive by Mark Stynes in front of the warning track that would have been a home run 10 minutes earlier. Todd Helton, who had already hit his fourth homer of the series and seventh against the Dodgers this year, was next. He smacked a pitch into left that also got caught in the wind. Lo Duca kept running without regard for the fast approaching wall. He slid on his backside and violently struck his left knee on the padding. His right ankle struck the concrete beneath the padding. He immediately tried to get up, but instead slumped to the ground. ``The wind kept carrying the ball and I didn't even see the wall,'' Lo Duca said. ``When I was down, I wasn't concerned about the All-Star Game. I was worried about the rest of the year.'' Lo Duca probably should have left the game, but at hitter-happy Coors, no lead is safe. Dodgers starter Wilson Alvarez, pitching because Brown went on the disabled list with an abdominal tear, also was running out of steam by the fifth inning. The light-hitting Dodgers spotted him a five-run lead in the first, the second time they did that on the trip. But Alvarez was struggling with the light air at Coors, plus the dust that kicked up during the wind storm. Colorado got two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. ``I was gassed, but I needed to stay in there,'' Alvarez (1-1) said after winning his first game as a Dodger. ``We needed to stay out of the bullpen for a little while.'' As it turned out, the Dodgers' league-leading relievers took over in the sixth and shut down the Rockies the rest of the way. Guillermo Mota, Tom Martin, Paul Quantrill and Eric Gagne combined to allow only two hits. It was Quantrill's sixth consecutive appearance. He pitched in all but one game on this trip and lowered his ERA to 1.40. The break will do everyone good as the Dodgers wait anxiously for word on Brown's condition. Brown, selected to pitch at the All-Star game before his injury, will be examined today by team doctors Frank Jobe and Michael Mellman. He hopes to pitch Saturday against St. Louis at Dodger Stadium, but he also could be out a while. ``I am excited about this opportunity and I want the ball,'' Alvarez said. ``Of course, you don't want your best pitcher out. He is the man. But I will do the best I can.'' So will Lo Duca. He left by police escort after the game for his flight to Chicago and took a few ice packs along. ``I told him I'd be watching him Tuesday,'' Tracy said. ``I said if I see him limping at all I'm going to call him on the cell phone.'' Matt McHale, (818) 713-3622 matt.mchale(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Paul Lo Duca was shaken up after this collision with a wall, but he didn't have to leave the game. David Zalubowski/Associated Press |
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