IT'S 11 IN A PINCH DODGERS' SAENZ GETS DECISIVE RBI DODGERS 4, COLORADO 2.Byline: TONY JACKSON
Anthony (Antonio) Jackson, best known as Tony Jackson Staff Writer It was supposed to be about Greg Maddux Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is a pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He was the first pitcher in Major League history to win the Cy Young Award for four consecutive years (1992-1995), during which he had a 75-29 record with a 1. , the future Hall of Famer the Dodgers picked up at last week's trading deadline who was making his first home start. But for a certain family of six who had traveled all the way from Panama, it was about Olmedo Saenz, their husband, father, son and brother, who they were just hoping he would get to play. With the score tied in the seventh inning, Saenz did get in. For a player who seemingly can do nothing wrong and a team that seemingly can do nothing but win, the result was predictable, and possibly even inevitable. Clutch hit. Huge run. And another Dodgers victory, 4-2 over the Colorado Rockies For the National Hockey League team (1976 – 1982), now known as the New Jersey Devils, see . The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. They are in the West Division of the National League. in front of 50,210 Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium • • [ . Against a fading Byung-Hyun Kim
Saenz, as is his habit, didn't stick around long. As soon as he touched first base, manager Grady Little William Grady Little (born March 30, 1950 in Abilene, Texas) is a manager in Major League Baseball. He guided the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003, and has been manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2006. sent the younger, swifter Jason Repko Jason Edward Repko (born December 27, 1980 in East Chicago, Indiana) is an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Primarily a utility outfielder, his career had been slowed by numerous injuries. to pinch run for him. But while Saenz's appearances tend to be short, they also tend to be sweet for the surging Dodgers, who have fashioned their first 11-game winning streak Noun 1. winning streak - a streak of wins streak, run - an unbroken series of events; "had a streak of bad luck"; "Nicklaus had a run of birdies" since 1993. The lumbering veteran who can play first and third base but mostly just pinch hits is now batting .293 off the bench and .306overall. And this time, his family was there to witness the same kind of heroics the Dodgers have been witnessing for three seasons now. ``I'm a family man,'' Saenz said. ``That's the bad part of baseball, that I'm so far away from my family. Whenever they're close to me and I'm playing baseball, they bring a lot of happiness to me. It's great to have the people who really care about you right next to you.'' Maddux wasn't exactly vintage, giving up hits to the first two batters in each of the first two innings after pitching six hitless innings in his Dodgers debut last Thursday at Cincinnati. But he wasn't exactly a punching bag, either. He left after six innings with the Dodgers facing a manageable 2-1 deficit, and Wilson Betemit erased that with a solo homer to lead off the seventh after a scoreless inning by Brett Tomko. The slow-footed Martin followed Betemit's homer with a single and somehow stole second before James Loney lined out on a spectacular, leaping catch by Rockies shortstop Clint Barmes. But Saenz's hit then saved Maddux from a loss and made a winner of Tomko (7-6), the first of three Dodgers relievers to turn in a scoreless inning apiece behind Maddux. ``After I got to two strikes, I just didn't want to overswing,'' Saenz said. ``I just wanted to hit a little line drive to bring the guy in from second base.'' Andre Ethier continued to make his case for Rookie of the Year Rookie of the Year may refer to:
Maddux scattered seven hits. Twelve of his 18 outs came via groundballs. ``He gave us everything we could have asked of him,'' Little said. The second-place Dodgers (58-55) moved within a half-game of division-leading San Diego in the National League West, the closest they have been in more than a month. Maddux began the game by giving up consecutive hits to Jamey Carroll and Todd Helton, who was batting second for the first time in more than seven years in an attempt by manager Clint Hurdle to jump-start the Rockies' offense. But Garrett Atkins hit an easy double-play grounder to shortstop Rafael Furcal, and Holliday then struck out, stranding Carroll on third base. Furcal furcal /fur·cal/ (fur´k'l) shaped like a fork; forked. fur·cal adj. Forked. furcal forked. then led off the bottom of the first with a home run. ``(Furcal) turning that double play in the first inning was big,'' Maddux said. ``The last thing I wanted to do was get blown out of the water before we even had the chance to hit, and he came up big. He saved everything right there.'' Jonathan Broxton worked a hair-raising eighth, blowing a fastball by Yorvit Torrealba to end the inning after Brad Hawpe's double put runners on second and third with two outs. Takashi Saito then pitched a perfect ninth, striking out Cory Sullivan and Jorge Piedra consecutively to end the game and get his 12th save in as many opportunities this season. tony.jackson@dailynews.com (818) 713-3675 CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) The Dodgers' Rafael Furcal, left, celebrates a leadoff home run in the first inning. (2) Dodgers starter Greg Maddux made his home debut, going six innings and giving up two runs on seven hits. (3) Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal forces out Colorado's Yorvit Torrealba at second base Tuesday. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer (4) LOWE LOWE Lowell National Historic Park (US National Park Service) Box: DODGERS VS. COLORADO - Tony Jackson |
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