April 24th, 1985
Atlee Hammaker is going for us and Fernando Valenzuela is going for the Dodgers.
Atlee has been incredible so far this s short season, sporting an ERA of 0.36
I led off the bottom of the 1st facing Fernando and I grounded out to Rich Dauer at 2nd.
In the 2nd Bauer hit one just past my glove. We got him out later but L.A. scratch down across for the lead.
In the 3rd I handled a pop-up by Mike Marshall. In the bottom half I came up with two out and nobody on and struck out to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 5th we did some damage, scoring 3 times. I came up with Kenny Smith on 3rd and Hammaker on 1st and walked. Kenny scored. I never go past 2nd but we went up 3-1.
Darrell Evans homered in the 7th to trim our lead to one. In the bottom half I reached with a one out single. I was erased by a double play.
Mariano Duncan led off the 8th by giving me a nice ground ball for the 1st out... but then Mike Marshall homered to tie the game at 3.
No decision for Atlee as Ron Davis came in to pitch the 9th. Chris Brown had already been lifted for Tom O'Malley at 3rd and now O'Malley was pulled in a double switch for Fran Mullins. I took a grounder from pinch hitter Sid Bream for the 3rd out.
I was due up 4th in the 9th. We were looking for a walk-off. Ken Howell was pitching for the Dodgers. He got John Castino, Kenny Smith and Sixto Lezcano, pinch hitting for Mullins, and we were off to extras.
John Rabb became the 4th third-sacker of the game for us as we entered the 10th.
Three batters later and Ron had given up a 3-run homer to Pedro Guerrero. Mark Davis took over on the mound and gave up a hit to R.J. Reynolds, past my dive... and then the same thing happened from Bauer. That is three times a ball was just out of my reach. We got Mike Scioscia to hit into a double play but only after another run and we trailed 7-3. They cored another two before we could get out of it.
We went into the bottom of the 10th down 9-3. Ugly.
Alejandro Pena was pitching and he struck me out to start things off. Me managed nothing and the game was over.
Disheartening.
The Reds are in town tomorrow.
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Rusty Priske
Poet, Canadian, Baseball Fan
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