Site Admin
Joined: Apr 18, 2005
Posts: 397
  
Status: Offline
|
|
Chad Billingsley's road to the All-Star team has hit a couple speed bumps.
For the second consecutive start, Billingsley was given a significant lead by the Dodgers' offense. For the second consecutive start, Billingsley gave it back. And for the second consecutive start, Billingsley's attempt to be the first 10-game winner in the National League turned into a bullpen loss, as the Dodgers watched the White Sox walk off with a 6-5 win in 13 innings Thursday.
"A 4-0 lead with Bills, we take that to the bank, but it's the second time this trip. That's very uncharacteristic for him," manager Joe Torre said, five days after Billingsley let a 4-1 lead over the Angels disappear.
"It's a surprise. I'm not concerned, it's just a surprise. We've relied on him so much. He's been our main guy. The first four innings he was rolling pretty good."
The first four innings, Billingsley had a no-hitter, not to mention a lead built upon a three-run fourth inning that included a two-run double by Mark Loretta.
But Paul Konerko, the former Dodger who homered in all three games of the series, led off the fifth with a solo shot. And in the sixth, A.J. Pierzynski slugged a 3-2 pitch with two outs for a three-run homer that gave the White Sox a 5-4 lead. When he left after six innings, Billingsley had allowed a season-high five earned runs. He had previously allowed on three homers all season.
"I let it get away," said Billingsley. "They have a dangerous lineup and one swing of the bat can be the difference in a game and that's what it was today.
"The ball to Konerko, it was down in the zone, he just hit it good. It was where I wanted to locate it. With A.J., I wanted it more in and it caught too much of the plate. The pitch didn't get to where I wanted it. They got big hits and that's the way it goes sometimes."
The Dodgers tied the score in the seventh on an unearned run and didn't get a hit over the final six innings, which included eight of their 12 strikeouts.
The White Sox threatened in four of the final six innings before finally cashing in during the 13th, which started with singles by Konerko and Pierzynski, center fielder Matt Kemp nearly catching Konerko's with a dive, only for the ball to pop out of his glove when he hit the ground and his wrist twisted awkwardly.
"The impact made me drop the ball because my wrist rolled over and I had to let it go," said Kemp. "It's all right now."
Chris Getz was walked intentionally to load the bases with no outs, and even with that, Weaver nearly escaped four days after outpitching his brother, Jered, as a starter in Anaheim.
With the outfield playing in, Weaver got Josh Fields on a sinking liner that Kemp caught. Then he popped up Dewayne Wise to Kemp in shallow center. With two outs and the outfielders at normal depth, Scott Podsednik hit a broken-bat sinking liner to center again.
"It was good placement," said Kemp, who came charging but could only short-hop the ball with a late dive. "It was just in the right spot."
"If he had hit that for the middle out," said Torre, "it wouldn't have been a problem. We dodged enough bullets and the outfielders go back and play normal because you don't want a fly ball over their heads with two outs. It was a tough break for Weaver."
Said Weaver: "It was probably the best pitch I made, a sinker away, but it was the dagger. He hit it off the end of the bat, but too much of it."
Weaver was pitching his third inning of relief, following Ronald Belisario, Brent Leach and Ramon Troncoso. Torre tried to rest some of his regulars for the day game after the night game, not starting shortstop Rafael Furcal, right fielder Andre Ethier or first baseman James Loney, with catcher Russell Martin serving as the designated hitter.
But by the 10th inning, Torre had used every position player he had. Ultimately, the Dodgers lost a series for the first time since May 22-24.
Orlando Hudson had three hits and two RBIs, while Loretta led the reserves with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. |
|
|
| |
|
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Sub-Category
