Sports

NL: Loaiza stars for one-run wonders

Associated Press
Published July 6, 2005

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WASHINGTON - It would have been tidy to say Esteban Loaiza outpitched Pedro Martinez on the night an emotional Jose Vidro returned to the lineup.

But the Nationals like to take drama to the extreme. A three-run lead in the ninth was whittled down, with a young All-Star closer hanging on in his first appearance since blowing a big save on the road.

Washington beat the New York Mets 3-2 Tuesday night, and the emotions ran over in the locker room again after the team's 12th straight one-run victory.

"Another one-run game, man," said Vidro, shaking his head with a big smile. "What excitement."

Vidro was the most spirited of all. The three-time All-Star, the rock of many bad Expos teams, was activated earlier in the day after missing 54 games with an ankle injury sustained while sliding into home. He rejoined a team that has become baseball's biggest surprise, winner of 10 of 12 and the East leader midway through the season.

Vidro slid at home again Tuesday, scoring what turned out to be the decisive run in the seventh inning, then nearly choked up when he got to the dugout.

"I tried to get my legs up, my knee up, so that I wouldn't get anything stuck out there," said Vidro, describing the slide. "But it was so exciting. You don't know how much this means to me. I almost cried. I'm not going to lie. I was so emotional. I love this game. I love to be out there, put my uniform on."

Loaiza credited Vidro for giving the team a boost. Whatever the reason, the right-hander had his best game of the season, allowing six hits and striking out eight through eight-plus innings. Loaiza has won four of five starts after enduring a spate of no-decisions with little run support early in the season.

"What I did today was amazing," Loaiza said. "I just hit both of my spots on the inside corner and the outside. I threw all of my pitches for strikes and did what I wanted to do with the ball."

Manager Frank Robinson sent Loaiza out for the ninth with a 3-0 lead, but the bullpen was summoned after Cliff Floyd singled to start the inning. Chad Cordero, whose streak of 26 converted saves ended Sunday - the day he was named to his first All-Star team - entered and retired one batter before allowing Marlon Anderson's one-out single and David Wright's run-scoring single.

Rightfielder Jose Guillen's throwing error on Wright's hit moved up the runners. Anderson then scored on Jose Reyes' groundout, leaving the tying run on third with two outs. Cordero retired pinch-hitter Brian Daubach on a popup to shortstop to become the first player in the majors this season to get 30 saves.

BRAVES 5, CUBS 1: Rookie Roman Colon outpitched Greg Maddux in his much-anticipated return to Atlanta as the Braves handed Chicago its sixth straight loss.

Colon, making his third career start, gave up seven hits and one run in seven innings. He pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Maddux, making his 622nd start and first appearance in Atlanta since leaving the Braves to sign with the Cubs after the 2003 season, allowed eight hits and five runs in six innings.

BREWERS 6, MARLINS 4: Russell Branyan celebrated his return to the lineup with three hits and two RBIs, and Geoff Jenkins had three hits and three runs for visiting Milwaukee.

Chris Capuano pitched into the eighth to win his fourth straight start for the Brewers, and every Milwaukee starter had at least one hit or RBI.

Nine of the first 16 Brewers batters had hits, and Damian Miller, Lyle Overbay, Jenkins and Branyan, who hadn't played since June1 because of a broken finger, each had two hits through the fourth as Milwaukee led 4-0.

CARDINALS 7, D'BACKS 1: Albert Pujols drove in two with three hits, including a double and his 22nd homer, to extend his hitting streak to 17 games and lead visiting St. Louis. Pujols had a 30-game hitting streak in 2003 and hit in 17 in a row as a rookie in 2001.

ASTROS 6, PADRES 2: Former Devil Ray Brandon Backe ended a personal three-game losing streak and Jason Lane hit a three-run homer to break open a close game for host Houston. The Astros have won six of seven and 12 of 15.

PIRATES 3, PHILLIES 0: Kip Wells pitched a four-hitter for his third career complete game and started a three-run fifth with a double for host Pittsburgh. The Pirates scored with Wells on the mound for the first time in five starts dating to June 14.

ROCKIES 6, DODGERS 1: Todd Helton tied the franchise record with his 258th homer and Jeff Francis improved to 8-1 in 10 career starts at Coors Field for Colorado.

REDS 7, GIANTS 4: Adam Dunn hit his 22nd homer and Wily Mo Pena hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth for visiting Cincinnati.

[Last modified July 6, 2005, 01:21:04]