Rays/MLB

Unusual, historic power display moves Dodgers into first place

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 20, 2006

LOS ANGELES - The Dodgers seldom win with homers. They entered with an NL-low 131 and hadn't hit more than three in a game this season.

That was before Monday, when their first four batters in the ninth homered to force extra innings in an 11-10, 10-inning win over the Padres.

"I've had eight years in now, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like that," said J.D. Drew, who hit one to help Los Angeles pass San Diego for first in the West.

The Dodgers had already homered twice but trailed 9-5 entering the ninth. Jeff Kent led off with a homer off Jon Adkins, who had given up only one in 51¹/₃ innings.

Drew followed with another, prompting the Padres to bring in Trevor Hoffman, who had blown only four saves in 43 opportunities this season.

But Russell Martin and Marlon Anderson hit Hoffman's first two pitches out to tie it, marking the fourth time in major-league history a team hit four consecutive homers. The Twins were the last, in the 11th against the A's on May 2, 1964.

The rally appeared to be for naught when the Padres took a 10-9 lead in the 10th. But Rudy Seanez walked Kenny Lofton, and Nomar Garciaparra followed with a shot into the leftfield pavilion for his team-high 18th homer to win it.

"That's one, if you TiVo-ed it, you're going to watch it over and over again to the end," Garciaparra said. "I was glad to be a part of it."

"You see crazy things in baseball," San Diego outfielder Mike Cameron said. "It's a big loss. We've got to come back and be ready to play tomorrow."

Anderson, who also homered in the second, said he wasn't trying to go deep against Hoffman.

"I was just trying to get a base hit," he said. "Trevor's tough, and he's got 400-whatever saves, so I'm just trying to make something happen; get on base and possibly steal a bag.

"It's the best thing that ever happened to me in a baseball game."

[Last modified September 20, 2006, 02:00:25]