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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Gary Sheffield is trying to keep the Los
Angeles Dodgers from fading too far back in the NL West.
Sheffield homered twice Saturday, leading the Dodgers to a 4-1
victory over the New York Mets.
|  | | Chan Ho Park, right, pads his stats when he faces the Mets. Park, who won 4-1 Saturday, has a 1.95 career ERA vs. New York. |
His 40 homers tie him with Mike Piazza for the most by a Dodger since the team moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958. Sheffield is one behind Sammy Sosa for the major league lead.
"You've got to bring the same intensity, no matter what the
circumstances may be," said Sheffield, who is three homers shy of
the franchise record Duke Snider set in 1956. "We have to
concentrate on every pitch and every at-bat and do the things it
takes to win, all through the lineup."
Eric Karros also homered and Chan Ho Park (12-8) pitched a
four-hitter for his second complete game of the season, as the
Dodgers remained eight games behind San Francisco.
The right-hander handed New York its sixth loss in 26 games. He
struck out 10 and walked two en route to his third victory in 11
starts. Park, who pitched seven scoreless innings against the Mets
on May 29 at Dodger Stadium, has a 1.95 career ERA against them.
Aside from Derek Bell's first-inning homer, the Mets did not get
another runner past first base against Park -- who has never allowed
fewer than four hits in six career complete games.
"When you throw your fastball when you're ahead in the count
like that, and then throw your breaking ball when you're behind,
it's tough for the guys to make adjustments," Mets manager Bobby
Valentine said. "And he had good control with both pitches."
Sheffield, who joined the Dodgers in a seven-player trade that
sent Piazza to the Florida Marlins in 1998, reached the 40-homer
mark for the second time in his 13-year career, and the first time
since hitting 42 with Florida in 1996.
Sheffield wasn't always a home-run threat. He began his career
with the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting only 21 in 294 games before
recording 33 in 1992, his first season with the San Diego Padres.
"I wasn't allowed to hit home runs in Milwaukee," he said. "I
was asked to get on base and steal bases, so I just tried to do
whatever the Brewers needed me to do. But San Diego just let me
loose to go ahead and swing the bat. And that's when I became a
home-run hitter."
After Bell opened the scoring with his 16th homer, the Dodgers
took a 3-1 lead in the third against Rick Reed (7-4).
Sheffield drove a first-pitch curveball into the left-field
pavilion after a single by Tom Goodwin. One out later, Karros hit
his 28th homer -- his third in 134 at-bats since the All-Star break.
Sheffield ended the scoring with another leadoff homer in the
eighth, on a 1-1 fastball from Pat Mahomes. It was the 21st time he
has homered twice in a game, and the sixth time this season.
"The last three weeks I've really tried to go out of my way to
do something extra instead of letting the game come to me, like I
have all year," Sheffield said. "I got out of my game plan and
started chasing the pitcher's pitch and started looking bad.
"Then I got out of rhythm trying to go back to the basics. As
long as I'm swinging the bat well, the way I'm seeing the ball now,
I can just wait all day on my pitch and drive it when it comes."
The loss was Reed's first in five career decisions at Dodger
Stadium, and first in nine road starts since a 7-2 setback at San
Francisco on May 4. The right-hander lost consecutive starts for
the first time this season. He was charged with three runs and
seven hits in seven innings.
Game notes
Saturday's crowd of 53,051 on "Backpack Day" was the
Dodgers' sixth home sellout this season. The other five sellouts
were on Opening Day, "Pokemon Trading Card Day," "T-Shirt
Night," "Sports Watch Night," and "Rally Towel Night." ...
Park has allowed fewer than two earned runs in each of his last
five starts. ... Sheffield has 22 homers at Dodger Stadium,
matching the record Piazza set in 1997. ... Bell's homer gave him
seven hits and seven RBI in his 15 career at-bats against Park.
... After a leadoff single by Jay Payton in the first inning, Todd
Pratt went sprawling on a high-and-tight pitch from Park and catcher
Chad Kreuter caught Payton leaning the wrong way. It was the first
pickoff by a Dodgers catcher this season. ... Pratt started
Saturday's game behind the plate instead of Piazza, who caught
Friday night's 3 hour, 42-minute marathon.
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