Los Angeles – There’s that moment when knuckles turn white, palms sweat, crowds come to their feet that decides meaningful games.
Reliever Jeremy Affeldt stood in the spotlight, the outcome hanging in the balance, a gratifying road trip one double-play groundball away. Affeldt, torched in Thursday’s loss to the Padres, sought redemption. Instead, he left in frustration, Ramon Martinez singling home the winning run in the Dodgers’ nervy 4-3 victory Sunday.
Affeldt came on to rescue a sputtering Jorge Julio. He walked pinch-hitter Jeff Kent to load the bases. On a 2-1 count, Martinez smoked a line drive to center field, pushing home the winning runs. As Russell slid in safely, he jumped up and pumped his fist, celebrating like a kid who was going to Williamsport.
This loss hurt not only because of the opponent, but what preceded the eighth. The Rockies forced Brad Penny out after five innings with 111 pitches. He had eight three-ball counts. Jeff Francis worked seven innings, allowing just two runs. And when Todd Helton ended a six-game RBI drought with his 12th home run, the Rockies were on the verge of a 12-hour run that created disbelief. They beat the Dodgers 7-4 in 14 innings in a game that ended Sunday.
But the bullpen, so good since July 31, couldn’t lock it down. The Rockies begin a seven-game home series Monday against Pittsburgh and Washington.
