Padres tag Zarzour with three homers
San Diego one win away from sweep of Dodgers
Sept. 12, 2000
SAN DIEGO — A promising start gave way to a familiar ending for Los Angeles pitcher Andrew Zarzour.
Through four innings, the 19-year-old left-hander had masterfully struck out seven San Diego batters and held the Padres to just a few hits. But then, Zarzour started giving up long balls again.
San Diego hit three out of the park in all — including a three-run shot in the fifth inning by Greg Vaughn followed by a solo homer by Rusty Greer — en route to a 6-1 victory. It was the second straight loss by the Dodgers to the Padres, who now lead the NL West by four games with less than a month to play. Zarzour has given up at least one home run in every start but one since joining the Big Club in mid-August.
Zarzour's final line wasn't that bad — scattering six hits with 7 Ks and only two walks. But when three balls leave the yard, accounting for five of the six runs, that spells trouble. A forlorn Zarzour just sat in the dugout after getting yanked in the sixth inning with a towel over his head.
"One of my teammates told me while I was sitting there that if a Big Leaguer hit a home run off me then I must be in the Big Leagues," Zarzour told reporters after the game. "Well, I guess I can take some solace in that. I'm here in the Big Show. But we need wins, and I didn't do my part tonight. I just need to get better and pitch smarter."
Zarzour's 19-year-old teammate, left-fielder Josh Hamilton, went 2-for-4, batting home the Dodgers' only run with a late-inning double. Hamilton seems to be finding more of a groove at the Major League level. His batting average is just .176 at this point but climbing steadily. Manager Davey Johnson has talked of Hamilton becoming the every day starter in left for the final four weeks of the season.
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A few notes: LA went on to lose all three games to the Padres, putting them five back in the NL West. Raul Mondesi went 5-for-6 in game three, an extra innings affair. Hideo Nomo had an OK start but the bullpen didn't help him out.
Checking the box score from his most recent start I see that Zarzour got a hit against San Diego, putting his average at .273. I find this interesting since I didn't do anything to his ratings for hitting. Maybe if pitching doesn't work out he can play first base or something ...
The Dodgers had best be careful, as the San Francisco Giants are moving up the standings quickly. If the slump continues, LA could slip to third in the division...