Giant Killers
Cellar-dwelling Los Angeles hurls another monkey wrench at Sandmen
Sept. 13, 2009
LOS ANGELES -- If you're playing good ball or, more importantly, in a pennant race, stay out of Los Angeles.
A week after starting the demise of the New Orleans Knights, the Los Angeles Idols threaten to do the same to the Arizona Sandmen.
The sub-.400 Idols - protected from baseball's worst record only be the debacle that is the Chicago Hitmen - have taken 2 of 3 from Arizona here, the latest last night's 4-1 victory that put the Sandmen back 2 in the division.
Idols starter Ervin Santana largely stopped Arizona through four innings before leaving with a hamstring pull suffered running the bases. The Sandmen trailed 3-1 at that point on a sac fly from Russell Martin that scored Frog Redus, who had doubled for the team's only hit before stealing third.
But Santana being ousted didn't matter, as the Sandmen would must only two hits over five innings off Los Angeles relievers Carlos Silva, Mark Buehrle and Jesus Colome.
"Pathetic," Nap Lajoie said succinctly after the game, during which he went 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts.
Arizona starter Anibal Sanchez allowed 4 runs on 9 hits over 7 innings, striking out 5 but walking 4 in the loss, dropping him to 10-6, 4.01. Santana's injury meant Carlos Silva got the win to improve to 3-3, 3.33.
Colome got the final five outs for his first save.