The ninth inning was about to start and left field was empty. Manny Ramirez was missing.
Here we go again.
Let’s see, there’s no Green Monster for him to hide in at Dodger Stadium – so where in the world was Manny now?
In the dugout, several Dodgers peered down the tunnel toward their clubhouse as Monday night’s game against Philadelphia was held up. They looked as though they didn’t know whether to laugh, scream or simply shake their heads.
Then, finally, the enigmatic slugger reappeared and jogged swiftly out to his position, dreadlocks dangling and a wry half-smile on his face.
“I just went to the bathroom,” Ramirez said with a chuckle after Los Angeles’ 8-6 victory. “All the guys said, ‘Hey, we play nine in here.”’
This time, there was a plausible explanation – sort of – for Ramirez’s brief but conspicuous absence: He thought he had been pulled from the game.
Dodgers manager Joe Torre explained that there was some miscommunication between he and Ramirez, acquired from Boston at the July 31 trade deadline.
After Ramirez was forced out at the plate in the eighth inning, Torre pointed to him from a distance as a way of congratulating the slugger for his single. But Ramirez thought that meant he was being taken out of the game for defense, so he headed up the tunnel.
Just another curious moment for one of baseball’s most baffling characters.
“When he came out, his jersey was half undone,” teammate Jeff Kent said with a smirk. “So if he was going to the bathroom, he takes his jersey off to do it.”
In other NL games, it was: Pittsburgh 7, New York 5; Milwaukee 7, Washington 1; St. Louis 4, Florida 2; and Houston 3, San Francisco 1.
Casey Blake hit a two-run homer and Ramirez doubled in two more during a six-run third inning that carried Derek Lowe past the Phillies. Kent and Matt Kemp each had three hits.
James Loney added three RBIs for the Dodgers, who rebounded from back-to-back losses at San Francisco that were both decided in the ninth inning. The win trimmed Arizona’s NL West lead to one game.
Lowe (9-10) bounced back from one of the worst outings of his career, holding the Phillies to three runs over 6 1-3 innings. Philadelphia cut the deficit to 8-6 on Chase Utley’s two-run single with two outs in the ninth, but Jonathan Broxton retired Ryan Howard on a grounder with two on for his eighth save.
“We were coming off a couple of heartbreakers ourselves, so I think guys were a little determined to finish this one,” Kent said.
Howard drove in two runs, giving him his third consecutive 100-RBI season. The first-place Phillies remained two games ahead of New York in the NL East.
The victory was Torre’s 2,126th in the regular season, tying Joe McCarthy for seventh place on the career list.
Kyle Kendrick (10-6) gave up seven runs, nine hits and three walks in 3 1-3 innings.
Pirates 7, Mets 5
At New York, Steve Pearce hit a two-out, two-run single in the ninth and Pittsburgh became the latest team to take advantage of the Mets’ shaky bullpen.
The Mets led 5-1 when Pedro Martinez left after six innings, but five relievers couldn’t preserve the edge. The Pirates, in town to play a makeup game, scored three times in the seventh and three more in the ninth.
It marked the ninth time this season New York lost a game in which it led in the eighth inning or later. The Mets have struggled lately minus injured All-Star closer Billy Wagner.
Aaron Heilman (2-7) began the ninth with a 5-4 lead, but allowed four straight Pirates to reach after striking out leadoff hitter Nate McLouth. Ryan Doumit tied it with a single off the right-center fence.
Pearce’s tiebreaking single came off Scott Schoeneweis.
Brewers 7, Nationals 1
Rickie Weeks and Corey Hart homered, and Dave Bush (7-9) pitched host Milwaukee to its sixth straight victory.
Weeks hit a leadoff homer and Hart added a two-run shot for the Brewers, who finished a four-game sweep. It was the second consecutive season that the Nationals were swept at Miller Park.
Milwaukee stayed three games ahead of St. Louis for the NL wild-card lead despite the absence of Ryan Braun for the second straight game. Out with a lower-back injury, he is day to day.
Cardinals 4, Marlins 2
Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer, Joel Pineiro (5-5) pitched seven strong innings and visiting St. Louis won the opener of a four-game series between surprising playoff contenders.
Joe Mather added a pinch-hit home run in the ninth for the Cardinals. Kyle McClellan worked out of a tough jam in the eighth to protect a one-run lead, and Chris Perez pitched the ninth for his second save.
Anibal Sanchez (1-2), making his third start since returning from shoulder surgery, gave up three runs in seven innings. He struck out eight, equaling his career high.
Astros 3, Giants 1
At Houston, Ty Wigginton homered and drove in three runs to help the Astros win their fifth straight. Jose Valverde saved it for Brandon Backe (7-11), who rebounded from his worst start of the season and beat Jonathan Sanchez (8-9). Houston has won nine of 11.
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