dropped a sinking line drive for an error with two outs in the ninth
inning, leading to a two-run rally by the Los Angeles Dodgers that gave
them a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.
Ronnie Belliard and pinch-hitter Mark
Loretta hit RBI singles off closer Ryan Franklin, giving the Dodgers a
commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five NL playoff series. Game 3 is
Saturday in St. Louis.
With the bases empty and the
Cardinals on the verge on tying the series, Holliday charged in on
James Loney's liner to left field. But the ball hit his midsection and
dropped to the grass, allowing Loney to reach second.
Franklin walked Casey Blake before
Belliard singled up the middle, scoring pinch-runner Juan Pierre. A
passed ball moved runners up to second and third, and Franklin walked
Russell Martin on four pitches to load the bases.
Loretta, batting for reliever George
Sherrill, was 0-for-15 in his career against Franklin before fisting a
soft single to center that drove in Blake.
It triggered a huge celebration, with teammates jumping on Loretta in a pile between first and second base.
"Unfortunately, I did know the
numbers," Loretta said. "This series is far from over. St. Louis is a
very talented team. We're going to have to keep battling as hard as we
can."
Sherrill got the win for the Dodgers,
in position for a sweep in the opening round for the second consecutive
year. Last year, they won the first two games at Wrigley Field before
closing out the Chicago Cubs at home in Game 3.
Franklin took the loss, spoiling a stellar performance from starter Adam Wainwright, who turned in eight strong innings.
Wainwright, the NL leader with 19
victories, was outstanding. The right-hander allowed one run and three
hits, struck out seven and walked one.