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Wednesday, August 1, 2001 National League Dempster ends losing streakMILWAUKEE (AP) -- Ryan Dempster is earning a reputation as a stopper for the Florida Marlins. For the third time this season and the second time in July, Dempster stopped a four-game losing streak Tuesday night. This time, he did it with a three-hitter for his fourth career complete game, giving the Florida Marlins to a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Marlins came into Milwaukee having lost 13 of 16 games on the road. Dempster won his fourth straight decision on the road. Dempster ended a stretch of four Florida losses to open the season with an 8-0 win over Atlanta. Then he stopped a four-game skid on July 8 with a victory at Tampa Bay. Tuesday night, the Marlins came into Milwaukee having lost three at Cincinnati and one to the New York Mets. "We walked out of there (Cincinnati) with our tails between our legs," Dempster said. "We don't really ever really let anything like that bother us. We just figure we're going to win the next game no matter what the situation." Dempster (12-9) allowed Devon White's double in the fourth, pinch-hitter Luis Lopez's single in the seventh and Richie Sexson's ninth-inning single. "We cannot put together enough runs to compete," bench coach Jerry Royster said after the Brewers lost for the 25th time in 32 games. Milwaukee was without manager Davey Lopes, who served the first game of a two-game suspension for threatening to have his pitchers hit San Diego's Rickey Henderson in retaliation for his uncontested swipe of a base in a blowout this past Sunday. Royster managed in his place. Dempster struck out eight and walked four. He had walked 75 batters coming into the game, seven behind Kerry Woods, who leads the majors. Walker reduced to pinch-hitting DENVER (CP) -- Canadian baseball star Larry Walker remains out of the Colorado Rockies starting lineup. Walker, from Maple Ridge, B.C., hasn't started a game since last Wednesday because of a bruise in the upper hamstring area of his left leg. Walker underwent a magnetic resonance imaging test Monday. The Rockies' medical staff reported the test showed inflammation where the hamstring is attached to the bone. Manager Buddy Bell said he plans to keep Walker on the active roster for pinch-hitting duty. "The MRI didn't show any major problems," Bell told the Denver Post. "We just have to wait on him to say he can play. He's making the decisions." Walker said when he felt he could play, he'd be in the lineup. Pinch-hitter Larry Walker of Maple Ridge, B.C., followed with an RBI double, making it 6-6. The Rockies left the bases loaded, however, when Ortiz grounded into an inning-ending double-play. American League Zimmerman gets No. 21 Kelowna, BC, native Jeff Zimmerman, who took over the closer role from Tim Crabtree two months ago, picked up his 21st save in 23 opportunities on Tuesday in the Rangers 6-2 win over the Yankees. Zimmerman got Alfonso Soriano to fly out to end the game. -- with files from The Associated Press and Sportsticker |
