[h3]Bench players producing for Dodgers[/h3]Quartet of reserves delivers a victory in series finale
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
05/17/09 9:30 PM ET
MIAMI -- They call themselves the Bomb Squad, and what the Dodgers' bench players lack in a creative nickname, they more than make up for with their play as manager Joe Torre shuffles players in and out of the lineup.
On Sunday, Torre gave half his starters the day off. So in place of third baseman Casey Blake, catcher Russell Martin, shortstop Rafael Furcal and right fielder Andre Ethier were Mark Loretta, Brad Ausmus, Juan Castro and Xavier Paul.
The result was a 12-5 victory over the Marlins, completing a 4-2 trip east while providing the regulars with a break from a day game after a night game.
"Empty the bench," said Ausmus as he read the lineup card when he arrived in the clubhouse.
The quartet had the kind of game that provides Torre confidence when he writes their names on the lineup card.
"You don't know the starters from the bench guys unless you look at the stat sheets," said Torre. "These guys playing for us have all been terrific. But they've all been starters, so they know what they're doing."
Loretta, Ausmus and Castro have almost 40 years of combined Major League service. Paul, on the other hand, is a rookie who made his first Major League start Sunday after being called up in the wake of Manny Ramirez's suspension.
Each played a role on Sunday. Loretta had three hits and three RBIs. Castro homered and scored four runs. Ausmus had a hit, scored a run and worked 21-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw through a no-hitter for seven innings. And Paul walked twice, scored twice and made a diving catch to keep the no-hitter intact.
Ausmus provided a glimpse of the mentality that makes him so valuable on the field or on the bench when asked about Kershaw's near no-hitter.
"A no-hitter is a nice bullet point on the resume," he said. "But my concern is to win the game."
Loretta is hitting .368, Ausmus .346, Castro .450 and Paul .333.
The Dodgers made a point during the offseason to rebuild their bench with veterans who would accept understudy roles. And when the season started, that bench included Juan Pierre, who has shown what kind of impact a backup can have as he is on fire since replacing Ramirez and is hitting .410 on the season.
"He's the feel-good story," Torre said of Pierre. "I've delivered bad news to him two years in a row -- first with Andruw Jones, then when Manny came on board. He's more understanding about being a backup. He's been a pro through this whole thing."
