By Steven Lieberman
Observer Reporter
After the moving pre-game tribute to the soldiers and veterans at the Memorial Day game, which was a highlight of the event, it was time to play ball.
The Dodgers and Braves both took the field with special uniforms that had camouflage colors on the lettering, numbers and bill of the cap, to honor those men that sacrificed for the betterment of our country.
What started as a pitching battle between Braves hurler William Perez and Dodgers starter Brett Anderson, became a home-run derby in the four-run eighth inning as three Dodgers - Andre Ethier, pinch-hitter Alex Guerrero, and Jimmy Rollins - all stroked the ball out of the yard off of Braves reliever Nick Massett to win the game, 6-3.
“I think just some of my pitches flattened out,” Masset said. “I’ve had some good battles with these guys in the past. They put some good swings on it. That’s just how the ball rolls sometimes.”
Kenley Jansen, back from injury, picked up his fourth save after inheriting two base-runners from Chris Hatcher in the ninth.
After the game, Ethier, who has been filling in for an injured Yasiel Puig, spoke about his performance.
“There’s satisfaction in that we’re in first place and we’re playing good ball,” he said. I’ve had a little bit of a hand in contributing to that and that’s where I get my satisfaction. Just get to be in the mix and help out with what we’re doing.”
Guerrero, who is performing well and will most-likely get more playing time, also spoke about his two-run pinch-homer.
“See the ball, hit the ball,” he said when speaking about what he needs to do against pitchers he doesn’t know. “[Assistant hitting coach John] Valentin tells me what he throws and what to look for. Pinch-hitting is difficult, so focusing is the main thing.”
Guerrero is third on the team with eight homers and second with 20 RBI’s.
Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly also spoke about his team’s effort.
“It was good to put some runs on the board, but the fact that we are playing well speaks well of our team,” he said. “I know it is probably corny, but “TEAM” is a big thing. We got a good bunch of guys that are capable of playing, and I know this might seem cold-hearted, but if someone gets hurt, others have to step-up. And that’s what they are doing.”
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