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Gagne's record streak ends
One of the greatest streaks in Major League Baseball history finally came to an end on Monday night when Los Angeles Dodgers' reliever Eric Gagne couldn't hold a lead after 84 consecutive saves. Ironically, the Canadian-born pitching ace blew the save against the same team he couldn't hold off two years ago: the Arizona Diamondbacks. Gagne's streak became history when he blew a two-run lead, but the Dodgers came back to beat Arizona 6-5 in 10 innings. Gagne relieved with a 5-3 lead at the start of the ninth but allowed pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez's RBI double and Chad Tracy's run-scoring single on an 0-2 pitch that went past the glove of a diving first baseman Olmedo Saenz. Both hits came off changeups. "I never really thought about the streak at all," Gagne said. "I'm not really relieved about it, but it was so much fun to be a part of it." Realizing that Gagne's streak was over, the crowd of 32,929 at Dodger Stadium gave him a prolonged standing ovation as he stood on the mound with his head down. "He had a great run," Gonzalez said. "The Dodgers have had a great run of pitchers with streaks - Orel Hershiser with his scoreless inning streak, and this one with the saves. "Gagne did a fantastic job, but finally we got over the hump to get him to blow a save out there. There was one team out there that was eventually going to break it." Gagne had not blown a save chance since David Dellucci hit a tying double on August 26, 2002. During the streak, Gagne blew the lead in the 2003 All-Star game when he allowed a home run to the Texas Rangers' Hank Blalock, but that exhibition game didn't count in his official statistics. Gagne's record was 30 more than the previous mark of 54, set by Tom Gordon for Boston from April 19, 1998 to June 5, 1999. The Montreal native set the mark September 2 against Houston, part of his perfect 55-save season last year. He has 21 this season. "I've got a job to do tomorrow. You can't worry about today," Gagne said. "You've got to start all over every day." Meanwhile, New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza could get a much different perspective of Roger Clemens in next week's All-Star game. Instead of batting against the hard-throwing 41-year-old pitcher, Piazza might be catching his old nemesis. Clemens was picked Sunday for his first NL All-Star team and Piazza was elected by fans to start in the July 13 game in Houston that determines home-field advantage in the World Series. With a 10-3 record for the Astros, Clemens is the likely starter in his hometown. "We both have a job to do. I'm sure it will be totally professional," Piazza said. "I don't think it's going to be that hard. We're two guys who know what to do." Clemens, then with the New York Yankees, hit Piazza in the head with a pitch in July 2000. In Game 2 of the World Series that October, Clemens threw the jagged barrel of a shattered bat in the direction of Piazza, earning a US$50,000 fine. "It's not that big a deal. It's definitely not larger than the game, unless you all make it that," Clemens said. "I'm not too concerned about that. I'm professional about my work and so is Mike." A nine-time All-Star in the American League, Clemens was among five starting pitchers voted to the National League team by major league players, managers and coaches. |
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