MLB
  Scores
  Schedules
  Standings
  Statistics
  Transactions
  Injuries: AL | NL
  Players
  Weekly Lineup
  Message Board
  Minor Leagues
  MLB Stat Search

Clubhouses

Sport Sections
  Tuesday, Jun. 6 8:35pm ET
Gagne gets second big-league victory
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Eric Gagne had another strong outing, and this time got a win.

Gagne threw six shutout innings and Texas had a two-run homer by Scarborough Green taken away as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat theTexas Rangers 7-1 Tuesday night.

Gagne (1-3) allowed five hits in six-plus innings for his second major league victory. He walked three and struck out seven, including the side in the sixth.

"This helps my confidence a lot," Gagne said. "I've been throwing pretty good but I wasn't getting the results. Tonight will be good for me."

He allowed three earned runs or less in seven of his first eight appearances this season, but went without a victory. Manager Davey Johnson thought it was important for him to come away with a win Tuesday. "He wanted to get his first win and I wanted to make sure he got it," Johnson said. "That was the most important thing about this ballgame."

Gagne threw primarily fastballs and changeups, and remained aggressive throughout. "He threw only two or three curves," catcher Paul LoDuca said. "I kept telling him he needed to go hard and to keep going after the hitters. He's a fiesty pitcher, he gets real hyped up. He wanted his first win real bad."

Green thought he had his first major league homer in the fifth inning, when his drive to right field was ruled fair by first-base umpire Gary Cederstrom. But Cederstrom was unsure of his call, asked for help from the rest of the crew, and the call was correctly changed to a foul ball.

Green had circled the bases and was in the dugout accepting congratulations from teammates when Johnson came out to argue. Cederstrom huddled with the other three umpires and the Dodgers retained their 4-0 lead. Replays showed the ball was about 5 feet foul.

"I've got to tip my hat to him," Johnson said of Cederstrom. "He got some help and got the decision corrected."

Rangers manager Johnny Oates came out of the dugout to get an explanation, but he did not argue.

"He lost the ball completely," Oates said of Cederstrom. "Everybody knew it was foul, everybody in our dugout, everybody in their dugout, it wasn't even close."

In the seventh, Gagne allowed a leadoff double to David Segui and walked Chad Curtis before he was replaced by Terry Adams. Adams got two outs, issued a walk to load the bases, then struck out Luis Alicea.

Ivan Rodriguez hit a solo homer off Adams in the eighth to break up the shutout.

Mark Grudzielanek had three hits for the Dodgers, who had lost three of their previous four.

Rangers starter Mark Clark (3-4) allowed six hits over the first four innings, but the Dodgers were unable to come up with the clutch hit until a four-run fifth.

Grudzielanek had an RBI double and Gary Sheffield followed with a sacrifice fly. Clark walked the next two batters to load the bases, then Dave Hansen delivered a two-run single off reliever Francisco Cordero.

Clark allowed four runs and seven hits, struck out three and walked two.

In the sixth, Sheffield's sacrifice fly and Eric Karros' RBI single made it 6-0. Shawn Green's RBI single in the eighth extended the lead to 7-0.

Game notes
The Rangers signed their 10th-round draft pick, OF Billy Montgomery of San Diego State. ... Texas had pitched 15 consecutive scoreless innings before the Dodgers scored in the fifth. ... Gagne beat Houston last Oct. 1 for his first big league victory. ... Texas had won 10 of its previous 11 at home and had a three-game winning streak end.
 


ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard

Los Angeles Clubhouse

Texas Clubhouse


RECAPS
Boston 4
Florida 3

NY Yankees 8
Montreal 1

Detroit 2
Pittsburgh 1

Baltimore 0
NY Mets 0

Chi. White Sox 17
Cincinnati 12

Tampa Bay 5
Philadelphia 3

Atlanta 7
Toronto 6

Minnesota 3
Houston 1

Cleveland 4
Milwaukee 2

St. Louis 5
Kansas City 4

Los Angeles 7
Texas 1

Anaheim 6
San Francisco 5

Oakland 5
San Diego 4

Seattle 4
Colorado 1