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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Once he got through a very tense first
inning, everything flowed for Osvaldo Fernandez.
The Cincinnati right-hander, who made his major league debut
with San Francisco nine months after defecting from Cuba in July
1995, earned his first major league victory Tuesday night, 3-1 over
the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fernandez allowed just three hits in seven-plus innings.
The Dodgers, who loaded the bases in four of the last five
innings of their 14-inning, 4-3 victory on Monday night, did it
again in the first inning with no outs against Fernandez.
Todd Hollandsworth opened the inning with a single, and Mark
Grudzielanek was hit by a pitch. Shawn Green worked the count to
3-2 before walking.
Clean-up hitter Eric Karros followed with a sacrifice fly, but
the Dodgers had only two more runners in the next 6 2-3 innings.
"The first inning was a big inning for him," catcher Benito
Santiago said. "The big thing was the 3-2 pitch to Shawn Green. I
didn't want to give him a fastball because he's one of the best
hitters around and you don't challenge those guys -- no matter who's
pitching. I'd rather see him at first base and give them one run
than three or four."
Fernandez was pulled after issuing a leadoff walk to
pinch-hitter F.P. Santangelo in the eighth. Scott Williamson
finished the inning without a run scoring.
Danny Graves struck out three in the ninth to record his eighth
save and nail down Fernandez's first victory in the majors since
April 27, 1997, when he beat Houston 3-2 at the Astrodome. He
missed all of the 1998 season because of reconstructive surgery on
his right elbow and made only four starts for the Giants' Triple-A
San Jose farm club.
"I faced him when he was with the Giants, and he's come back
stronger after the surgery," said Todd Hundley, who struck out all
three times against Fernandez. "He has better velocity than he
used to and he's a true pitcher -- not a thrower. He can make the
ball do what he wants it to do, and he won't give in. He doesn't
really give you a solid pitch to hit. At least he didn't tonight."
Ken Griffey Jr. and Barry Larkin homered, helping the Reds win
for the 11th time in 16 games and end the Dodgers' six-game winning
streak.
The Reds took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the third
against Eric Gagne (0-3), who allowed three runs and five hits in
six innings.
Santiago led off with a double, advanced on a sacrifice by
Fernandez and scored on a groundout by Pokey Reese. Larkin, who
missed 22 games because of an injury to the middle finger of his
left hand before returning last week, followed with his third homer
of the season, his first in 32 at-bats since April 20 against San
Francisco.
Griffey ended a seven-game homer drought in the sixth with his
14th of the year -- and only his third RBI in 20 at-bats.
Of the 13 runs Gagne has allowed in his last four starts, 12
have scored on homers.
"I've just got to keep the home runs down and keep the ball
down," Gagne said. "I made three or four mistakes, and two of
them were home runs. But I gave the team a good chance to win, and
that's all I an ask for."
Game
notes
The X-rays on the sprained right ankle of Dodgers LF Gary
Sheffield were negative, and he expects to return to the lineup
Friday night. Sheffield was injured sliding into second base while
trying to break up a double play in the 11th inning Monday night.
... Larkin doubled in the seventh inning and left the game because
of a sore left hand. ... Former World Series MVP Orel Hershiser,
who returned to the Dodgers this season and beat the Reds 8-1 in
the home opener, has allowed nine earned runs in 5 1-3 innings
during four relief appearances since being demoted to the bullpen
on April 20. He hasn't appeared in a game since May 9. ...
Fernandez singled in the seventh for his first hit since Sept. 11,
1996, ending an 0-for-23 drought at the plate by Reds pitchers
since Graves' homer May 12 at Houston. ... Hundley struck out all
four times up.
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