Sample’s 2-Run Double in 12th Downs Dodgers

Atlanta utility outfielder Billy Sample says he always has three plans when he pinch hits with the bases loaded, only one out and the game on the line, as he did in the Braves 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday.

“First you must avoid the double play,” said Sample, who was called on to hit for reliever Paul Assenmacher (7-3) under those exact conditions in the 12th inning.

“Second, you look for the sacrifice fly,” Sample said. “Third, you look for placement. I went to plan three.”

The plan paid off for Sample, whose placement on the ball from reliever Brian Holton (1-2) was just about perfect. It landed fair by inches halfway down the right-field line.

Sample’s hit, which was scored a double, drove in two runs, brought instant defeat to the Dodgers, lifted the Braves out of the National League West cellar and dropped the Dodgers into a tie with idle San Diego for last place.

“Not having a tremendous amount of pride, I’ll take that one and any more like it,” said Sample.

The Braves’ victory nullified a fine performance by Dodger starter Bob Welch, who yielded only four hits in eight innings, two of the them coming in the eighth.

“I was at the point where I needed to come out of there,” said Welch, who surrendered a run-scoring double that let the Braves pull to within one run in the eighth inning. “I was getting a little tired.”

Dale Murphy, the first batter to face reliever Ken Howell in the ninth, tied the score with his 29th home run of the season. Howell went on to strike out six Braves in three innings and stood to be the winner when a fielding error by Atlanta third baseman Ken Oberkfell let the Dodgers score a run in the top of the 12th.

But then came the bottom of the 12th and Sample’s plan three.

Holton struck out Omar Moreno for what should have been the second out, but the ball was in the dirt and Moreno reached safely on the wild pitch. Pinch-hitter Terry Harper followed with a single and went to second on the throw to third. Ted Simmons was intentionally walked to bring up Sample.

In the 12th, Jose Gonzalez singled off Assenmacher with two out and stole second before Mike Scioscia walked. Anderson hit a grounder which Oberkfell failed to backhand near the third base line.

The Dodgers scored twice in the second against Jim Acker, who allowed six hits in six innings, walked five and struck out four.

Len Matuszek led off with a single and scored when Ralph Bryant hit a sinking line drive that skipped past Ken Griffey, who attempted a diving catch in left field. The ball rolled to the wall for a triple. Scioscia ground out scored Bryant.

Welch allowed only a leadoff double by Bob Horner in the second and a one-out single by Rafael Ramirez in the fifth before Glenn Hubbard hit a one-out single in the eighth and pinch-hitter Chris Chambliss hit a two-out run-scoring double. Oberkfell grounded out to end the inning.

After Horner’s double in the second, Welch walked Griffey. Ramirez flied out to center and Bruce Benedict grounded into a double play.

In the fifth, after Griffey flied out to center, Ramirez singled to center. Welch then got Benedict and Hubbard on pop outs.