Bohanon Takes Command to Shut Out Colorado, 2-0

It was another interlude on the road to nowhere for the Dodgers and the Colorado Rockies, but left-hander Brian Bohanon added an element of intrigue to a largely inconsequential 2-0 Dodger victory Wednesday.

Bohanon (7-10, including 5-6 with the Dodgers) recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts and handcuffed the Rockies so effectively, every out they recorded in eight innings against him was a strikeout or groundout.

His sinker, breaking ball and cut fastball were so baffling, the Rockies couldn’t muster even a pop-up against him. And thanks to a sterling performance by the Dodger defense--there’s a phrase rarely heard around Dodger Stadium--Bohanon was rarely in trouble.

The defense pulled off five double plays, including one in the ninth to help reliever Jeff Shaw secure his 44th save and send the 27,906 fans home after a mere 2 hours 13 minutes. “It just shows you what pitching and defense can do,” Manager Glenn Hoffman said.

Bohanon, who acknowledged he would have liked to finish the game, was otherwise pleased by his evening’s work. As well he should have been. He threw 107 pitches, 71 for strikes, and formed a strong tandem with first-time starter Angel Pena behind the plate.

“I had real good command of my breaking ball and fastball, and when I’m doing that, I’m going to get a lot of ground balls and they’re not going to hit the ball hard,” said Bohanon, who reduced his earned-run average in 13 Dodger starts to 2.34 and overall to 2.65.

“I’m not a big strikeout guy, but when I start throwing the ball the way I can, I can make pitches when I need to,” he said. “I’ve been able to do that just the last two years, to put away guys. Before, I couldn’t do it. Now, I can. I’m a different pitcher than I was the first seven years.”

Despite the absence of Bobby Bonilla--a late scratch after complaining of a sore wrist--and other regulars Hoffman had planned to rest, the Dodgers pecked away at Jamey Wright (9-13) for runs in the third and seventh.

Adrian Beltre, leading off the third inning, was hit in the left hip by a pitch but showed no ill effects when he scooted to third on Pena’s broken-bat single to center. Bohanon grounded into a double play, but Beltre scored.

The Dodgers’ second run was unearned. With two out, Roger Cedeno singled to right and raced to second when Kurt Abbott misplayed the ball. He scored on Juan Castro’s single to right. Castro went to second when Abbott’s throw home went well up the third base line, but he was left there when Jim Eisenreich hit a fly to left.

Bohanon got into--and out of--a jam in the first inning, but then seemed to settle into a comfortable and effective groove.

Shortstop Neifi Perez led off by beating out a bunt to the right side and Abbott followed with a roller to third. Beltre fielded it and made an off-balance throw across his body that was in time, but first base umpire Eric Gregg signaled that first baseman Eric Karros had juggled it, so Abbott was safe.

Angel Echevarria then grounded into a double play begun when second baseman Castro fielded the ball and stepped on the bag, but Vinny Castilla kept the inning going when he drew a walk. Bohanon, however, ended the inning by striking out Derrick Gibson.

Bohanon needed--and got--a good defensive play to help him get out of the seventh when Mark Grudzielanek dove to his left on Mike Lansing’s sharp grounder, corralled the ball and flipped to second for the force as Castro completed the double play.

“Five double plays tonight, that’s outstanding,” Bohanon said.

So was his own performance. “It’s something for him to build off,” Hoffman said. “He’s got to be proud of the way he’s pitched in the time he’s come over here for us. . . . Tonight, the difference performance-wise was he had command of his fastball. Other days, he’s had command of his breaking ball but not his fastball, and he struggled. Tonight he made 107 pitches and came out with hardly a sweat.”