PITTSBURGH – One of the Los Angeles Dodgers' most frustrating moments from Friday night's 10-inning loss came after a bunt by Sean Rodriguez in the 10th inning. Both pitcher Jim Johnson and third baseman Alberto Callaspo thought the other player was going to field it and, as a result, nobody did.
What made it more maddening was that the infielders had met on the mound just before the play to discuss just such a possibility.
"I did what I thought I was supposed to do there," Johnson said. "That's kind of what we were meeting on the mound for."
The next batter, pinch hitter Pedro Alvarez, lined a single to right field off J.P. Howell to win the game for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said the team emphasizes the need to get an out on bunt plays. He thinks Callaspo was retreating to third base in case there was a play there. He also thinks the fact that both players had been acquired within the past couple of months and didn't have spring training with the Dodgers contributed to the miscommunication.
"One of our fights all spring long is you always get an out on the bunt," Mattingly said. "If you don't, you end up with big innings."
