Not that Dodgers and Angels fans in Arcadia need any additional reasons to watch the League Championship Series starting tonight with the Dodgers and continuing Friday with the Angels, but here’s another one anyway:
by Scott Hettrick
That Dodgers player who got the unlikely walk-off game-winning pinch hit last week with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 2 to put the Dodgers up 2-0 in the Division Series against the Cardinals is from Arcadia.
Dodgers infielder Mark Loretta grew up in Arcadia
Mark Loretta, 38, in his 15th season and his first as a Dodger, grew up in Arcadia and attended St. Francis High School in La Canada.
The two-time all-star and 2004 National League Silver Slugger Award said last week’s hit was the biggest of his career. The Dodgers were down 2-1 and had two outs against them in the bottom of the 9th inning with no runners on base. James Loney’s fly ball appeared to be about to send the Dodgers to St. Louis with the series tied 1-1 when Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday inexplicably dropped the ball.
Former Arcadian Mark Loretta's pinch-hit game-winning single for Dodgers in playoffs against Cardinals
That led to a series of walks and singles and a run before Loretta was called by manager Joe Torre to pinch hit with the bases loaded and the game now tied. He promptly drove in the winning run for an improbable and memorable 3-2 victory and a 2-0 lead for the Dodgers, setting up a three-game sweep of the Cardinals and a trip back to Dodgers stadium for tonight’s first of a best-of-seven League Championship series against the defending World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.
“Nothing like a walk-off win,” Loretta said. “It helps when it’s that kind of situation, you focus more, you concentrate more.”
According to Wikipedia, Loretta has a wife named Hilary, a son named Frankie, and a daughter named Lucy. His parents are David and Ellen Loretta, and he has a brother Chris and a sister Kelly.
If you know or went to school or any other activities with Mark Loretta, let us know about by shring your memories in comments below.
Born in Santa Monica on Aug. 14, 1971, the 6-foot, 200-pound Loretta attended Northwestern University before beginning a baseball career that would eventually land him in the Majors as an infielder playing with the Milwaukee Brewers (1995-2002), Houston Astros (2002, 2007-08), San Diego Padres (2003-05), and Boston Red Sox (2006) before signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers for $1.25 mil.
Loretta hit .280 in 261 at-bats for the Astros before signing with the Dodgers, and had four homers and 38 RBIs. The right-handed batter/fielder appeared at four infield positions and hit .330 against left-handers.