“Teams go through spells and ours kind of came at the end of the season,” Loretta told the Associated Press. “We had a week or so where we were having some tough luck and weren’t too good. We were looking forward to this night — and maybe looking too far ahead. So to come through and kind of exhale a little bit going into the playoffs, I think we’re in good shape.”
The Dodgers (95-67) will face the St. Louis Cardinals (91-71) in one of the league’s two division series. The first game will be Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Loretta will find out if he’s on the postseason roster, which is tentatively set to be released at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Loretta finished the regular season batting .232 (42 for 181) with no home runs and 25 runs batted in.
Juan Castro (Glendale resident) Los Angeles Dodgers infielder: The versatile Castro also played a role in helping the Dodgers win the West Division.
He entered Saturday’s game against the Colorado Rockies in the bottom of the seventh as a pinch-runner and scored on Mark Loretta’s two-run double to make it 2-0.
Castro wound up batting .277 (31 for 112) with one home run and nine runs batted in during the season.
Trevor Bell (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim relief pitcher: Bell, a former All-Area Player of the Year, went 1-2 with a 9.74 earned-run average after being called up from the minors in August. Bell began his stint as a starter and was then moved to the bullpen.
The Angels won the American League’s West Division, but the News-Press learned Monday that Bell will not be on the Angels’ 25-man playoff roster. The Angels (97-65) will face the Boston Red Sox (95-67) in one of two league divisional series, likely beginning Thursday.
