LA Wins Despite Bullpen Scuffle

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave new meaning to a close-fought game.

Several Dodgers went into the Wrigley Field crowd Tuesday night after a fan stole Chad Kreuter's cap and ran off with it in the ninth inning of Los Angeles' 6-5 victory. The game was delayed for nine minutes while some Dodgers and fans fought.

"I was worried. I'm down there trying to get my guys out of there, and I'm getting beer thrown on me," Dodgers manager Dave Johnson said.

Kreuter was in the bullpen area, which is just over a small, chest-high wall from the fans, when pinch-hitter Julio Zuleta had an RBI double to cut the Dodgers' lead to 6-5 with one out. A fan grabbed Kreuter's cap and hit him, and then took off running.

"If you wanted a hat that bad, be polite and ask for one. We'll give it to you. We've got a whole bunch of them," Hundley added. "When you come down and punch a guy in the head, then we're allowed to do whatever we want to do."

Kreuter went into the stands after the fan, and a few of his teammates followed. The rest of the bullpen gathered along the first-base wall and Los Angeles' dugout emptied.

A few more players waded into the crowd, and several Dodgers were seen tussling with fans.

"The game was on the field. Todd Hundley was the hero," Kreuter said of Hundley, who hit a three-run homer in the eightto lead Los Angeles. "I've been told there's no side right now. The game was on the field."

It took security several minutes and several tries to finally restore order. Cubs manager Don Baylor and bench coach Rene Lachemann also came over to plead with fans to calm down.

"That was part of the problem. It kept going on and no one showed up. There were no uniformed personnel," Dodgers general manager Kevin Malone said. "It looked like it was out of control and there weren't any control measures in place."

But the Dodgers have to take some of the blame, Baylor said.

"I just know that when pitchers go into the stands, you're taking big risks," Baylor said. "The next thing you know, you have their general manager standing next to me on the field. He shouldn't have been there, either. You can't go into the stands. No matter what they throw."

Several fans were taken away in handcuffs, but there was no immediate word of arrests, Cubs general manager Ed Lynch said.

"We don't know how or why it escalated," Lynch said. "We're not sure of any arrests. Our security staff is still in the process of sorting things out."

This isn't the first time Wrigley Field fans have gotten out of control at a night game. A game against the Colorado Rockies in May 1999 had to be delayed in the eighth inning when fans, upset over an umpire's call, pelted the field with baseballs, bottles, coins and cups of beer. Colorado center fielder Darryl Hamilton said one fan threw a Jack Daniels bottle onto the field.

Seventy-five people were ejected in that one, but there were no arrests. The Cubs restricted beer sales and added security after the incident.

"We don't condone this type of behavior," Lynch said Tuesday night.

Though shaken up, the Dodgers regrouped after the fight. Jeff Shaw retired Eric Young and Ricky Gutierrez on popouts, ending the game and getting his ninth save. Alan Mills (1-1) pitched a perfect seventh.

Kevin Tapani (1-5) gave up six runs and nine hits in eight innings.

Hundley has homered in the last four games and in seven of his last eight starts. His homer to center also bailed out Kevin Brown, who gave up a season-high four runs three of them earned and four hits in six innings. Brown, who'd given up just one run in each of his last four starts, also tied his season high for earned runs allowed.

Shawn Green hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers, and Adrian Beltre added a solo shot.

Ricky Gutierrez hit a two-run homer for the Cubs, and Glenallen Hill added a solo shot. Sammy Sosa drove in Chicago's other run on a sacrifice fly.

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