Steve Trachsel

DODGERS' RAMON MARTINEZ (3-2, 4.07 ERA) vs. CUBS' STEVE TRACHSEL (1-4, 7.03) * Site--Wrigley Field, Chicago, 11:20 a.m. PDT * TV--WGN. * Radio--KABC (790 AM), KWKW (1330 AM). * UPDATE--The Dodgers may be taking the day off if the weather forecast is correct. Rain is predicted. If they had their druthers, however, they would play, particularly with Steve Trachsel starting for the Cubs. The Dodgers smoked him two weeks ago in Dodger Stadium for eight hits and five runs in four innings.

Steve Trachsel, who retired two of the 12 batters he faced in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, may not start Game 7, if the series goes that far. The New York Mets are as likely to go with left-hander Darren Oliver, who pitched six innings in relief of Trachsel on Saturday and did not give up a run, but could need Oliver in a long stint before then. In that case, they would have little choice but to pitch Trachsel again.

For 11 minutes, he was the loneliest man in America. For 11 minutes, he stood 60 feet 6 inches from ground zero, the happiest spot on the planet, with nothing to celebrate. Finally, mercifully for Chicago Cub right-hander Steve Trachsel, after 11 minutes of cheers and goose bumps and hugs and high-fives and friendly pats to the stomach at Busch Stadium, the excitement over Mark McGwire's record-setting 62nd home run of the season calmed down enough for Tuesday night's game to resume.

Steve Trachsel jeopardized his chance to shut out the Angels on Sunday when he threw a pitch behind Bengie Molina in the eighth inning, after the Angels' Scott Schoeneweis had hit Jeromy Burnitz with a pitch earlier in the inning. Home-plate umpire Rob Drake immediately warned the New York Met pitcher and both teams, but that did not satisfy Angel Manager Mike Scioscia, who raced out of the dugout in protest.

Steve Trachsel doesn't go home and pull the blinds shut or unplug his phone or wear dark glasses in public. Practically everyone in America has seen No. 46 of the Chicago Cubs deliver the pitch to Mark McGwire that became baseball history. But the man who surrendered historic No. 62 and is now linked to other pitchers and famous shots from the past--Tracy Stallard, Al Downing and Ralph Branca to name a few--has not gone into hiding.

Right-hander Steve Trachsel has become so adept at finishing what he starts that Fullerton Angels co-Coach Dan Robinson figures it would take a minor miracle to prompt Trachsel's removal from the mound. If not a pair of vice grips. "When Steve starts," Robinson said, "you can't get the ball out of his hand. You can't rip it away from him."

Eight-year-old Steve Trachsel was in the upper deck of Anaheim Stadium in 1979, screaming like a banshee, when the Angels played the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship Series. After the game, he bought a Rod Carew T-shirt. Later, a Nolan Ryan poster adorned his bedroom wall.

Steve Trachsel couldn't beat Mark McGwire, so he's looking to join him. The Chicago Cubs' pitcher became a part of baseball infamy Tuesday night by allowing McGwire's 62nd home run. Now he's looking to stand alongside the St. Louis slugger in commercials and advertisements, his agent, Alan Meersand, told Bloomberg News.

Steve Trachsel, who retired two of the 12 batters he faced in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, may not start Game 7, if the series goes that far. The New York Mets are as likely to go with left-hander Darren Oliver, who pitched six innings in relief of Trachsel on Saturday and did not give up a run, but could need Oliver in a long stint before then. In that case, they would have little choice but to pitch Trachsel again.

Steve Trachsel jeopardized his chance to shut out the Angels on Sunday when he threw a pitch behind Bengie Molina in the eighth inning, after the Angels' Scott Schoeneweis had hit Jeromy Burnitz with a pitch earlier in the inning. Home-plate umpire Rob Drake immediately warned the New York Met pitcher and both teams, but that did not satisfy Angel Manager Mike Scioscia, who raced out of the dugout in protest.

Steve Trachsel grew up 10 minutes from Anaheim Stadium with a Rod Carew T-shirt on his back and a Nolan Ryan poster on his bedroom wall. Long before his days as Fullerton Troy High's star pitcher -- and even after Angel General Manager Bill Stoneman told the then-free agent's representative no thanks to a proposed deal before the 2000 season -- he envisioned himself as an Angel.

Steve Trachsel extended his scoreless-innings streak to 17 and Fred McGriff hit a seventh-inning homer as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat Orlando Hernandez and the New York Yankees, 1-0, Thursday night at New York. It was the second consecutive 1-0 victory for Trachsel (3-2), who gave up three hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings. In his previous start Saturday, he beat Boston and Pedro Martinez with a complete-game shutout at Fenway Park.

Eight-year-old Steve Trachsel was in the upper deck of Anaheim Stadium in 1979, screaming like a banshee, when the Angels played the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Championship Series. After the game, he bought a Rod Carew T-shirt. Later, a Nolan Ryan poster adorned his bedroom wall.

For eight innings, Steve Trachsel was nearly unhittable at Milwaukee on Saturday. But the ninth was a different story. Trachsel took a two-hitter and a 4-0 lead into the ninth. But Geoff Jenkins' two-out, run-scoring double capped a five-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning and rallied the Brewers over the Chicago Cubs, 5-4. After Fernando Vina led off the ninth with a bunt single and Jeff Cirillo singled with one out, Terry Mulholland relieved Trachsel.

Steve Trachsel doesn't go home and pull the blinds shut or unplug his phone or wear dark glasses in public. Practically everyone in America has seen No. 46 of the Chicago Cubs deliver the pitch to Mark McGwire that became baseball history. But the man who surrendered historic No. 62 and is now linked to other pitchers and famous shots from the past--Tracy Stallard, Al Downing and Ralph Branca to name a few--has not gone into hiding.

Steve Trachsel couldn't beat Mark McGwire, so he's looking to join him. The Chicago Cubs' pitcher became a part of baseball infamy Tuesday night by allowing McGwire's 62nd home run. Now he's looking to stand alongside the St. Louis slugger in commercials and advertisements, his agent, Alan Meersand, told Bloomberg News.

Steve Trachsel extended his scoreless-innings streak to 17 and Fred McGriff hit a seventh-inning homer as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat Orlando Hernandez and the New York Yankees, 1-0, Thursday night at New York. It was the second consecutive 1-0 victory for Trachsel (3-2), who gave up three hits, struck out five and walked one in seven innings. In his previous start Saturday, he beat Boston and Pedro Martinez with a complete-game shutout at Fenway Park.

A flag tap-dancing in the brisk breeze blowing out at College of the Canyons' launching pad of a field Friday seemed to portend offensive pyrotechnics, but Canyons' flagging offense fizzled altogether. Canyons was blown away when Fullerton right-hander Steve Trachsel went low and away with an effective mix of fastballs, split-finger fastballs and curves.

For 11 minutes, he was the loneliest man in America. For 11 minutes, he stood 60 feet 6 inches from ground zero, the happiest spot on the planet, with nothing to celebrate. Finally, mercifully for Chicago Cub right-hander Steve Trachsel, after 11 minutes of cheers and goose bumps and hugs and high-fives and friendly pats to the stomach at Busch Stadium, the excitement over Mark McGwire's record-setting 62nd home run of the season calmed down enough for Tuesday night's game to resume.

DODGERS' RAMON MARTINEZ (3-2, 4.07 ERA) vs. CUBS' STEVE TRACHSEL (1-4, 7.03) * Site--Wrigley Field, Chicago, 11:20 a.m. PDT * TV--WGN. * Radio--KABC (790 AM), KWKW (1330 AM). * UPDATE--The Dodgers may be taking the day off if the weather forecast is correct. Rain is predicted. If they had their druthers, however, they would play, particularly with Steve Trachsel starting for the Cubs. The Dodgers smoked him two weeks ago in Dodger Stadium for eight hits and five runs in four innings.