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Jerry Sands brings the buzz, Ted Lilly the pitching in Dodgers’ 4-2 victory

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First major league games should be memorable. Safe to say, Jerry Sands will remember his Monday night against the Atlanta Braves.

Sands, called up earlier in the day after spending only 10 games at triple A, had a series of at-bats to remember in the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory.

His first at-bat came in a three-run first inning, and he promptly doubled against Tim Hudson.

When he batted for the second time, in the third inning, the Dodger Stadium crowd of 28,292 chanted, ‘Jer-ree, Jer-ree’ ala Jerry Springer. Then he hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in his first run.

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They chanted his name again in the fourth inning when, after seeming to lose Brian McCann’s low line drive in the lights, he recovered to make an awkward shoe-string catch in left field.

Then in the sixth inning, after more chants, Hudson seemingly grew tired of the Jerry Sands Show. He threw his first pitch at Sands’ helmet. And welcome to the majors.

Ted Lilly, who threw seven scoreless innings in his best start this season, retaliated in the top of the seventh inning, throwing a pitch behind Nate McLouth. A little ‘It’s OK, kid, we have your back.’

After more ‘Jer-ree, Jer-ree’ chants, Sands struck out in the sixth inning and in the eighth. Still, a night to remember for the Dodgers’ reigning minor league player of the year.

Lilly took advantage of a run-scoring single by Matt Kemp and a two-run single by James Loney in the first inning to shut down the Braves on four hits for seven innings. He looked a lot like the pitcher who first joined the Dodgers on July 31, walking two and striking out six.

Jonathan Broxton gave up two runs in the ninth inning.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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