Jones nearly singles in first career big league at bat

    While Pendleton Countian and longtime major league relief pitcher Nate Jones has numerous memorable moments while working from the pitcher’s mound, another unforgettable experience in his ten year career played out on June 1: his first career at-bat.
    Jones entered the top of the fifth inning as his Dodgers trailed 2-0 to the St. Louis Cardinals and made quickly retired his competition with a pair of lineouts and a ground out. In the bottom portion of the inning, Jones, with bat in hand, stepped into the batter’s box with two out to take part in his first ever major league at bat. After taking a first pitch ball outside to go ahead in the count, he swung and sent a line drive that the Cardinals second baseman had to back peddle and made a leaping stab to rob Jones of getting his first ever base hit.
    He would return to the mound to begin the top of the sixth inning and once again pitched effectively in not allowing St. Louis to create any scoring threat. Unfortunately, the Dodgers would go onto lose 3-2.
    The team continues to try climb back atop of the standings in the National League West and has upcoming series with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers.