LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� With 鈥淲elcome to the Jungle鈥� blaring like the old days, Eric Gagn茅 took the mound and fired a strike Wednesday night on the 20th anniversary of recording his 84th consecutive save for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
鈥淓very time I step on this field, it鈥檚 like a church to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 my office on top of that little mound and walking in here with all the history 鈥� the Tommy Lasordas, the Don Drysdales, the Sandy Koufaxes of the world 鈥� it's humbling.鈥�
Catching Gagn茅 was current closer Evan Phillips. Manager Dave Roberts turned down the request of his former teammate to get behind the plate, but they shared a big hug on the field.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what he鈥檚 going to throw and I don鈥檛 want him to embarrass me,鈥� said Roberts, who played with Gagn茅 from 2002-04.
The consecutive saves mark still stands as the longest such streak in major league history. It lasted 87 2/3 innings in which the Canadian struck out 139 batters while not allowing any of 123 inherited runners to score. He gave up a total of two runs and no homers.
鈥淚t was like cartoon stuff, guys had no chance,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚 remember being out in center field and I would kind of challenge myself by not having my glove on when the pitch was thrown.鈥�
Gagn茅 signed with the Dodgers as a free agent in 1995 and began his career as a starter. But after struggling in that role, he was converted into a reliever.
That鈥檚 where he blossomed. From 2002-04, Gagn茅 was the majors鈥� dominant closer and won the NL Cy Young Award in 2003. He was a three-time All-Star during that stretch. He finished his career with 187 saves.
Gagn茅 pitched sparingly in 2005 and 2006 after undergoing elbow and back surgeries. The Dodgers didn鈥檛 re-sign him. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2007 when they won the World Series.
That December, Gagn茅 was linked to baseball鈥檚 steroids scandal after he was named in the Mitchell Report. In 2010, he admitted to using human growth hormone, saying it was to recover from a knee injury.
Deeply tan from days spent playing golf and biking in Arizona where he lives, the 48-year-old credited his teammates, including Roberts and Shawn Green, for keeping the streak alive.
鈥淎 lot had to go right and the defense behind me was unbelievable,鈥� Gagn茅 said. 鈥淧eople call it a save, I call it more of a preserved win. That鈥檚 kind of how I went about my whole approach. I didn鈥檛 feel the pressure that much because I wasn鈥檛 really focused on me messing up. I was focused on helping the guys.鈥�
Roberts helped him, too. One night in Houston, he robbed Lance Berkman of a home run in the ninth to keep the streak going.
鈥淚鈥檓 certain that he said he owes me a dinner,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淚鈥檓 still hungry.鈥�
Gagn茅 plans to pay up next year at spring training.
鈥淲e got to find a good steakhouse worth it,鈥� he said.
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AP MLB:
Beth Harris, The Associated Press
