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The Dodgers made a seemingly minor transaction on Thursday when they sent third baseman Blake DeWitt to the minors and called up pitcher Cory Wade to give them 12 pitchers on the roster. Only problem was that the move, designed to give a tired pitching staff another option, left the Dodgers with only one third baseman on the roster ... which was Nomar Garciaparra. No matter, what are the chances that Nomar is going to get hurt one day after this happens?

Well, it's Nomar ... so you figure the chances are pretty high. And sure enough, in the ninth inning of Friday night's game against the Rockies, Garciaparra had to be lifted from the game after straining his left abdomen reaching for a double down the left field line. With Garciaparra being the only third baseman on the roster, catcher Russell Martin had to play third base for the first time since his first year in pro ball, and Gary Bennett came in to catch.

Here's your irony alert: At that point in the game, the score was 7-6 Dodgers in the ninth with runners on second and third. So what happens? Bennett, the new catcher, let a pitch get through his legs to bring home the tying run and send the game to extras (the game is currently headed to the bottom of the 13th inning.) So that pitching staff, which was supposed to get more rest with 12 pitchers, is getting worn out anyway. As Dodger announcer Vin Scully likes to say: "The best laid plans ... "