Having written extensively Sunday about fans leaving early, I have to add one important twist that has come this season.

Word is spreading about the Dodger dominance in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, which I first reported April 18.

Here is the Dodgers score-by-innings after 32 games, or 20 percent of the season:

Opponents ...15 11 13...14 14 11...07 02 04...02 01 03...00 - 097
Dodgers .......08 08 09...09 08 15...26 16 13...01 00 00...01 - 114

That's 55-13 in favor of the Dodgers in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. The team is getting killed before and after that triptych, but you really can't walk away from a Dodger game until it's over.

Eric Gagne, of course, explains the Dodgers' ninth-inning dominance, but the team has actually been even better in the eighth inning, in which Gagne has yet to appear. The Dodgers have not allowed an eighth-inning run since April 7.

Here's how it breaks down for the nine pitchers who have been eighth-inningers:

Pitcher...G...IP......AB...H...2B...3B...HR...BB...SO...DP...HBP...Sac..SB...CS...R....ERA
Shuey......9...7.7....23....1......0......0......0......1......4......0......1......0......0......2......0......0.00
Brohawn.4...3.7....13....1......0......0......0......0......6......0......0......0......1......0......0......0.00
Mota.........4...3.3....12....2......0......0......0......1......4......0......0......0......1......0......0......0.00
Brown......1....1.......3......0......0......0......0......0......2......0......0......0......0......0......0......0.00
Nomo......1....1.......4......1......0......0......0......0......2......0......0......0......0......0......0......0.00
Perez.......1....1.......5......2......0......0......0......0......2......0......0......0......0......0......0......0.00
Colyer......1...0.7.....3......1......1......0......0......1......0......0......0......0......0......0......0......0.00
Quantrill.10..7......24......7......2......0......0......1......3......2......1......2......0......0......1......1.29
Martin......10..6.7..19......5......1......0......1......2......7......0......0.....1......0......0.......1......1.35
Total.......32...32..106...20.....4......0......1......6....30.....2......2......3......2......2......2......0.56

Individually, anyone can put together a few good innings. But collectively, it really is something. In the eighth inning, Dodger opponents are batting .189, with an on-base percentage of .246, a slugging percentage of .255 and an OPS of .501.

And, when he returns from the disabled list, Paul Shuey will be four outs away from an eighth-inning one-hitter.