"For about a month, Rafael Furcal said that his mind was wandering.

His father, Silvino, was in the hospital in the Dominican Republic after being kicked by a horse.

"What can I tell you?" Furcal said. "I wasn't able to concentrate."

Three weeks ago, Furcal returned home to see his father during his final days. In some ways, Furcal said that the death of his father relieved him of a significant emotional burden.

"What can I do now?" he asked. "Now that he's gone, I have to move forward. I have to concentrate.

"Because I got to see him, I feel better now."

That has translated into better results on the field. In the 14 games Furcal played from his return from the bereavement list June 23 to Wednesday, he batted .400, scored 17 runs and drove in 15 more.

Furcal had a season-long 10-game hitting streak snapped Wednesday.

He said he misses hearing the voice of his father, who would call and scold him when he wasn't playing well. In his younger days, Silvino was a shortstop and left fielder for an amateur team in their hometown of Loma de Cabrera.

"He was one of the best ballplayers in my village," Furcal said proudly."