Dodgers Knocked Down Again by Setup Men

PHILADELPHIA — The Dodger bullpen is built around All-Star closer Eric Gagne, who needs only a little help.

Gagne isn’t getting enough these days, and other relievers faltered again Monday in a 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before 20,259 at Veterans Stadium.

Setup man Paul Shuey (0-1) continued to struggle with his new club, failing to preserve a one-run lead in the eighth inning, prompting Manager Jim Tracy to turn to Giovanni Carrara in a 5-5, two-out, bases-loaded situation. Carrara hit Todd Pratt with a first-pitch curveball to force in the go-ahead run, and hit Jimmy Rollins, the next batter, with a 2-and-1 slider to bring in an insurance run before Tomas Perez lined out to short.

Tracy was saving Gagne for the ninth. Paul Quantrill was not available, having pitched in five consecutive games, and Tracy did not want to use left-handed specialist Jesse Orosco because of his increased workload in the second half, including warming up during games.

“There are directions you would have liked to have gone in, but you’ve got Paul Quantrill sitting down there, having pitched five days in a row, and eight of the last nine,” Tracy said. “You’ve got Jesse Orosco having been on a bullpen mound, pretty much every day, since the second half of the season started.

“We had to get a third out in the eighth inning before we would warm up [Gagne] and bring him in the game. Gio had to get an out there for us, that’s all there is to it, and unfortunately he hit [two batters].”

Carrara left the clubhouse before reporters were permitted to enter, leaving the Dodgers to explain what pitching coach Jim Colborn described as the middle reliever’s “mini-meltdown.”

“Pratt is a good fastball hitter, so I told [Carrara] let’s go first-pitch breaking ball,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “He’ll throw that pitch for strikes 99 times out of 100. It was just one of those times he lost it.

“The second pitch was a little slider. Jimmy Rollins was right on the plate, and it just got away from him. That’s all.”

The Dodgers loaded the bases with two out in the ninth against Philadelphia closer Jose Mesa, putting leadoff batter Dave Roberts in a situation he enjoys. Roberts began the game three for three with a home run and eight runs batted in with the bases full this season, but he lined out to center to end the game.

Mesa got his 32nd save and second in the series, enabling Mike Timlin (3-3) to get the victory despite giving up the go-ahead run in the seventh on Mark Grudzielanek’s fifth homer.

The Dodgers (62-50) finished 6-7 on their first losing trip of the season, splitting the four-game series with Philadelphia (53-58). They trail the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks by a season-high seven games in the National League West, after beginning the trip 1 1/2 games back, and lead the idle San Francisco Giants by a half game in the NL wild-card standings.

Adrian Beltre made another timely contribution with a two-run homer--No. 15--in a three-run seventh, and starter Hideo Nomo rebounded from a rough beginning to pitch seven innings with 10 strikeouts. But that was not enough for the Dodgers, who are 8-16 since the All-Star break.

Shuey hasn’t provided the boost the Dodgers hoped he would when they acquired him July 28 from the Cleveland Indians, giving up well-regarded pitching prospect Ricardo Rodriguez in the four-player deal.

The right-hander, pitching for the sixth time in seven days, gave up two hits and was charged with three runs in two-thirds of an inning. Shuey has a 9.64 earned-run average with the Dodgers in 4 2/3 innings. He has given up eight hits and walked seven, retiring only 14 of 29 batters.

Shuey acknowledged he is not accustomed to pitching as much as he has with the Dodgers, though he welcomes the work.

“The bottom line is that we had the lead,” Shuey said, “and we didn’t have it anymore after I left.”