Peavy Takes a Turn for Worse

Before Jake Peavy gave Dodgers first base coach Mariano Duncan something to talk about Monday night at Dodger Stadium, the San Diego right-hander gave his nemeses in blue plenty to fret about.

Peavy had a four-run cushion before throwing his first pitch, courtesy of his teammates’ first-inning outburst.

That seemed like more than enough runs for the player who was not only a designated Dodgers destroyer but supposedly the best pitcher in America, having been tapped by the U.S. team as its opening-game starter in the World Baseball Classic.

San Diego Manager Bruce Bochy had juggled his rotation last week to ensure that Peavy would participate in this series against the Dodgers, so confident was he in a pitcher who had been 2-0 with a 1.29 earned-run average this season against his Southern California rivals.

But Peavy was little more than a footnote in a wild game won by the Dodgers, 11-10, in 10 innings.

Peavy allowed nine hits -- including six extra-base hits -- and four runs to a team that had previously scored two runs in 14 innings against him this season. His ERA against the Dodgers in 2006 more than doubled to 2.84.

Jeff Kent, batting only .250 against Peavy in his career entering the game, was particularly problematic, hitting two doubles and scoring the tying run on J.D. Drew’s ground-rule double in the third inning that knotted the score at 4-4.

Marlon Anderson and Rafael Furcal hit solo home runs off Peavy as well.

Peavy was finished after a scoreless fifth inning, having needed 93 pitches to complete his shortest outing since lasting only 4 1/3 innings Aug. 27 against Colorado.

San Diego relievers Alan Embree, Cla Meredith and Scott Linebrink held the Dodgers to one run in three innings before Jon Adkins and Trevor Hoffman imploded in the ninth, allowing four home runs in a span of seven pitches.

Peavy might have had an even earlier exit Monday had a between-innings brouhaha with Duncan, the Dodgers’ first base coach, escalated much further.

The pitcher was walking off the field after striking out Drew looking at an 87-mph fastball for the final out of the first inning when things turned testy. Peavy was speaking animatedly about something -- whether to himself or the Dodgers, it was not immediately clear -- when he heard Duncan say something that made him reverse course.

Peavy stormed toward Duncan, who began pointing at the pitcher as players from both teams rushed from their respective dugouts. Padres third baseman Russell Branyan moved in between Peavy and Duncan to play peacemaker.

The substandard outing was reminiscent of Peavy’s performances the first three-plus months of the season, when he was beset by shoulder tendinitis and difficulties with his pitching mechanics.

Peavy had been sharp lately, compiling a 2.44 ERA in his last 10 starts before Monday’s outing, allowing three runs or fewer in all but one of those games.

The extended stretch of dominance helped Peavy shave nearly a full run off an ERA that was as high as 5.15 on July 21.

But those numbers had little meaning after his turn for the worse Monday.

ben.bolch@latimes.com