Even Phillies Too Much for Dodgers

Ray Searage knew the pitch was trouble as soon as he threw it. A man can spot trouble after 14 years’ worth.

“I let the ball go, it didn’t do anything, I thought, ‘Geez,’ ” Searage said. “I knew it was going to be bad.”

It was worse than that. Philadelphia’s Ricky Jordan opened the eighth inning Tuesday night by driving that pitch over the right-field fence for a home run that gave the Phillies a 7-6 victory in front of 25,169 at Veterans Stadium.

Afterward, Searage said he was going to try to relax and watch TV. He figures that would help him forget. A man who has played only four major league seasons in 14 years of pro baseball learns how to forget.

“I’ve always got to be positive, I’ve got to think positive thoughts,” Searage said. “If I don’t, I become a nut case.”

Jordan’s blast, his second home run of the night, was one that the Dodgers, and especially Searage, could not afford.

It capped a game in which the Dodgers blew 3-0 and 6-4 leads and fell 12 games behind the National League West-leading San Francisco Giants, who defeated Montreal.

It also capped an ineffective stretch of appearances since Searage returned from a back injury July 9, putting Searage’s back against the wall of uncertainty.

He’s 34. He has a contract that has always expired after one season. He is uncertain enough about his career that he will pitch in the Dominican Republic this winter, probably as the oldest American there, just so that scouts will know he’s still around. To Searage, the home run meant more than merely a loss.

“Sure, you always have things you would really like . . . a two-year deal, a chance to stay with the Dodgers,” Searage said. “But you have to be realistic. For guys like me, you live game by game. You pitch one year in hopes you’ll get a chance to pitch next year. That’s what makes nights like tonight harder.”

Realistically, when the Dodgers are deciding upon their left-handed bullpen help this winter, they are not going to review this game and blame starter Ramon Martinez, even though he blew their 3-0 lead by giving up homers to Jordan and Von Hayes. They aren’t going to blame reliever Mike Morgan, who blew their 6-4 lead in the sixth inning by giving up a bad-hop single off his shin and a two-run double barely inside first base by pinch-hitter Dwayne Murphy.

They are going to look at Searage, who has allowed eight runs in 14 innings (5.14 ERA) since coming off the disabled list July 9.

“I don’t know what they are thinking . . . but I don’t want to guess,” Searage said.

When he was disabled May 31 with back spasms, he had a 1.13 ERA and had allowed runs in only two of 19 appearances. He was their top middle reliever, a role that Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda tried to recreate Tuesday. He left in Searage to start the eighth inning even though Jordan is a right-handed hitter and right-handers Alejandro Pena, Tim Crews and even John Wetteland were in the bullpen.

But Searage has apparently never fully recovered from the back problems. He says he can’t afford to fully recover.

“It would be nice to have the job security where you could say, ‘I can’t pitch today, I’m not feeling too good,’ ” he said. “But I can’t. (My back) has good days and bad days. But as long as I’m here, I’ve got take every chance they give me.”

The Dodgers need to take advantage of more chances such as Tuesday’s, against the National League’s worst pitching staff. Against starter Dennis Cook, Mike Huff hit his first major league homer in the second inning. Two innings later, after one of three singles by Eddie Murray, Mike Marshall hit his ninth homer.

But then Martinez gave it away. He walked the first batter in the fourth, John Kruk, on four pitches. Then Jordan, who has nine homers, hit his first of the night. An inning later, after a single by Tommy Herr, Hayes hit his 18th homer.

“He throws good, but he makes mistakes,” Lasorda said of Martinez, who since being recalled from triple-A Albuquerque July 16, has allowed 18 runs and 18 walks in 36 innings for a 4.50 ERA. “You have to learn by trial and error, I guess.”

Morgan, who followed Martinez, has seen enough trials this season. The bad luck that has plagued the former National League ERA leader happened again in the sixth, particularly on the one-out grounder by Charlie Hayes that hit a seam and popped over Dodger second baseman Willie Randolph’s head to start the Phillies’ game-tying, two-run rally.

Dodger Notes

Dodger pitcher John Wetteland was in the bullpen only because, with two recent off days, he has not started since Aug. 9, and will not start until this weekend in New York. . . . Philadelphia’s John Kruk had a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. He was batting .194 when he was traded here from San Diego June 2. Since then he has gone 54 for 149 (.362) to improve his average to .302. The difference? “I’m happy here,” Kruk said. “They like me here.” . . . Eddie Murray broke out of a one-for-11 slump with three hits. . . . Philadelphia starter Dennis Cook has allowed homers in 10 consecutive starts, 17 homers in 85 1/3 innings, 1.79 homers per nine innings.

John Tudor left the team with permission, flying to Boston to be examined by Red Sox physician Arthur Pappas. Tudor will rejoin the club in a few days. . . . On Tuesday Mickey Hatcher swung a bat for the first time since going on the disabled list Aug. 6 with a strained left hamstring. He said he felt good, and will probably be ready to return when he is eligible to leave the disabled list next week in Montreal.