Dodgers Fall in 12 Innings : Baseball: Faries’ one-out, bases-loaded bunt off Gott scores Padres’ winning run.

Jim Gott’s nightmarish season continued Thursday, growing more unreal by the game.

In the 12th inning against the San Diego Padres, Gott’s throw home on a surprise bunt by Paul Faries was late, pulling catcher Gary Carter off the plate and allowing Fred McGriff to score the winning run in the Padres’ 5-4 victory before 40,446 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The 4-hour 28-minute game, the Dodgers’ second-longest of the season, was also another long night for Gott (1-3), who has allowed a winning run to score in extra innings three times in the past month.

Gott, who entered the game in the 12th as the Dodgers’ sixth pitcher, allowed a one-out single to left by McGriff, then another single to right by Jerald Clark. Gott then intentionally walked Benito Santiago to pitch to Faries, who was hitting .183.

After throwing two balls to Faries, raising the fear that Gott would walk in the winning run for a second consecutive appearance, Faries swung though a fastball for strike one. Then he laid down a perfect bunt down the first base line.

The right-handed Gott picked it up but, throwing while running to his left, could not get the ball to the plate before McGriff, who was not running on the pitch. Carter left the base to make the catch, but it probably would not have mattered.

The Dodgers’ defeat, ending a five-game win streak, ruined four hits by Carter, a first-inning home run by Darryl Strawberry, and eighth-inning heroics by Carter and Brett Butler, who extended his hitting steak to 18 games in his fifth at-bat while tying the game, at 4-4.

The Padres had a chance to win it in the bottom of the 10th after Tony Gwynn singled and stole second, his fourth hit and second stolen base. But he was stranded on third when Faries fouled out to left field.

The Dodgers had a chance to win in the top of the 10th, when they loaded the bases against Padre relievers Adam Peterson and Craig Lefferts. But Butler lined a ball to third baseman Scott Coolbaugh, who caught it and touched third for inning-ending double play.

After the lead had changed hands three times with two ties, the Dodgers tied it for a third time, at 4-4, with a dramatic eighth inning.

Carter started the eighth against reliever Larry Andersen with a single to left. After a perfect bunt by Alfredo Griffin, pinch-hitter Mitch Webster hit a fly ball to right, moving Carter to third.

Butler, with his 17-game hitting streak on the line, then battled Andersen to a 2-and-2 count before fouling off a pitch, then lining the next pitch past third base to score a fist-pumping Carter.

Butler has the longest current hitting streak in the National League. During the streak he is batting .380, one of the reasons he will be making his first appearance in an All-Star game next week.

Carter’s big night also extended his hitting streak to 12 games. During that time he is batting .347.

Two of Carter’s other three hits helped change the scoreboard Thursday. In the second inning, he beat out an infield single--when was the last time that happened?--that led to a run. In the fourth inning, he doubled and scored a run.

The Padres had broken a 3-3 tie with a run in the seventh inning as they finally got starter Mike Morgan out of the game. Except for poor baserunning judgment, they could have eliminated the possibility of extra innings.

With one out in the seventh, Thomas Howard walked, then Tony Fernandez singled him to third. Morgan was relieved by Dennis Cook, who allowed a run-scoring fly ball to center field by Gwynn. Cook then allowed a line-drive single to right by McGriff.

Fernandez, who was running on the pitch, attempted to score from first base but was thrown out on a short but good relay throw from first baseman Eddie Murray.

Before the game Morgan was in a bad mood upon learning that he had been snubbed in the selections for the All-Star game. After the game he wasn’t in a much better mood as equaled his season low by lasting 6 1/3 innings. He allowed nine hits with three walks, equaling his season high in both categories.

Morgan appeared to bring that anger with him on the field for at least the first inning, when he allowed two runs on three consecutive hits. But he settled down somewhat, and only three of the four runs he allowed were earned.

The Dodgers could have given Morgan a chance to win before he left, but they blew a good seventh-inning chance when they loaded the bases with one out on a single by Samuel and walks to Strawberry and Murray by relief pitcher Rich Rodriguez.

But Kal Daniels struck out on three pitches, then pinch-hitter Stan Javier, facing new reliever Mike Maddux, grounded to first to end the inning.