BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : The Wrong Place, Wrong Time--Again

How unlucky does Jim Gott feel after being the losing pitcher in Thursday’s 5-4, 12th-inning loss to the San Diego Padres?

“Jay Howell said he doesn’t even want to come near me,” Gott said after giving up the winning run in an extra-inning game for the third time this year. “It will turn around. I mean, it has to turn around.”

In the Dodgers second-longest game this season--4 hours 28 minutes--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 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

Gott, who entered the game in the 12th as the Dodgers’ sixth pitcher, gave up two one-out singles (one a bloop) and an intentional walk before yielding the winning hit down the first-base line.

He was at least thankful that, after falling behind Faries 2-and-0, he didn’t walk in the winning run in a second consecutive appearance. “At least I went right at them this time,” said Gott, 1-3 with a 3.45 earned-run average and 23 walks and 26 strikeouts. “I came into the game a little perturbed that I was like the last pitcher, the last resort. I can understand it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

“Maybe because of that, I came in and went hard, without trying to be too fine. Hopefully I’ll stay that way.”

Chris Gwynn, who was given Thursday night off because wife, JoAnn, gave birth to daughter Maya JoAnn Wednesday, nearly tried to join the team anyway.

While watching the game from his Los Angeles area home, he became a bit worried when it went into extra innings and the Dodgers were running out of pinch-hitters. He almost jumped into his car and made the 90-minute drive.

“I was thinking about it,” Gwynn said. “I really started wondering . . . then I said, ‘No way I’m going to make it.’ ”

The Dodger could have used him, because their pinch-hitters went hitless in four appearances, stranding runners in scoring position in the seventh and 12th innings. Before Friday, Gwynn was the team’s leading pinch-hitter with a .318 average.

Mike Scioscia was given a cortisone shot in his right hand Friday after X-rays on his bruised hand showed no damage. He will probably be available only as a pinch-hitter until after next week’s All-Star break. . . . Jay Howell, who began throwing in the outfield for the first time since going on the disabled list last week, said he would not start throwing off a mound until Sunday. . . . Jeff Hamilton rejoined the team after his expensive, unauthorized visit to his Flint, Mich., home.

Lenny Harris was benched against a left-hander (Tom Glavine Friday night) for the second time in three nights, but the Dodgers have not returned to a platoon situation with Harris and Sharperson. Manager Tom Lasorda said he simply wants to keep Sharperson ready. . . . A day after criticizing the All-Star game, a snubbed Mike Morgan wanted to make it clear that, “More important to me is winning the division and going to the World Series. If we do that, none of this will matter.”