BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Claire: Left-Hander No Pressing Concern

Even after a 7-5 loss Monday night to the Philadelphia Phillies, when the team’s need for another left-handed reliever was again made clear, the Dodgers are not stepping up efforts to find one.

Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said that while he is looking for another left-hander, he still does not see it as imperative.

Claire, who spent the spring and early part of the season searching for one at bargain-basement prices, ended up bringing up 21-year-old Omar Daal from the Albuquerque Dukes. But after doing well at first, Daal is 1-3 with a 5.29 earned-run average in 17 innings and has appeared in 30 games. “He’s just missing, he’s not wild,” said Manager Tom Lasorda, who has no other left-hander on the staff.

Said Claire: “Our bullpen has pitched effectively to both right-handers and left-handers, and we are carrying 11 pitchers. If we have to sub a pitcher, can we better ourselves? If we feel we can, we will. But it has to be someone who can give us better stuff than what we have. Our pitching staff is third in the league and I think our bullpen is third also.”

Claire said it’s not a matter of being frugal. “It’s not just dollars, it’s talent,” he said. “Anytime we enter into a trade we get involved with giving up our young players, and I don’t want to do that.”

Claire said the most effective left-handers currently in the Dodgers’ farm system are pitching at double-A San Antonio: starter Ben VanRyn, who is 13-3 with a 1.95 ERA and reliever Mark Mimbs, who is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA and six saves.

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The bet between Jody Reed and Eric Karros for the most doubles and the highest average at the All-Star break was a draw. Karros won in the doubles category, 15-7; Reed won in average, batting .287 to Karros’ .276. . . . The Phillies’ Ben Rivera, who didn’t start Monday because of a bruised index finger he suffered while bunting during batting practice, is scheduled to make his next start.