BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Worrell Remains the No. 1 Closer

Even though Darren Dreifort’s future is as a closer, Todd Worrell is the closer of the present, Manager Tom Lasorda said.

“But we can use Dreifort on days we don’t use Worrell,” Lasorda said.

Lasorda said he isn’t worried about putting a young pitcher into a tough situation in the late innings.

“Just like I used to say with Steve Howe, when I call down to the bullpen, I don’t ask how old the pitcher is, I just ask if he can pitch,” Lasorda said.

Dreifort, 21, earned his first save Tuesday. “He has good stuff,” the Phillies’ John Kruk said. “It moves and cuts and runs and everything else. I’d take him.”

Said Worrell: “He has such good composure and has such good stuff. He was in a tough spot out there today and he handled himself so well. He’s going to make a good closer.”

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Milt Thompson, who hit a three-run homer against Pedro Astacio in the sixth, said a statistic on the stadium video board surprised him. “It said my seven home runs against the Dodgers were the most by a Phillie against them,” Thompson said. “I didn’t know that.”

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After a costly gaffe in Tuesday night’s game, Jose Offerman was benched Wednesday. He was originally in the lineup, but Lasorda talked to Offerman and took him out. Offerman pinch-hit in the eighth inning and walked. Cory Snyder, the only backup for shortstop, started.

Delino DeShields also had the day off, his second this trip. He is suffering from a weak thigh muscle that has hurt his ability to hit. Jeff Treadway started at second base.

DeShields also entered the game during the Dodgers’ eighth-inning rally.

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Len Dykstra, who has played in 174 of the Phillies’ last 175 games, is batting only .207 through 14 games, with 13 runs scored, eight walks and one home run. But he got off to a slow start last season, when he finished second to Barry Bonds in the MVP voting. Once he got through April, though, he batted .296 in May, .337 in June and .374 in July. He ended the season batting .305 with 194 hits, 19 home runs and 143 runs scored.