BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : No One Will Let Offerman Forget

Davey Lopes, Padre first base coach, walked toward Dodger shortstop Jose Offerman, yelled out his name Wednesday morning, and flipped him a baseball.

Offerman caught the ball and looked dumbfounded at Lopes.

“Jose, congratulations,” Lopes said, laughing heartily and drawing a weak smile from Offerman. After all, they now are soul mates in the Dodger record book, each having committed three errors in an inning.

“He’s in good company,” Lopes said. “That’s all I have to say.”

Offerman, who committed his three errors in Tuesday’s loss, said Wednesday that he simply wants to forget the inning. Yet, he once again was reminded of the misplays by Padre fans. They taunted him during batting practice, and while Offerman glared back, Dodger Coach Manny Mota told Offerman to forget it.

Less than 30 minutes later, the Dodgers announced that Offerman was scratched from the lineup because of a sore left buttocks muscle.

“I hurt it on one the errors,” Offerman said, “but I’ll be all right. I’ll be there Friday.”

Offerman pinch-hit in the eighth inning but did not play the field.

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Alan Meersand, the agent for Dodger third baseman Tim Wallach, is recommending that Wallach undergo acupuncture treatments for the two bulging disks and herniated disk in his back.

“I told him I’ve seen it work,” Meersand said. “Besides, what do you have to lose? It’s not like undergoing career-ending surgery.

“I’ve got a couple of people who are willing to work with him, but right now, I think Tim wants to wait.”

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Dodger reliever Antonio Osuna, after receiving a pep talk from scout Mike Brito, may be closer to fulfilling the Dodgers’ lofty expectations of him.

Osuna, yielding a 11.17 earned-run average after Monday’s game, was summoned by Brito, the scout who signed him.

“I told him that he has to realize that he’s in the big leagues now,” Brito said. “This isn’t triple A, double A or the Mexican League. These guys are major league hitters. You’ve got to mix your pitches up. You just can’t rely on your fastball.

“Even Nolan Ryan, for as hard as he threw, threw curveballs and changeups to survive.”

The result? Osuna pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning Tuesday night and says he’s confident he can pitch in the big leagues.