Worrell Just Says Yes When He Gets the Call

Dodger closer Todd Worrell was getting dressed when pitching coach Dave Wallace approached him.

“Want a day off?” Wallace asked.

Worrell has earned at least one day of rest.

Worrell recorded his fourth save in the last four games, working a perfect ninth inning as the Dodgers overcame a 5-4 eighth-inning deficit to defeat the New York Mets, 6-5, on Sunday before 39,056 at Dodger Stadium.

Worrell is so overworked that he has lost track of how many appearances he has made.

“I’m not passing any opportunities,” Worrell said. “[Manager] Billy [Russell] called down yesterday wanting to make sure I could go. He was giving me the option and I felt like physically I could do it. You get to a fine line of going out there and being able to do the job and going out there and hurting the team if you can’t do it. It’s hard for a player to say no, but I’ve been there before and I know what I can do.”

Worrell, who has nine saves in his last 10 opportunities, induced pinch-hitter Andy Tomberlin to fly out to center and struck out pinch-hitter Brent Mayne and right fielder Carl Everett to extend his team record to 35 saves.

“In order to win a pennant you have to have a guy in the bullpen like Todd to come in there and shut the door,” Russell said.

Russell made all the right moves as the Dodgers won their fourth consecutive game to remain a game behind the San Diego Padres in the NL West.

Russell employed three pinch-hitters, all of whom reached base, as the Dodgers scored two runs with two outs in the eighth to sweep a three-game series from the Mets and go 10 games over .500 for the first time this season. Billy Ashley, who pinch-hit for starter Ismael Valdes in the seventh, also reached on a walk.

“A lot of managers can put on plays, it’s whether guys execute,” said Eric Karros, who hit a two-run home run in the third and scored the tying run in the eighth. “Fortunately, with Billy, ever since he’s been here, everything he’s done seems to have worked. He doesn’t just put things on to put them on. He knows that he’s using the right players and things have been very successful for us.”

With the Dodgers trailing, 5-4, in the eighth, Russell employed three pinch-hitters against Met closer John Franco with two out and a runner at first.

Tim Wallach, pinch-hitting for Dave Hansen, singled to left to advance Karros, who had drawn a one-out walk from reliever Doug Henry, to second. After Greg Gagne singled through the hole to drive in Karros and tie it, 5-5, Russell had Mike Piazza, who was given the day off, pinch-hit for Tom Prince.

Piazza, who was hitless in four previous at-bats against Franco, singled off the glove of shortstop Rey Ordonez to load the bases. Pinch hitter Chad Curtis then drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in the winning run.

Curtis got the green light to swing away on a 3-and-1 pitch, but decided to take it.

“Curtis hadn’t faced Franco and he asked about him and saw the scouting report,” Russell said. “It takes guys that have played awhile to be patient and Curtis waited him out.”

Curtis has made only four pinch-hit appearances in the majors, including two since he joined the Dodgers last month.

“They were letting me swing because I guess they figured that with as much experience as Franco has he probably wasn’t going to walk me,” Curtis said. “When I stepped in the box I was planning on swinging, but I said that I might as well make him throw me two strikes. After I stepped in the box I decided to take.”

Russell also ordered a game-tying suicide squeeze by Prince in the seventh inning. It was the fourth time this season that Prince has driven in a run with a suicide squeeze.

“I’m never surprised by that sign,” Prince said.