This Is One Deal L.A. Fails to Close

The Dodgers welcomed their newest members Saturday night and put them to work immediately.

Left-handed pitcher Carlos Perez and shortstop Mark Grudzielanek performed well in their debuts against the New York Mets, and it appeared the Dodgers would mark their arrival with a victory.

But another new guy had his first bad night.

Closer Jeff Shaw blew his first save opportunity with the team in a 2-1 loss to the Mets before 42,224 at Shea Stadium.

The Mets scored two runs in the ninth inning against Shaw (2-5), with the game-winner coming on a two-out, run-scoring double by Edgardo Alfonzo. Pinch-hitter Matt Franco tied the score with a one-out home run.

New York starter Rick Reed (12-7) pitched a six-hitter, giving up only an unearned run with six strikeouts.

Mike Piazza continued to struggle against his former team, going hitless in three at-bats with a walk. He is hitless in seven at-bats in the series, and has been booed constantly.

Shaw was pitching for the third consecutive game, but he said fatigue wasn’t his problem.

“I just made two mistakes today, and they made me pay for it,” Shaw said. “I threw a slider to Franco that didn’t do too much, and a fastball to Alfonzo in a bad location. You just have to bounce back.”

Former Montreal Expos Perez and Grudzielanek--acquired in a seven-player deal Friday--were impressive after arriving shortly before game time. Perez started and pitched seven scoreless innings, and Grudzielanek went two for four with an error.

The Dodgers dropped 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs, who currently lead a group of six teams, including the Mets, in the National League wild-card race. After rallying for three runs Friday against Met closer John Franco in a 4-3 victory, the Dodgers were on the other end this time.

“It was just two teams continuing to compete very hard,” Manager Glenn Hoffman said. “We did it to them last night, and they came back and did it to us tonight.

“Shaw has been perfect the whole time he’s been with us, but he’s human. This going to happen.”

Entering Saturday’s game, Shaw had nine saves in as many opportunities since being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds on July 4. But he encountered what Franco experienced in the series opener.

“You don’t like it when this happens,” Shaw said, “but you know it’s going to happen.”

The Dodgers liked how things developed before the ninth.

Perez arrived at the stadium about an hour before game time. He wasn’t expecting to start, so he visited his mother in New York after arriving from Montreal in the afternoon.

“[Hoffman] came up to me when I got to the park and asked me if I could start,” he said. “I love to be out on the mound, so I’m never going to tell my manager I can’t pitch, but I didn’t prepare for this start.”

Perez hadn’t pitched since suffering a broken nose in an automobile accident last Sunday.

He struggled with his control, walking six. But he gave up only two hits and struck out four while throwing 100 pitches.

With some help from the Mets, the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the eighth.

Alex Cora pinch-hit for Perez with two out and reached first on second baseman Luis Lopez’s fielding error. Cora scored on Eric Young’s double to left-center. Young also provided the game-winning hit Friday with a two-out, run-scoring double in the ninth.

Antonio Osuna preserved the lead in relief of Scott Radinsky in the eighth, working out of a no-out jam with runners on first and second. Then Hoffman gave the ball to Shaw, who is second in the NL with 32 saves.

Franco homered on a 1-and-0 pitch while batting for Rey Ordonez, and Todd Hundley walked while pinch-hitting for Reed. With two out, Hundley scored on Alfonzo’s double to left-center.

“This is the life of a closer,” Shaw said. “You can’t get too high or too low. I just have to try to get on another streak.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

How New

Dodgers Fared

Mark Grudzielanek and Carlos Perez, acquired in a trade Friday for Wilton Guerrero, made their Dodger debuts Saturday against the New York Mets:

*

MARK GRUDZIELANEK

At Bats: 4

Hits: 2

Runs: 0

RBIs: 0

Errors: 1

*

CARLOS PEREZ

Innings: 7

Hits: 2

Runs: 0

Walks: 6

Strikeouts: 4

Pitches: 100

Result: No Decision

*

* RANDY HARVEY

Team chemistry is an issue the Dodgers plan to address after they learn one another’s names. C2

* GUERRERO WATCH

Vladimir Guerrero, waiting for brother Wilton to join him, remained a hot hitter for Expos. C6