Dodgers Are Left in Extra Agony

The Dodgers lost their second game in as many nights in extra innings to the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Reliever Alan Mills walked three batters in the 10th inning, including Chris Stynes with the bases loaded, as the Reds won, 5-3.

Mills walked the first two men he faced in the inning, then gave up a bunt single. Stynes walked on a 3-2 pitch to make it 4-3. Mark Lewis had a sacrifice fly an out later.

The Reds won the series opener, 5-3, in 10 innings.

Robinson Checo will pitch for the Dodgers in the third game of the series tonight. He will take the place of struggling left-hander Carlos Perez, who is expected to be sent to triple-A Albuquerque.

In the ninth inning Tuesday, Gary Sheffield grounded out with two out and runners on first and second. The Dodger bullpen worked three scoreless innings to that point in relief of starter Chan Ho Park.

Park wound up with a solid performance after a shaky start. He was removed after giving up 11 hits and three runs in six innings.

Park struck out seven and walked one in his second quality outing in as many starts. He was helped by the strong work of catcher Todd Hundley, who threw out two of four runners trying to steal and hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning.

It also helped that the Reds made several questionable decisions on the basepaths. They had two runners thrown out at the plate.

With the non-waiver trading deadline Saturday, many teams have inquired about acquiring Park. The right-hander has struggled this season, going 6-8 with a 6.07 earned-run average.

But Park is only 26. This is his third full season in the starting rotation, and his fastball has been clocked consistently at 96 mph.

“I don’t like to give up pitching, especially pitchers the caliber of Park, [Ismael] Valdes and [Darren] Dreifort,” ManagerDavey Johnson said. “You’re talking about people with outstanding futures.”

Park kept the Dodgers in the game Tuesday.

The Dodgers scored their first run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Todd Hollandsworth, who drove in Sheffield to cut the Reds’ lead to 2-1. Hollandsworth started in place of struggling right fielder Raul Mondesi, who entered the game in a double-switch during the ninth inning and singled.

Devon White’s run-scoring single in the sixth cut the Reds’ lead to 3-2. Craig Counsell, platooning at second base with Jose Vizcaino, doubled to right to start the inning and scored on White’s two-out single to right.

Hundley got the Dodgers even at 3-3 in the seventh with his leadoff home run against Cincinnati starter Brett Tomko, who was knocked out of the game by a line drive that inning. On a 3-and-1 count, Hundley homered into the left-field pavilion, his 15th homer.

The Reds lost Tomko three batters later when Mark Grudzielanek hit a ball that struck the right-hander’s pitching hand. The game was delayed briefly while Cincinnati medical personnel examined Tomko, who fell to the ground and grabbed his hand after being hit.

Tomko was replaced by Scott Sullivan, who retired Counsell for the final out of the inning. Tomko gave up six hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six and walked three.

The Reds took a 3-1 lead in the sixth. With one out, Aaron Boone tripled to center.

The ball went over center fielder White’s head as he slammed into the wall. Then with the infield in, Stynes singled through the hole between second and first to drive in Boone.

Park has often encountered problems early during games this season, and the trend continued in the first inning Tuesday.

Cincinnati’s Mike Cameron opened the game with a double and scored on a single by Sean Casey to stake Tomko to a 1-0 lead.

The Reds increased their lead to 2-0 in the third on a run-scoring single by Michael Tucker. Dmitri Young opened the inning with a double and scored on Tucker’s single through the middle.

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