Valdes Goes Deep Into Night, but Dodgers Just Fall Deeper

It was the kind of opportunity that other Dodger teams in other seasons might have jumped on.

But this is 1999 and the only thing these Dodgers have jumped on lately is a water cooler, smashed in by pitcher Carlos Perez earlier this week.

Stumbling down the well-beaten path to yet another loss in a season spiraling downward out of control, the Dodgers were suddenly handed a chance for victory Friday night.

Adhering to the modern-day belief that 100 pitches are quite enough, Philadelphia Phillie Manager Terry Francona yanked his starter after seven innings at Dodger Stadium.

Never mind the fact that Curt Schilling was cruising along on a three-hitter. Never mind that his team was clinging to a 2-1 lead, which would ultimately wind up the final score before a crowd of 41,590.

Schilling had thrown 101 pitches. Enough was enough.

“I thought he looked tired tonight,” Francona said. “He did pitch well, but I don’t think he has to pitch nine innings every game.”

And following that peculiar line of thinking, Francona brought on reliever Steve Montgomery.

Montgomery immediately walked pinch-hitter Dave Hansen and surrendered a single to Eric Young. Following a sacrifice bunt, Raul Mondesi was walked to load the bases.

Up at bat was Eric Karros, who had driven in nine runs in his previous 12 games. And at second base was Young, the Dodgers’ best base runner.

So what happens?

Karros hits a low liner to shortstop Alex Arias and Young gets doubled off second base.

“You know you are not supposed to get doubled off on a line drive,” said Dodger Manager Davey Johnson, who has been forced to watch his team do many things they are not supposed to do this season.

“When the pitcher throws,” Young said, “I take my shuffle steps. I did a bad job of getting back. I thought it [the ball] was going to hit the ground. It probably still would have been double play.”

Said Johnson, “We had the right guys in the right spots, but we just didn’t do it.”

Another opportunity lost, another defeat racked up as the Dodgers went quietly in the ninth against reliever Wayne Gomes to fall five games under .500 for the first time this season at 30-35.

Although he took the loss to fall under .500 himself at 5-6, Dodger starter Ismael Valdes pitched relatively well, throwing only two pitches he’d like to have back in his eight innings of work.

The first was a 3-2 pitch to Philadelphia catcher Mike Lieberthal in the second inning that Lieberthal hit into the left-field seats for his team-leading 15th home run.

The second was a 2-0 pitch that Valdes threw to Rico Brogna in the seventh inning that Brogna hit over the wall in center field for his ninth home run to decide the game.

All Valdes had to work with was the run supplied by third baseman Adrian Beltre, who hit his sixth home run into the left-field bleachers in the second inning.

It has become an old story for Valdes, but still as frustrating as ever. In each of his last five starts, the Dodger right-hander has given up three or fewer runs, but all he has to show for that is an 0-4 mark.

“Valdes did an outstanding job.” Young said. “Once again we didn’t give him any run support.”

It may not make Valdes feel any better, but he at least provided a shaft of light for a Dodger starting staff that has been turning in one dark and dismal performance after another. Entering Friday’s game, Dodger starters had allowed 22 earned runs in 17 innings (11.65 earned-run average) over the previous four games.

Valdes’ outing was the longest by a Dodger starter in nine days, since Kevin Brown went eight innings against the Texas Rangers.

But ultimately, none of it was reflected in the win column.

“That’s the way it’s been going these last few weeks,” Young said. “It’s just not going our way.”

Some help might be on the way. Outfielder Todd Hollandsworth, who has missed the last 13 games because of a strained stomach muscle, is expected to be taken off the disabled list today after going one for two Friday night in a rehabilitation start for the Dodgers’ San Bernardino Stampede in a Class-A game against Bakersfield.