Judd’s Debut Is Walk on Wild Side

Talk about your harbingers of doom.

Mike Judd, a rookie who was recalled from triple-A Albuquerque to make an emergency start for the Dodgers, walked the first batter he faced, hit the second and then gave up a monster three-run homer to the third.

Needless to say, it wasn’t what Judd had in mind to begin his audition, which ended with him being on the losing end of an 8-6 Pittsburgh Pirate victory in front of 34,872 in the finale of a three-game series Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

Judd would also give up a two-run homer in the fifth after walking the inning’s leadoff man.

“It was just a matter of not having my command today,” said Judd, who exited after the fifth-inning homer. “The home runs were [pitches that were] down the middle and up. When you don’t have command, especially with your fastball, that’s what happens.

“Walks hurt more than home runs.”

Leaving 11 runners on base and committing four errors didn’t help the Dodger cause much either.

Judd (0-1) gave up only four hits in his four-plus innings, but two of them were the home runs, the three-run shot by Wil Cordero and the two-run homer to Jason Kendall. In all, Judd gave up seven runs.

The rookie right-hander, who joined the Dodgers with catcher Todd Hundley going on the disabled list and lefty starter Carlos Perez missing his scheduled start because of a five-game suspension for his role in the Wrigley Field melee May 16, struck out five, walked three and hit a batter.

After trailing, 5-0, the Dodgers mounted a comeback in the third inning.

That’s when they scored six runs on seven hits while sending 11 batters to the plate, chasing Pirate starter Todd Ritchie.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they wouldn’t score again.

“I think our offense did fantastic to get back in the game,” said Dodger bench coach Jim Tracy, in his third game assuming managerial duties for Davey Johnson, who was checked into the hospital Sunday with an irregular heart rhythm. “Unfortunately, Mike didn’t throw enough strikes. Home runs happen but when you’ve got guys on base before them that’s when they hurt.”

Paul LoDuca, who was also recently called-up from Albuquerque, has caught many a Judd game in a Duke uniform.

“If he’s not the best, he’s one of the best arms in the organization,” said LoDuca, who caught Judd Tuesday at Chavez Ravine. “It’s tough to try to prove yourself in one start. But he’ll be back for many years. It was just one of those days when he struggled finding his control. He does belong here.

“When you’re behind in the count, they just hit everything you throw up there.”

Pirate reliever Josias Manzanillo (1-0) picked up the victory with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, his first victory since 1995 when he was with the Mets.

Pittsburgh closer Mike Williams pitched a perfect ninth to get his 13th save for the Pirates (39-53).

Dodger reliever Antonio Osuna gave up an unearned run in a season-high three innings while Matt Herges pitched two innings of scoreless relief.

With the loss, the Dodgers (47-45) fell into fourth place in the National League West, a half-game behind the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies, who ended their 11-game losing streak Monday night in the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Oakland Athletics and then hammered the A’s on Tuesday, 18-3, are in town for a two-game set beginning tonight.

And while a sweep of the Pirates would have been sweet for the Dodgers, Tracy said his goal as acting manager remains the same.

“We just have to try to make sure we keep headed in the right direction for when [Johnson] comes back,” Tracy said. “We wanted to sweep this series but [at least] we won the series.

“The key to the situation is early in the game, we didn’t throw enough strikes. At one point, [the Pirates] had seven runs on four hits. There’s your answer.”

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Quite a Card

Orange County resident Brian Seigel is the owner of a Honus Wagner baseball card that cost him a record $1.27 million, and he’ll share it with fans everywhere. B7

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Johnson Still in Hospital

Dodger Manager Davey Johnson remained at Centinela Hospital after experiencing dizziness and an irregular heart rhythm Sunday

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