Park Can’t Find Plate or Victory

Dodger Manager Davey Johnson gave starter Chan Ho Park many opportunities to win Sunday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Park needed relief instead.

Laboring in heat, Park walked three in a row with two out in the seventh inning to force in the go-ahead run in the Phillies’ 3-2 victory before 23,301 at Veterans Stadium.

Pat Burrell walked on four pitches, scoring Kevin Sefcik, who singled to start the inning.

“Chan Ho might have been a little tired, but he had a low pitch count going into the seventh,” said Johnson, whose bullpen had not been overworked.

“It was his ballgame, he kept us in the ballgame, he just couldn’t throw it over.”

Terry Adams relieved Park (11-8) and Kevin Jordan grounded into a fielder’s choice, but the Dodgers trailed and were struggling offensively.

It was 81 degrees at game time, and high humidity made the stadium’s artificial turf almost unbearable, players said.

Park leads the major leagues with 90 walks in 145 2/3 innings. The right-hander acknowledged the heat was a factor Sunday, but didn’t make excuses.

Ed Vosberg and Chris Brock combined to pitch a scoreless eighth, and closer Jeff Brantley worked the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Dave Hansen had a leadoff walk, but that was it for the Dodgers. Brantley quickly retired the next three batters as the Dodgers didn’t attempt to move pinch-runner Alex Cora into scoring position by bunting.

Leadoff batter Devon White struck out looking to end the game, giving Brantley his second save in less than 24 hours and team-leading 17th overall.

“I thought about bunting him over,” Johnson said. “I’ll play for a tie on the road at times, but not often. I mean, if I had some guys who couldn’t take [Brantley] out of the yard. . . . I had a bunch of guys who could take him out of the yard.”

Brantley preserved the victory for second-year left-hander Randy Wolf (9-5).

The former Pepperdine standout gave up only four hits--two doubles and two singles--in seven strong innings.

The series that began with the Dodgers (55-49) winning behind Darren Dreifort’s seven shutout innings ended with them losing the final two games against the National League East’s last-place team. They trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 2 1/2 games in the NL West.

Philadelphia (46-57) limited the Dodgers to 10 hits Saturday and Sunday in dropping them to 4-3 on their 10-game trip. The Dodgers have three games remaining, beginning today against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

They need to start helping themselves again.

“These kind of games here are the ones that sneak up and bite you in the butt at the end of the year,” said catcher Todd Hundley, who lined out pinch-hitting for Adams in the ninth.

“We had to come in here and win this series. Bottom line.”

The Dodgers were in position to do that.

They took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on catcher Chad Kreuter’s one-out, two-run single past third baseman Jordan. Burrell scored from third on Kreuter’s passed ball in the bottom of the inning to tie the score, and Park and Wolf matched each other until the seventh.

Sefcik singled to center after pinch-hitting for Wolf and advanced to second on Doug Glanville’s sacrifice bunt.

Mickey Morandini popped out, and Park appeared in command.

He pitched around No. 3 batter Bobby Abreu, walking him on five pitches. But then Park walked Travis Lee on five pitches to load the bases, prompting a conference on the mound with Johnson and Kreuter.

It didn’t help.

Park went 2-and-0 against Burrell and Kreuter initiated another mound meeting. Park threw two more balls and the Dodgers trailed.

“I threw around the middle of the plate all day long,” said Park, who gave up nine hits and walked five in 6 2/3 innings.

“I just missed.”