Unfortunately, It Looks Like Last Season for Perez

Carlos Perez requested help, so Dodger officials went to the Dominican Republic in the off-season to assist the struggling pitcher.

Their work isn’t finished.

Perez’s first Grapefruit League appearance Monday looked a lot like most of his outings last season--another disappointing performance in a 17-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Dodgertown.

The erratic left-hander had command problems after relieving starter Darren Dreifort in the fourth, giving up six hits and five earned runs in the inning.

Perez--whose fastball was clocked at only 88 mph--faced 11 batters, threw 36 pitches and was hit hard as the Orioles took a 6-0 lead.

Perez needed only 12 pitches in a 1-2-3 fifth inning that ended his work. But the damage had been done--in many ways.

General Manager Kevin Malone gave Perez a three-year, $15.6-million contract before last season. Perez is making $5 million this season and is owed $7.5 million in 2001.

He is trying to earn a spot in the rotation after going 2-10 with a 7.43 earned-run average last season and being demoted to triple-A Albuquerque. Perez went 3-3 with a 5.92 ERA for the Dukes, not exactly inspiring confidence among club decision-makers.

His performance against the Orioles also didn’t help.

“Perez obviously didn’t have a good outing,” said Manager Davey Johnson, whose team dropped to 0-4 in exhibition play. “His off-speed pitches really weren’t a factor today, but other [pitchers] had problems too, so I’m not going to overreact.”

With one out and the bases loaded in the fourth, Perez went to a 3-and-0 count against someone named Chuey Garcia, who gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead with a sacrifice fly. Then things turned ugly for Perez.

Perez gave up a run-scoring single to pitcher Jose Mercedes, a run-scoring double to Eugene Kingsale, hit Delino DeShields with a pitch and gave up a two-run single to B.J. Surhoff.

“He didn’t make pitches, that was his biggest problem,” said pitching coach Claude Osteen, among those who worked with Perez in the winter.

“He got behind and you can’t do that.

“But this doesn’t mean we’re going to close the book on him. I’m sure he’s disappointed. . . .”

Perez, scheduled to start Friday against the Houston Astros, wasn’t concerned.

“This is the first game,” he said. “To me, it’s not a big deal. I’m not worried about my first start, I’m just worried about being 100%.”

The Dodgers are worried about more than that.

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Dodger Chairman Bob Daly and agent Scott Boras are expected to meet Wednesday to continue negotiating a three-year contract for Adrian Beltre.

Two knowledgeable baseball officials said the Dodgers are probably willing to pay the young third baseman as much as $5 million. That would make Beltre one of the highest-paid players in history with less than two full seasons in the major leagues.

The question is, will that be enough to complete a deal?

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Dreifort was charged with the loss in the exhibition but pitched well, giving up two hits and a run in three innings. The right-hander struck out one and walked one. . . . Working the ninth, right-hander Dan Naulty gave up five hits and eight runs in a third of an inning. He forced in two runs with bases-loaded walks. . . . The Dodgers have been outscored, 40-15.