Homecoming Completely Satisfies Wolf

Dodger Stadium has been good to Randy Wolf.

Wolf lived a dream as a junior and senior at Woodland Hills El Camino Real High, playing in City Section championship games at Dodger Stadium in 1993 and 1994.

Sunday, he returned to the scene of his biggest prep thrills and took it up a notch in his Chavez Ravine professional debut.

The Philadelphia Phillie left-hander pitched his first complete game, a six-hitter, to beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in front of 28,603 in the finale of the three-game series. The Phillies (18-30) took two of three from the Dodgers (26-21), who have lost four of their last five games and begin a three-game set with the visiting New York Mets today.

“It was fun, definitely a fun day,” Wolf said. “It’s pretty special here at Dodger Stadium with a lot of friends and family in the stands.”

Wolf (4-3), who earned a save at Dodger Stadium as a high school junior and was the championship-game MVP and winning pitcher as a senior, threw 129 pitches Sunday, 75 for strikes. He struck out four and walked four.

Phillie Manager Terry Francona downplayed the significance of Wolf’s homecoming, even if his starter did leave 36 tickets for acquaintances.

“He hasn’t been in the big leagues long enough to have a history,” Francona said of the second-year pro. “It doesn’t matter where he was raised or grew up. Our bullpen’s had a lot of work lately so I kept him out there and he stayed out there long enough for us to get the job done.”

Wolf was selected in the 25th round of the 1994 draft by the Dodgers, but did not sign and went to Pepperdine. The Phillies signed Wolf after selecting him in the second round of the 1997 draft.

“That kid pitched a helluva game,” Dodger Manager Davey Johnson said. “Carlos [Perez, the Dodger starter] pitched pretty good too. He got out of some traps.”

Most of Perez’s problem were of his own doing. But the predicament that cost him a chance at a decision was not his fault.

Entering the seventh inning, Perez was clinging to a 2-1 lead.

Ron Gant led off with a catchable pop-up to shallow left field, but Gary Sheffield allowed the ball to drop and Gant took second on the error. After Perez got Bobby Abreau to ground out to first, moving Gant to third with one out, Johnson replaced Perez with Antonio Osuna.

“On Gant’s pop-up, I didn’t want [Perez] to lose it there,” Johnson said. “I wanted to bring in a fresh arm.”

Osuna got two quick strikes on Mike Lieberthal, a 1990 graduate of Westlake High. Lieberthal, however, doubled down the right-field line, just inside the chalk, to drive in the tying run and ensure that Perez did not get a decision.

Two batters later, Kevin Jordan’s two-out single past Eric Karros at first scored Lieberthal, who went three for four, and gave the Phillies a one-run lead. Osuna [0-1] would absorb the loss.

Philadelphia added a run in the eighth against reliever Terry Adams when Kevin Sefcik’s double brought home Desi Relaford.

“That was a tough game,” said Perez, who was charged with two runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings.

Perez struck out five and walked two in his 110 pitches, 70 of which were strikes. He also started hearing cheers and was given a standing ovation by the fans behind the Dodger dugout when he came out.

“I just want to do my job, that’s what I’m here for,” Perez said. “Things happen in baseball, especially in day games. Sometimes you lose the ball [in the sun], or maybe because Gant is a power hitter, [Sheffield] was playing too deep. But those things happen.”

Things like the Dodgers scoring in the first inning for the sixth consecutive game.

Shawn Green’s two-out double down the left-field line preceded Sheffield’s single to left. It was the 40th run batted in for Sheffield, who missed two games early in the week after severely spraining his right ankle on Monday.

Chad Kreuter gave Perez a two-run cushion in the fourth.

The backup catcher drove a change-up from Wolf over the left-center field wall for his second homer, his first since April 19.

Perez gave up one run in the fifth, despite allowing four hits.

The Phillies left nine men on base in the first five innings.

Said Perez: “I was just happy to get through the first few innings.”

But not as happy as Wolf was after nine.

“It’s special,” Wolf said. “It’s definitely something I’ll cherish for a long time.”