Baker Denies Report Dodgers Contacted Him

Dusty Baker denied a news report that the Dodgers have contacted him about managing next year.

“Unless you hear it from these lips, don’t believe anything,” Baker said.

At the same time, Baker’s status with the Giants for next year is still undecided. His contract with the Giants--which pays him an estimated $750,000--is up after this season and Baker would seem to be in a terrific negotiating position.

He told owner Peter Magowan during the season that he wasn’t going to negotiate a new contract until after the season. Because the Giants wound up with the best record in the major leagues, it’s logical that Baker’s price is rising a lot faster than Bay Area real estate prices.

Insiders say that the starting price in negotiations is now $3 million.

These same insiders claim Baker is still hurt and angry at the Dodgers because of hints from within the Dodger organization in 1983 that he was involved in drugs and that was why he was released.

Baker did say that he is still under contract--and so is Dodger Manager Davey Johnson. He said any contact at this time with a prospective employer would be tampering.

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New York Met outfielder Derek Bell, who was injured in Game 1, was replaced in the starting lineup by Timo Perez.

Bell sprained his ankle and strained his Achilles’ tendon when he slipped chasing Barry Bonds’ triple down the right-field line in the third inning of Wednesday night’s game.

Perez, 23, hit .286 in 24 games with the Mets. In 144 games, Bell, 31, hit .266 with 18 home runs and 69 runs batted in.

Met Manager Bobby Valentine said he doubts Bell will be available the rest of the series.

As it turned out, Perez had three hits and scored a run in the Mets’ 5-4, 10-inning Game 2 victory.

“He’s a dangerous guy who can hurt you because you don’t know that much about him,” Baker said.

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In the bottom of the 10th, the Giants were hurt by a baserunning error when Armando Rios was thrown out at third on a ground ball to the shortstop. If he had remained at second, Bonds would have had a chance to drive him in.

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The Mets will send right-hander Rick Reed to the mound to face the Giants and Russ Ortiz in Game 3 at Shea Stadium.

Reed said he plans to follow his standard routine to prepare for the start.

“I’ll sleep on the plane,” he said.

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If you watched the game on television and saw a bunch of very small Giant batboys, well, that’s what they are.

Marvin Benard’s son Mark is 4, Bonds’ son Nikolai is 9, Ellis Burks’ son Christopher is 6, Mark Gardner’s sons Daniel and Nicholas are 5 and 8 and coach Juan Lopez’s son Jackie is 8.

THE SERIES

Game 1: San Francisco 5, New York 1

Game 2: New York 5, San Francisco 4 (10)

Saturday: San Francisco (Ortiz 13-12) at New York (Reed 11-5), TBA

Sunday: San Francisco at New York, TBA

* Monday: New York at San Francisco, 5:15 p.m., FOX

* If necessary All times PDT