Relief Plan Full of Holes

Terry Mulholland and Mike Trombley might still provide a boost for the Dodger bullpen.

Then again, this is not time for lengthy auditions.

The relievers were ineffective again Wednesday night in an 8-6 loss to the Florida Marlins before an announced crowd of 12,081 at Pro Player Stadium.

Kevin Millar hit his 14th home run, a two-run blast, against Mulholland in the seventh inning, increasing the Marlins’ lead to 6-3.

Mulholland was charged with another run in the eighth when Trombley gave up a two-out, two-run double to Mike Lowell after Luis Castillo led off with a triple and Cliff Floyd was walked intentionally, putting the Marlins ahead, 8-4.

Mulholland gave up four hits and was charged with three runs in one-plus inning.

The left-hander has an 8.68 earned-run average in nine appearances with the Dodgers, having given up 17 hits in 91/3 innings.

The right-handed Trombley has a 6.75 ERA in nine appearances.

“I don’t really feel that I’ve struggled,” Mulholland said. “It’s just three outings where I’ve been scored on. It’s just a matter of making some mistake pitches tonight that cost me.”

The Dodgers took a step back in the National League West and wasted Shawn Green’s 15th career multi-homer game, his fifth this season and second in seven games.

The right fielder hit team-leading homers Nos. 38 and 39, cutting the lead to 6-4 with a leadoff homer in the eighth against left-handed reliever Armando Almanza, and to 8-6 with a two-run blast in the ninth against closer Antonio Alfonseca.

Green--who hit three homers Aug. 15 in a 13-1 victory against the Montreal Expos--was three for five. He leads the club with 104 runs batted in.

Paul Lo Duca, representing the tying run in the ninth Wednesday, grounded out after Gary Sheffield’s two-out single.

The third-place Dodgers (68-58) lost the second game of the seven-game trip after winning the opener, dropping 51/2 games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the division.

They trail the San Francisco Giants by three games in the NL wild-card standings.

Starter Terry Adams (9-6) was chased after 41/3 innings.

A.J. Burnett (9-9) pitched seven strong innings in his first victory since July 22.

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy was ejected for the first time for arguing a play at the plate in the third, and the Marlins (60-65) ended a season-high losing streak at eight games in a game that was delayed nine minutes because umpire Mike Everitt suffered a head injury, and 33 minutes because of rain.

Tracy was ejected after Everitt ruled that Cliff Floyd was safe at the plate in the third on Mike Lowell’s single to left, giving the Marlins a 3-2 lead.

Left fielder Sheffield, tied for second in the league with 12 assists, made a strong, one-hop throw to catcher Lo Duca, who tagged Floyd on the arm.

Lo Duca inadvertently bumped Everitt while arguing the call, and Tracy was tossed after protesting.

TV replays appeared to indicate that Floyd’s left hand crossed the plate before Lo Duca tagged him.

Bench coach Jim Riggleman managed the team after Tracy was sent to the clubhouse.

“By the position of Paul, and when Cliff slid, it appeared to me that there was no way that he was able to get in there,” Tracy said. “But in looking at the replay, Mike Everitt made the correct call, it’s that simple.”

It was another frustrating night for Tracy, who still has bullpen problems despite the July 31 trades that brought Mulholland and Trombley to the Dodgers.

“Well, you’re always concerned when you get into a situation like that,” Tracy said. “But these are guys that we’re going to have to have. We have to have them if we’re going to continue to stay in these races--both the wild-card and the division races.

“We have to have both guys, because of situations like tonight that come up. You definitely need ‘em. You continue to look at the guys that are hot, and that are doing the job in certain situations. You’ll use them as you see fit, according to certain situations of the game.

“But we need those guys to do a job for us in order to stay in this thing, it’s that simple. You’re not going to be able to get it done down the stretch with basically a three-man bullpen.”