Situations Still Right for Orosco

Jesse Orosco was cut by the Dodgers in training camp, signed to a minor league contract on April 24 after General Manager Kevin Malone’s forced resignation and struggled in his early days with the club.

But Orosco, 44, has found his groove of late as the Dodgers’ situational left-handed reliever. In his last seven appearances, over four innings, Orosco has not given up a hit and has struck out six batters, including left-handed power hitters Barry Bonds, Jeremy Giambi and Jason Giambi. In Saturday’s 5-3, 15-inning interleague victory over the Oakland Athletics, Orosco induced lefty Johnny Damon, the lone batter he faced, to pop up to shortstop in the eighth inning.

“I’m never going to relax, but I still want to just keep doing my job,” Orosco said. “I’m having a lot of fun, excited about getting situations like that and just want to keep doing it and help the team.”

Manager Jim Tracy said Orosco’s command and arm strength are the best they’ve been since he joined the team on May 25 from triple-A Las Vegas and that his confidence has allowed him to go inside on left-handed batters, setting up his curveball.

“I think those are the key differences that we’re seeing right now that we didn’t see early on,” Tracy said. “He wasn’t using his fastball very much and he certainly wasn’t throwing a fastball in for a strike.

“He’s been challenging more with the fastball and it’s making his breaking ball that much better.”

Orosco, the major league all-time appearances leader with 1,112 over 22 seasons, has played with six teams and is in his second tour of duty with the Dodgers, having won a World Series with them in 1988.

He acknowledged that he had a somewhat nebulous and thus frustrating role when he was first called up in May.

“It’s hard because the situation was kind of strange,” Orosco said. “I think that they were looking for me to get more innings in, more of a rehabilitation-type thing. That worked out and I have a sound arm. I don’t think they gave up on me. They were just waiting for me to get my arm better. I started off fine and then I had a shaky week.”

He has been untouchable since June 26 when he struck out Bonds in the eighth inning of a 14-8 Dodger victory at Pacific Bell Park.

Saturday’s 4-hour 58-minute, 15-inning game was the Dodgers’ longest since playing 16 at Arizona on April 13, 1999.

ON DECK

Opponent--Pittsburgh Pirates, three games.

Site--PNC Park.

Today--2 p.m. PDT

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 Monday and Tuesday.

Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

Records--Dodgers 49-42, Pirates 35-54.

Record vs. Pirates--2-1.

TODAY

DODGERS’ KEVIN BROWN

(7-4, 3.02 ERA)

vs.

PIRATES’ JASON SCHMIDT

(5-4, 5.52 ERA)

Update--This is the Dodgers’ first trip to PNC Park. Brown, whose spot in the rotation was shuffled to give him three bullpen sessions between starts, is still dealing with the effects of a weakened right (throwing) hand and inflamed nerve in his neck. “The last three sessions have helped him immensely, physically and mentally,” Tracy said. “Hopefully we’ll see the vintage Kevin Brown that we’re accustomed to seeing.” Brown beat the Pirates, 6-3, on April 26 at Dodger Stadium, giving up one run on four hits in seven innings. Schmidt is 2-4 with a 6.12 ERA in 11 career outings against the Dodgers.

Monday, 4 PDT--Eric Gagne (1-4, 5.42 ERA) vs. Joe Beimel (4-4, 4.65 ERA).

Tuesday, 4 PDT--Terry Adams (4-3, 5.05 ERA) vs. Jimmy Anderson (5-8, 4.67 ERA).