Relief Fails Park This Time

The Dodgers got another strong starting pitching performance Thursday night, but the bullpen let it get away again.

Chan Ho Park, who left because of shoulder stiffness, pitched seven shutout innings and the Dodgers had a 2-0 lead.

The Diamondbacks tied the score, 2-2, on Luis Gonzalez’s 53rd home run in the eighth against Jesse Orosco.

The teams remained tied through 10 innings.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but failed to score against Diamondback closer Byung-Hyun Kim.

Kim hit Mark Grudzielanek with a pitch, and Grudzielanek was forced at second on Shawn Green’s grounder. Green had held at third on Gary Sheffield’s double into the left-field corner, and Paul Lo Duca was walked intentionally to load the bases with Adrian Beltre on deck.

Shortstop Tony Womack made a leaping catch of Beltre’s line drive and doubled off Sheffield at second to end the inning.

The left-handed Orosco, summoned to face left-handed batters Craig Counsell and Gonzalez, gave up a leadoff single to Counsell. Gonzalez then homered to right on a 1-and-0 count.

Park was booed off the mound in his relief appearance Monday, his heart was questioned and his future at Chavez Ravine was suddenly cast in doubt in a rough week for him and the team.

The embattled starter was dropping faster in public opinion than the Dodgers in the NL playoff races, but Park again displayed his mettle Thursday.

The right-hander pitched seven shutout innings, doing his part to set a positive tone for the Dodgers, who acknowledge they must fare well in the four-game series to stay in postseason contention.

Park left because of elbow stiffness, but the Dodgers appeared to be in a good position with a 2-0 lead.

Enter Orosco.

The left-hander has been one of the better members of a bullpen that has the league’s second-worst ERA, but Orosco was not in form Thursday.

He gave up a leadoff infield single to Counsell and Gonzalez’s two-run homer that tied the score.

Park, who leads the club with 25 quality starts, has a 2.10 earned-run average in his no-decisions with 56 strikeouts in 641/3 innings. He lowered his overall ERA to 3.30.

Park got the crowd back on his side three days after he faced five batters and failed to record an out in a 6-4 loss to the San Diego Padres.

Displaying a strong mound presence, Park scattered five hits and had seven strikeouts while throwing 74 strikes in 107 pitches.

Green, who struggled in the series against the Padres, staked Park to a 1-0 lead in the first.

Grudzielanek reached on a fielder’s choice and Green, one for 10 in his previous three games, hit his third triple into the left-field corner.

But typically these days, the Dodgers squandered an opportunity to take command in the inning.

With two out, Bobby Witt walked Lo Duca and hit Beltre with a pitch on his left hand to load the bases. Kreuter struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded.

Witt would continue to frustrate the Dodgers.

Working efficiently, he retired the side in order in the second and third. The Dodgers stranded two runners in the fourth, and two more in the fifth after one-out singles by Grudzielanek and Green.

Kreuter delivered in the sixth. Witt struck out Beltre to start the inning and fell behind Kreuter, 3-and-1.

Witt threw a fastball down the middle that wasn’t fast enough, and the light-hitting catcher sent the ball off the right-field foul pole.