Eager Quantrill Rebounds From Slow Start

Dodger reliever Paul Quantrill won’t be coming out with a Keyshawn Johnson-like autobiography any time soon, but he can relate to the title of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer receiver’s book.

“I want the ball, I want it a lot, I want it when it counts,” Quantrill said. “But our entire bullpen has the same attitude. Giovanni [Carrara] and I are interchangeable, and Jesse [Orosco] can pitch the eighth inning too.”

The three setup men and closer Eric Gagne have given the Dodgers a formidable late-inning presence, compiling a 2.11 earned-run average in 422/3 innings, 34 strikeouts and nine walks after two more scoreless innings in Wednesday night’s 5-1 victory over the Pirates.

Quantrill is glad to be a contributing member of the group after a rocky start. The right-hander gave up seven earned runs in 62/3 innings during his first six appearances, leaving him with an 0-2 record and an unsightly 9.45 ERA on April 13.

But the sinkerball specialist rebounded, giving up no runs and three hits in 42/3 innings during his next six games, including a scoreless eighth in Tuesday night’s 9-6 victory over Pittsburgh and a scoreless seventh Wednesday, to lower his ERA to 5.56.

Quantrill thrives on work--he led the American League with 80 appearances for Toronto last season while going 11-2 with a 3.04 ERA--and it took him a few weeks to gain command of his sinker and slider. Quantrill struck out Adrian Brown looking at a nice slider that broke about two feet Tuesday night, and he struck out two more Wednesday night.

“I’m not right where I want to be, but I’m getting there,” Quantrill said. “I feel like I have my legs underneath me to the point where I feel I can get outs and compete. I’m 100% physically, but a lot of it has to do with rhythm and feeling comfortable.”

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As if Gagne’s start--eight saves in his first eight opportunities and an ERA of 0.00 in 11 appearances--wasn’t impressive enough, the right-hander also has not allowed a batter to reach base in his last five appearances, retiring 18 in a row after saving Tuesday night’s win.

“He’s a very poised guy,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “Very little fazes him. He’s not afraid of anyone, as evidenced by the way he pitches--he’s coming to get you. He has the character and makeup to fit that role.”

Gagne, a converted starter, has been able to build confidence in his new role with a minimal amount of pressure--he had three-run leads to protect in six of his first eight saves.

“But close games don’t seem to bother him either,” Tracy said. “He gives me the impression that he doesn’t know what the score is.

“His attitude is it’s the ninth inning, I’m going to get three hitters out. That’s what I see.”

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In only 37 at-bats this season, reserve outfielder Marquis Grissom has 10 runs batted in, ranking him second with Brian Jordan and Eric Karros behind team RBI leader Shawn Green (13). Grissom homered in the first inning and had a sacrifice fly in the seventh Wednesday night.

“You see the discipline at the plate we saw last May,” Tracy said. “When he makes the pitcher come to the plate, he’s a good offensive player. When he chases pitches and expands the strike zone, he gets in trouble.”

Grissom, 35, hit .343 in May but .190 the rest of the season, finishing with a .221 average, 16 walks and 107 strikeouts. He went back to his farm in Georgia last winter--”I didn’t even think about baseball,” he said--made some adjustments in his batting stance this spring and is hitting .324.

“I know I’m more selective at the plate,” Grissom said. “I played well in the first half last year, but in the second half, the mental part of my game was gone.... But I’m looking for big things from myself this year, because everyone thinks I’m done.”

TODAY

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

(2-2, 2.55 ERA)

vs.

PIRATES’

JOSH FOGG

(2-0, 1.89 ERA)

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, 9:30 a.m. PDT

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

Update--The Pirates, who already are without suspended third baseman Aramis Ramirez, lost second baseman Pokey Reese (strained right hamstring) to the disabled list Wednesday. Since opening the season with a three-inning, six-hit, four-run effort in a 12-0 loss to San Francisco on April 3, Nomo has given up only three earned runs and 12 hits in 212/3 innings over his last three starts.