No One Can Save Dodgers

Another tough assignment appeared to fit Dodger All-Star closer Eric Gagne, who was eager as usual to accept.

Gagne anticipated a call that wasn’t made Friday night, and the Dodgers were left to wonder if he would have made a difference in a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before 17,076 at Veterans Stadium.

Manager Jim Tracy decided not to summon his closer after Jeremy Giambi doubled with two out in the eighth inning, sticking with setup man Paul Quantrill to preserve a 1-0 lead, although he had used Gagne many times in similar situations this season, including Thursday in Cincinnati.

“I was getting ready just in case,” said Gagne, who said he wasn’t second-guessing Tracy. “I was warming up; just throwing a little bit.”

It turned out to be wasted energy.

Quantrill walked Bobby Abreu and then Pat Burrell sent a blooper down the shallow right-field line that eluded right fielder Shawn Green, enabling Doug Glanville, who ran for Giambi, to score the tying run when the ball landed on the line and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double.

“Right on the white,” said Green, who planned to dive on the artificial surface but couldn’t get close enough. “Right on the middle of the white.”

Travis Lee then grounded to third baseman Tyler Houston, who hesitated in throwing, bouncing the ball past first baseman Mike Kinkade, playing because Eric Karros came out for a pinch-runner in the eighth. The error enabled Abreu and Burrell to score the go-ahead and insurance runs.

“Paul made great pitches,” Tracy said. “He made great pitches to Abreu; he made great pitches to Pat Burrell. Unfortunately, the ball hit inches fair, and we’re out of the inning with no worse than a tie. Then we throw the ball away.”

Gagne has converted five of six save situations when he has entered in the eighth. In four, he had one-run leads and runners in scoring position. Gagne said he did not ask Tracy about his decision.

“That’s not my business--he runs the team,” he said. “I don’t know anything about baseball anyway. What would I know? Other than I wanted to go in. If he said I’m going in, I’m going in.”

Tracy also decided against using left-handed specialist Jesse Orosco to face left-handed batters Giambi and Abreu, who combined are hitless in four at-bats against him. Of course, the Dodgers didn’t do much to make his job easier, getting only five hits as Philadelphia starter Vicente Padilla and Andy Ashby engaged in a pitchers’ duel for seven innings.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with none out in the eighth but could only get a run-scoring sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Marquis Grissom.

Philadelphia Manager Larry Bowa turned to his closer in the ninth.

Jose Mesa recorded his 31st save when pinch-hitter Adrian Beltre, not in the starting lineup because of a sore left hamstring, fouled out to end the game with Houston on first. Carlos Silva (3-0) got the final two outs in the eighth after impressive young starter Padilla was charged with one run in seven-plus strong innings.

Quantrill (2-4) had some bad luck in failing to get the Dodgers to Gagne in the ninth, and Ashby suffered in the process. The right-hander worked seven shutout innings against the club he has pitched for twice in his 11-year career.

The Dodgers (60-49) dropped a season-high 5 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West but remained a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the wild-card standings. The Phillies (52-56) have won three in a row.

The Dodgers are 4-6 on a 13-game trip and 6-15 since the All-Star break. They have lost eight games in the division standings in the last 23 days.

Maybe Gagne could have provided a lift Friday to a team going the wrong way faster each day.

“I just felt like we had the right guy [in Quantrill],” Tracy said. “And it was important to get the ball to Eric for a three-out save, if it’s a 1-0 game. You bring Eric in there [after Giambi doubled], and they flare one, then we’re stuck with a tie game. There’s no room for error for him there.”