Gagne Gets Rattled

The Dodgers were beaten by the sound of silence Wednesday night, a soft end-of-the-bat poke down the right-field line that reduced closer Eric Gagne to a mere mortal and prevented the Arizona Diamondbacks from getting swept in an important three-game series.

Quinton McCracken was way out in front of Gagne’s two-strike changeup, but the Arizona outfielder got just enough of it to float a well-placed, two-run triple to right to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning and lead the Diamondbacks to a 5-3 victory over the Dodgers before 39,609 in Bank One Ballpark.

It was Gagne’s second blown save of the season and first since May 7. It marked the first time this season the Dodgers lost when leading after seven innings; they were 45-0 in such games before Wednesday night.

The Dodgers knew what hit them; it was McCracken, who was hitless in his previous 14 at-bats before reaching against Gagne. They just didn’t hear it.

“He hit a great pitch--he hit the ball off the end of the bat,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “Did you hear the sound? It didn’t even make a noise. He could have very easily swung over it and missed.”

The Dodgers shut out the Diamondbacks in the first two games of the series and led, 3-2, Wednesday night on the strength of Shawn Green’s 26th home run of the season, a two-run shot off starter Miguel Batista in the first inning, and pitcher Andy Ashby’s RBI single in the second.

But Arizona second baseman Junior Spivey, whose sixth-inning sacrifice fly pulled the Diamondbacks within 3-2, extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a one-out single off reliever Guillermo Mota in the eighth, and pinch-hitter Greg Colbrunn drew a walk off Jesse Orosco.

Tracy summoned Gagne, who had a 1.27 earned-run average and 30 saves in 31 opportunities. Gagne, who stranded all 11 of his inherited runners this season, jumped ahead of McCracken, but after fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches, McCracken tripled to right for a 4-3 lead.

Mark Grace capped the rally with a sacrifice fly for a 5-3 lead, and Gagne walked David Dellucci, the right-hander’s first walk since May 4, a span of 28 innings and 99 batters. Dellucci was caught stealing to end the inning.

Dodger second baseman Alex Cora singled off Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim with two out in the ninth, but Kim got pinch-hitter Mark Grudzielanek to fly to center for his 21st save, as the Diamondbacks pulled to within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Dodgers in the National League West.

“I’m not upset; disappointed would be a better choice of words,” Tracy said. “They’re the defending world champions and we were an inch and a half away from sweeping the series. You have to tip your hat to them. We move on to St. Louis knowing we gained a game [in the standings], and they beat our best guy. That’s it.”

It’s a tall order for a closer to get five outs, especially with two runners on in the eighth, but Gagne saved five of the six games he entered before the ninth inning in save situations and pitched only once in the previous four days.

“I felt good,” Gagne said. “I didn’t care how many outs I needed. I was in a good position, and it just didn’t happen. Give [McCracken] credit. My 0-2 pitch caught too much of the plate. I should have thrown it in the dirt. He threw his bat out there and made contact. He did a great job with it.”

The last time Gagne blew a save, the first-year closer barely blinked. He recorded saves in his next 20 opportunities. There was little concern Gagne would be devastated by the events of Wednesday night.

Not a half hour had passed after the loss, and already Gagne was flushing it out of his system.

“I’m already thinking about [today],” Gagne said. “I cost us the game, but that’s part of the job.”

Ashby, who gave up two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings, had a quick chat with Gagne in the clubhouse.

“The main thing is for him to realize it’s going to happen,” Ashby said. “He’s been dealing the whole year, and the guy blooped one in. He’ll be all right. He just has to stay positive. He’s going to be there the rest of the year.”