Dodgers Get Ejected From the Top Spot

The Dodgers’ three-week reign atop the National League West came to a frustrating end Saturday afternoon, as Arizona closer Byung-Hyun Kim quelled a ninth-inning uprising and the Diamondbacks held off the Dodgers, 7-5, before 33,994 in Dodger Stadium.

A rocky start by Andy Ashby and shoddy relief work by reliever Terry Mulholland left two Dodger pitchers dejected, and another blown call, this one by second-base umpire Bill Miller, led to Manager Jim Tracy getting ejected, as the Dodgers’ losing streak grew to a season-high four games.

Reserve outfielder David Dellucci took advantage of a rare start, hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the sixth, and backup catcher Rod Barajas ripped a two-run homer off Mulholland in the sixth to provide the difference for the Diamondbacks, who won the first three games of a critical four-game series and moved into first place, a half-game ahead of the Dodgers.

“We’re at that point in the season where every game counts, and that’s the way we like it,” Dellucci said. “We like this spot. We know what we’re capable of and what we’re up against.”

The Dodgers thought they knew what they were up against--the defending World Series champion Diamondbacks--but the opposition, at least in their minds, was not limited to those in the visiting dugout.

First-base umpire Bill Hohn blew a call that prevented the Dodgers from scoring the tying run in the eighth inning of Thursday night’s 4-3 loss, and Miller’s miscue was costly Saturday.

With Arizona leading, 4-2, Steve Finley opened the sixth with a walk and stole second. Finley beat Dodger catcher Paul Lo Duca’s throw, but he popped off the bag after his slide while shortstop Cesar Izturis was still applying the tag.

Miller stuck with his call, which replays showed was wrong, and Tracy’s emotional objection earned him a trip to his office. Mark Grace flied to right, but Dellucci singled in a run, and Barajas greeted Mulholland with his home run to give the Diamondbacks a 7-2 lead.

Mark Grudzielanek’s RBI single and Hiram Bocachica’s pinch-hit, two-run homer pulled the Dodgers within 7-5 in the seventh, and the Dodgers put two on with two out in the ninth, but Kim got Lo Duca to ground to first to end the game and record his 25th save, and third in as many games.

“I’m not one to berate an umpire as quickly as I did today unless I’m awfully certain I’m right,” Tracy said. “Frankly, I could see that from the dugout. Obviously, it was a missed call.”

That cost the Dodgers a run and maybe more. Had Dellucci’s single come with two out and no one on, perhaps Ashby would have stayed in to pitch to Barajas. Instead, bench coach Jim Riggleman summoned Mulholland, whose second pitch was blasted for a home run.

“That was a three-run call,” Dodger first baseman Eric Karros said. “Instead of two outs and a guy on first and Ashby pitching against Barajas ... it changed the whole complexion of the game. Obviously, [the umpires] are going to make mistakes. It’s unfortunate it happened twice in a three-game span in a big series.”

Crew chief Larry Young’s assessment of the play fueled Karros’ frustration. Told that Young said replays were “pretty inconclusive,” Karros said, “Oh my God, pretty inconclusive? You’ve got to be [kidding] me.”

There was nothing inconclusive about Ashby’s performance. It was bad. The right-hander gave up six runs and eight hits, including Grace’s two-run single in the second, in 5 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out one. All three of the batters he walked scored.

“It’s embarrassing,” Ashby (7-7) said. “When you fall behind and walk guys, good things aren’t going to happen. I couldn’t find my rhythm.... I was all over the place. I need to stop thinking and let it happen.”

The Dodgers are in danger of getting swept by the Diamondbacks, and while four losses at this point in the season won’t eliminate the Dodgers from contention, a sweep could erase much of the momentum they built in the first half and provide the Diamondbacks with a second-half catapult.

“No one is going to leave here with the NL West title under their belts,” Karros said. “It’s going to be a dogfight until the end, and all three teams, Arizona, San Francisco and us, will change places more than once. We’d like to mix in a win soon, though. [Today] would be a nice time to do it.”

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*--* The NL West W L GB Arizona 54 36 -- Dodgers 54 37 1/2 San Francisco 52 38 2

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Head-to-Head

The Dodgers will have plenty of opportunities to meet the other two teams in the NL West title hunt:

Dodgers vs. Arizona

At Dodger Stadium: today, Aug. 26-28. At Arizona: Sept. 2-4.

Dodgers vs. San Francisco

At Dodger Stadium: Friday-July 21, Sept. 16-19. At San Francisco: July 26-28, Sept. 9-11.