Dodgers Can’t Escape Deep Hole

The Dodgers paid all the premiums on their $5-million insurance policy known as Omar Daal, but there has been a lapse in coverage this past week.

Daal, whose repeated requests to be traded were ignored because the Dodgers needed the reluctant reliever in case a starting pitcher got hurt, replaced the injured Kevin Brown in the rotation last week but has been roughed up in two starts.

The left-hander gave up six runs Wednesday on a fourth-inning grand slam to Benny Agbayani and a two-run homer to Todd Helton in the fifth, putting the Dodgers in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. An eighth-inning rally fell short, and the Dodgers lost to the Colorado Rockies, 8-6, before 31,793 in Coors Field.

Daal, who went 4-0 with an earned-run average of 0.88 in his first 17 appearances, 15 as a reliever, also gave up six runs and 10 hits in a 6-3 loss to Arizona on Friday and is now 4-2 with a 2.72 ERA.

“I’m not disappointed--I’m trying to do my best,” said Daal, who is making $5 million this season. “I struggled with the command of my fastball today--I had trouble throwing it [on the outside corner]--and my slider wasn’t the same. I don’t know if it’s because of the altitude here, but my slider was flat. I just have to forget about it and try to throw better pitches next time.”

In addition to the home run, his 15th, Helton singled and scored on Agbayani’s grand slam and doubled in a run in the seventh, giving him a National League-leading 55 runs batted in. Larry Walker added two hits and scored three runs.

“I didn’t notice Omar throwing the ball any differently. They just hit a couple of balls out of the park,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “Larry Walker and Todd Helton are difficult to deal with, whether you’re Omar Daal, Kevin Brown or Kazuhisa Ishii. They set up both of those [run-scoring] innings.”

Walker and Helton singled to open the fourth, and after Terry Shumpert’s walk, Agbayani, who was activated off the disabled list Wednesday, ripped a full-count cut-fastball over the wall in center for a 4-2 lead. Walker walked in front of Helton’s homer in the fifth, as Colorado took a 6-2 lead.

Each team scored a run in the seventh, and the Dodgers, who amassed 15 runs in the eighth and ninth innings of wins over the Rockies on Monday and Tuesday night, scored three in the eighth to trim the lead to 7-6 before a curious decision by Tracy backfired.

Eric Karros and Adrian Beltre, who was eight for 15 with two homers and six RBIs in the series, singled to open the eighth, and Marquis Grissom was hit by a pitch. Mark Grudzielanek’s two-run single and Chad Kreuter’s sacrifice fly made it 7-6.

Pinch-hitter Paul Lo Duca singled, putting runners on first and second with one out, but Tracy opted for pinch-hitter Dave Hansen over leadoff batter Dave Roberts, a .321 hitter who had three singles in four at-bats Wednesday.

The reason: Hansen had two hits, including a home run, in six at-bats against Rocky closer Jose Jimenez, and two of his outs were wicked line drives off the right-hander last season.

“Hansen has a good history against Jimenez,” Tracy said. “We were at a point in time where we needed a ball driven, and he was the right guy to do that.”

Not Wednesday. Hansen struck out, and Alex Cora, who doubled twice in four previous at-bats, grounded into an inning-ending fielder’s choice.

Jimenez retired the side in order in the ninth for his 16th save, preserving the win for rookie right-hander Jason Jennings, who gave up three runs and 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings to extend his winning streak to six and improve his record to 7-2.

“Yeah, I was surprised,” Roberts said about being pulled for Hansen. “Everyone wants to be the guy at bat in those situations--if you don’t, there’s something wrong with you--but I’m just a player, and it’s not my decision. Trace thought Hansen would be better in that situation, and I have to support that.”