There’s No Rest for Gagne

Only twice in 2002 did Manager Jim Tracy, ever mindful of overworking his dominant closer, use Eric Gagne on four consecutive days. Ten days into 2003, and Gagne has already gone back to back to back to back.

Though the Dodgers had a three-run lead in the ninth inning Wednesday and set-up man Paul Quantrill warming in the eighth, Tracy went to Gagne in the ninth.

Gagne needed only 10 pitches to retire the Diamondbacks in order, closing the Dodgers’ 5-2 win, but it was his fourth appearance in four days, following his two-inning, 25-pitch stint in San Diego Sunday, a one-inning, 11-pitch outing Monday and a one-inning, nine-pitch effort Tuesday night against Arizona.

Granted, Gagne’s pitch counts were low, but he still had to expend a number of pitches in the bullpen to warm up before each appearance. And with a four-game series against San Francisco beginning tonight, wouldn’t Tracy have preferred to have his closer fresh -- and available -- for the Giants?

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Tracy said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen [tonight]. We could be up by seven runs or down by seven runs. But if we start looking ahead and get burned on Wednesday afternoon and we don’t even need the guy Thursday.... This guy hasn’t thrown many pitches.”

Gagne said he “felt great” after Wednesday’s game and would be available tonight, and he saw no danger in pitching on four consecutive days this early in the season.

“I don’t care -- I’ll go whenever they tell me to go out there,” said Gagne, who was slowed by several nagging injuries in spring training. “If I don’t feel fine, I’ll tell [Tracy]. I had two weeks off this spring, anyway, so I’m rested.”

ON DECK

Opponent--San Francisco Giants, four games.

Site--Pacific Bell Park, San Francisco.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 tonight and Friday night, Channel 13 Saturday, ESPN Sunday night.

Radio--KFWB (980), KWKW (1330).

Records--Dodgers 5-5, Giants 8-1.

2002 vs. Giants--8-11.

Tonight, 7:15 p.m. -- Hideo Nomo (1-1, 1.69 ERA) vs. Kurt Ainsworth (1-0, 4.50 ERA).

Friday, 7:15 p.m. -- Odalis Perez (0-0, 4.05) vs. Kirk Rueter (1-0, 1.64).

Saturday, 1 p.m. -- Kevin Brown (1-0, 0.73) vs. Jason Schmidt (1-0, 1.35).

Sunday, 5 p.m. -- Kazuhisa Ishii (0-1, 7.45) vs. Damian Moss (1-0, 4.22).