Splitter Decision Drops Dodgers

Reliever Paul Shuey’s split-fingered fastball was all over the place Tuesday night -- inside, outside, up, down -- but it was the last splitter he threw that wound up in the worst of all places for the Dodgers.

Ramon Castro, Florida’s third-string catcher, blasted a hanging splitter from Shuey into the left-field seats with two outs in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Marlins to a 5-4 victory over the Dodgers before 12,025 in Pro Player Stadium.

Castro’s third homer of the season, which came on a 2-and-0 pitch, pushed the Marlins past Philadelphia and into first place in the National League wild-card race, while the Dodgers fell 3 1/2 games behind. Had the Dodgers won, they would have trailed Philadelphia by two games in the wild card.

“That stings as bad as any I’ve had because I was one good pitch away from getting out of the inning,” Shuey said. “To lose on a splitter, which I didn’t have control of today ... that hurts. You have to give the guy credit. I hung it. He hit it.”

But should Shuey have thrown it? The splitter is usually his best pitch, “but it was pretty erratic today,” Shuey said. “I thought the guy would be looking for a fastball. It was a good time to use [the splitter]. It needed to be a good split. It was a bad one.”

Shuey and catcher Paul Lo Duca were in agreement on the pitch.

“It was a little bit my fault,” Lo Duca said. “His split was not what it usually is, but it’s still his best pitch. I thought [Castro] would be looking fastball. You can second-guess both of us.”

The Dodgers scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, but their offense, unusually productive in recent games, then reverted to pre-August form, mustering only one hit in seven innings against five Marlin relievers.

The Dodgers blew a chance in the top of the 13th when Adrian Beltre drew a leadoff walk from Chad Fox. Ron Coomer flied to right, but Beltre stole second and took third when catcher Castro’s throw bounced into center field.

Alex Cora struck out with the infield in, and Cesar Izturis flied to left to end the inning. The Dodgers also blew a bases-loaded, one-out chance in the sixth when pinch-hitter Mike Kinkade flied to shallow left, Beltre holding at third, and starter Josh Beckett got Dave Roberts to fly to left, preserving a 4-4 tie.

“The game boiled down to something that has troubled us a lot this year,” Manager Jim Tracy said. “We had the bases loaded in the sixth and a runner on third in the 13th and were unable to get a run in.”

The rest of the bullpen kept the Dodgers in the game, as Guillermo Mota struck out four in two scoreless innings, Paul Quantrill threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, Tom Martin retired one batter, and closer Eric Gagne threw a scoreless 10th and 11th.

Showing their desperation to win the game, the Dodgers even had Kevin Brown limbering up in the bullpen in the 13th inning.

A controversial call by umpire Hunter Wendelstedt helped the Dodgers, as well. With the score tied, 3-3, in the fifth, Lo Duca reached on a two-out infield single and Shawn Green doubled off the left-center field wall.

Center fielder Juan Pierre fired to shortstop Alex Gonzalez, whose two-hop throw reached catcher Ivan Rodriguez as Lo Duca slid in.

Rodriguez had the plate, as well as Wendelstedt, who rotated from first base to home on the play, blocked. Lo Duca crashed into Rodriguez and made a second lunge at the plate, giving the appearance Rodriguez dropped the ball. Rodriguez also tagged Lo Duca a second time, at which point Wendelstedt ruled Lo Duca safe.

Rodriguez erupted in anger, slamming his face mask into the ground, and was immediately ejected. He probably didn’t cool off when he retreated to the clubhouse for replays, which showed he never dropped the ball.