Team Unhappy With Perez’s Comments

The Dodgers scolded Odalis Perez for lashing out Sunday at, well, everyone except the pitching staff, expressing their disappointment in the emotional starter and strongly encouraging him to apologize to the team.

General Manager Dan Evans declined to “discuss the substance of my conversation with Odalis,” but another team executive said Evans told the left-hander his behavior in Anaheim was unacceptable.

After the Angels swept a three-game interleague series with a 3-1 victory at Edison Field, Perez blasted the team’s National League-worst offense and appeared to call out Evans in this series of comments:

* “If we keep playing the way we’re playing, there’s no way for us to go nowhere.”

* “We need to start producing, or get some other players to produce, because all the pressure’s on the pitching staff ... and that’s not fair.”

* “The trade deadline is coming. If we don’t make a move, we’re going to waste this season like last season. If we don’t score runs, we don’t produce, we’re not going to win.”

Moreover, Perez, who pitched well in the loss, questioned the team’s defensive alignment on Darin Erstad’s two-run single in the second, which some players perceived to be a thinly-veiled shot at Manager Jim Tracy.

“If you have a problem with something, you should talk to the team and not pop off in the paper,” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “If you’re going to pop off in the paper, then you’ve got no guts.

“You go to the source ... that’s how it gets solved. Then you have more respect for that person. You have no respect for somebody when they pop off in the paper, and you hear about it hearsay.”

The Dodgers acknowledge Perez has reason to be frustrated. He has quality starts in his last four outings but is 0-3 with a no-decision and two ejections in that span.

However, they said that doesn’t excuse Perez’s behavior.

“This is definitely a crucial time for us to band together,” center fielder Dave Roberts said. “We all have to make sure we’re on the same page.”

Because of his conduct with umpires, Perez faces additional disciplinary action from the commissioner’s office.

“We probably won’t do anything on that until after the Fourth of July,” said Bob Watson, baseball’s administrator in charge of on-field discipline, who fined Perez $400 for being ejected and arguing with an umpire June 13 at Cleveland.

“There are a couple of other people I want to talk to, because I value their opinions and observations. They’re not umpires, so I have to track them down.”

Perez is eager to move on.

“It’s frustrating when you go out there and you pitch good, and you don’t win,” said Perez, 4-7 with a 4.44 earned-run average.

“I don’t really want to talk about this. Whatever will happen, will happen.”

*

Brian Jordan apparently moved closer to undergoing season-ending knee surgery, going on the 15-day disabled list (retroactive to June 25) because of a strained left knee tendon.

The Dodgers used Jordan’s spot on the 25-man roster to activate Fred McGriff from the disabled list.

An MRI exam last Thursday confirmed Jordan suffered further damage to his knee, which required surgery in October.

Many in the organization said it’s only a matter of time before Jordan must have another procedure on the knee.

“I’m going to come back, just get more treatment and hope it gets better,” Jordan said. “Hopefully, it will get better, but if it doesn’t we’ll just go from there.”

*

San Diego reliever Matt Herges played the role of peacemaker Tuesday, calming down teammates infuriated by comments attributed to Roberts about Padre starter Brian Lawrence.

Roberts was quoted as saying, “If you can’t beat Brian Lawrence, then it’s gonna be a long season.” Herges, who pitched for the Dodgers from 1999 to 2001, spoke with Roberts before the game, and then informed the Padres that Roberts said reporters misconstrued his comments.