Tracy Focuses on Mistakes at Meeting

It wasn’t exactly Knute Rockne rallying the troops, but Manager Jim Tracy, upset about a string of recent mental mistakes and a lack of intensity, rattled some cages during a 20-minute team meeting before Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Diamondbacks.

“It was a little butt-kicking that we needed,” said Paul Lo Duca, who played first base Saturday. “It was nothing out of hand, and we respect that, but it needed to be done. We played with a lot of energy today.”

In two recent one-run losses, closer Eric Gagne failed to properly back up home plate, costing a run, and Cesar Izturis failed to score from third on a single to the outfield, costing another run.

“Those are [caused by] lapses in concentration, an anticipation that something bad is going to happen, the strain of being in 1-1 games every night,” Tracy said. “But if you’re going to be involved in those games every night, those [mistakes] can’t happen.”

Tracy also advised his players to ignore outside distractions, and though he wouldn’t say he told his players to stop reading the newspapers or watching television, that message was implied.

“If you read the paper and listened to everything said about us, you’d think we’re dead,” Lo Duca said. “We’re only [1 1/2 games behind Philadelphia] in the wild-card [standings]. We’re all trying to win, but according to everyone else, we might as well pack it in and leave. To us, it’s a challenge. Obviously, injuries hurt, but we’ve got to win games and get it done, do whatever it takes.”

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Pitcher Kevin Brown, who suffered a lower abdominal strain Thursday, was scratched Saturday from his next scheduled start Tuesday night against the Padres.

Long reliever Wilson Alvarez will start in Brown’s place, and the Dodgers probably will make a roster move to add a reliever, but Brown is not expected to go on the disabled list. The Dodgers are optimistic he will be able to return next Sunday against Colorado.

“He’s better today, but we don’t want to take the chance on pushing the envelope and losing him for a considerable period of time,” Tracy said.

Brown, 10-4 with a 2.30 earned-run average despite losing his last three starts, is expected to be named to the National League All-Star team today, but if he pitches next Sunday against the Rockies, it’s doubtful he’ll be able to pitch two days later in the All-Star game.

“I don’t think he’d feel comfortable pitching in the All-Star game with one day off,” Tracy said. “He’s very deserving of being on the team, but I think his availability to pitch is 50-50.

“The All-Star game has meaning, but the game he pitches [next Sunday] is important to us.”

Said Brown: “I’m not worried about [the All-Star game]. I’m worried about getting better and pitching as well as I can.”

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First baseman Fred McGriff was unavailable Saturday, and there is a chance he may return to the disabled list because of a strained right groin. McGriff was activated Tuesday, but it’s clear he is not ready to play on a regular basis.

He aggravated the groin stretching for a throw from the infield Thursday and has not started in three of the five games since his return.