Gagne’s Rocked, Rally’s Wasted

The Dodgers own the best record in the major leagues in terms of one-run games. All-Star closer Eric Gagne naturally is a big reason for that, but they also hoped to lighten his workload with the addition of Steve Finley and Hee-Seop Choi.

That hasn’t materialized as Gagne, working for the fourth time in five games, gave up three hits and four unearned runs in the 11th inning of a 9-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that ended their four-game winning streak Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 53,977 at Dodger Stadium.

Since the Dodgers traded setup man Guillermo Mota last week, Gagne has worked 6 2/3 innings with mixed results. He pitched three innings Sunday in a dramatic 2-1, 12-inning win over San Diego, but gave up two runs in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s win over Pittsburgh. Gagne pitched the next night to earn his 32nd save.

Last year’s Cy Young Award winner entered Friday’s game in the 10th after Jayson Werth sent the contest into the extra innings with a ninth-inning home run off closer Tim Worrell for his second of the game.

Gagne gave up a hit in the 10th but got into a mess in the 11th. Shortstop Cesar Izturis’ throw pulled first baseman Choi off the bag on Marlon Byrd’s grounder to set up the rally.

After Gagne walked Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco singled to load the bases. Bobby Abreu hit a line drive that Choi snagged and nearly turned into a double play, but Jim Thome followed with a single to center to drive in two.

“I’ve faced a lot of good relievers, but he might be the best,” Thome said. “He doesn’t do that a whole lot.”

David Bell added a single to score Polanco and Dodger Manager Jim Tracy came out to pull his star. It was the first time Gagne had been knocked out of a game since May 12, 2003, against the Atlanta Braves, when he gave up four runs and three hits in one inning.

“You obviously have the error that helped fuel the entire inning,” Tracy said. “Jimmy Rollins put a good at-bat on Eric ... and then they got the hit.”

Home runs were again flying out of once-pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium, but Kazuhisa Ishii would have needed a ballpark of Grand Canyon-like proportions to keep anything in the yard.

It also worked in the Dodgers’ favor. Werth, the hot-hitting Dodger left fielder, led off the ninth with a shot off Worrell over the center-field fence for the first multihomer game of his career.

Werth, whom the Dodgers were reluctant to include in a possible trade for Arizona ace Randy Johnson last week, hit his third homer in two days to cap a five-run comeback after Ishii was knocked around for four home runs in the first two innings.

A day after hitting a season-high five home runs, the Dodgers were on the receiving end, with Ishii serving them up. Rollins led off the game with a shot into the left-field bullpen. An out later, Abreu followed with a blast into the right-field pavilion.

Nothing changed in the following inning. Byrd hit a two-run homer and Polanco made it 5-0 with a two-out solo shot to left field.

Ishii may need to redeem himself over the next couple of starts to keep a hold on his spot in the rotation as right-handers Hideo Nomo and Edwin Jackson continue to work their way back from injuries.

Since his one-hit shutout of Arizona on July 7, Ishii has mixed in two strong outings against the Diamondbacks and San Diego with three ragged ones -- two against Colorado and now the Phillies.

“He had a bad night,” Tracy said of Ishii. “He pitched two innings and gave up four home runs. That’s a tough night.”

The resurgent Dodgers tried to bail him out. Relievers Giovanni Carrara, Yhency Brazoban, Wilson Alvarez and Darren Dreifort combined to throw seven scoreless innings.

David Ross opened the fifth with a double and Izturis singled to move the catcher to third. Werth then belted the first pitch from Randy Wolf over the center-field fence.