Dessens Joins Bullpen

Elmer Dessens, the starter-turned-reliever who has excelled since an early-season demotion to the bullpen, became the latest late-inning option for the Dodgers on Thursday after they acquired the right-hander in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers received Dessens and cash and sent minor league outfielder Jereme Milons to the last-place Diamondbacks, who have already paid Dessens $3 million of his $4-million contract for 2004. The Dodgers can either pay Dessens $4.5 million in 2005 or pay his $300,000 buyout.

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said Dessens, 0-1 with a 2.03 earned-run average in 44 1/3 innings of relief, would join Giovanni Carrara and Yhency Brazoban in filling the void created by the loss of setup man Darren Dreifort, who was placed on the disabled list Thursday in anticipation of season-ending surgery on his right knee.

Dessens, who went 1-5 with a 7.68 ERA in nine starts, experienced a dramatic reversal of fortunes after being sent to the bullpen in mid-May. He has recorded 29 strikeouts and only eight walks as a reliever; the 33-year-old had struck out 26 and walked 15 in 41 innings as a starter.

Catcher Brent Mayne, who also was with the Diamondbacks before being traded to the Dodgers on July 31, said Dessens possessed the stuff to be a capable setup man.

“I think he’ll fit in good here,” Mayne said. “He’s got a fastball in the low- to mid-90s with movement, a good curveball, a good slider, a good changeup.”

Mayne said he couldn’t explain why Dessens pitched more effectively in relief.

“I don’t think it was a stamina thing because he was able to start and continue with his stuff throughout the game,” Mayne said. “For some reason, he just had a lot more success out of the bullpen.”

Milons, 21, hit a combined .267 with 10 homers and 55 runs batted in in 114 games this season with Class-A Vero Beach and Class-A Columbus.

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Eric Gagne said he glared into the Florida dugout in the ninth inning Wednesday not because he was upset with the Marlins’ exaggerated celebration after tagging him for four runs but because of the team’s delay in sending pinch-hitter Dontrelle Willis to the plate.

“I don’t care about celebrations,” said Gagne, who suffered his second blown save this season in 37 opportunities.

Gagne said he would probably call former Dodger teammate Paul Lo Duca, who drew a two-out, full-count walk during the inning to load the bases, “to let him know he got lucky. I gave him a free pass; I didn’t want to embarrass him.”

Gagne was honored before the game against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Dodger Stadium for his record-setting streak of 84 consecutive saves from Aug. 28, 2002 through July 3. The closer who has 142 saves over the last three seasons, tying Dennis Eckersley for the most saves over a three-season period, also met with five goateed finalists of a Gagne look-alike contest.

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Edwin Jackson, scratched from his scheduled start for triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday because of an hour-long pregame rain delay, is scheduled to pitch two innings tonight in his first rehabilitation outing.... Scott Stewart, the triple-A left-hander acquired from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday for a player to be named, was sent to Las Vegas following the acquisition of Dessens.