Gagne Gets a Chance to Relax

Eric Gagne said he could have pitched in the Dodgers’ 7-4 victory over the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium, but Manager Jim Tracy gave the struggling All-Star closer the day off Saturday after the worst stretch of his career as a reliever.

The right-hander gave up go-ahead runs in three consecutive games, suffering his second blown save of the season and consecutive losses. Adrian Beltre got Gagne off the hook Friday -- hitting the tying and game-winning home runs in a 3-2 victory in 11 innings -- after Atlanta took the lead against him in the ninth.

So after Gagne had thrown 69 pitches and struggled with his command three nights in a row, Tracy decided to give him a break.

“His timing is off the least little bit, and as a result, his command suffers a little bit,” Tracy said. “His command hasn’t been as pinpoint as we’ve been accustomed to seeing. He’s been used, but at this point of the season you have to do that.

“What do you do when the game is tied and your best man is sitting down there? What would the line of questioning be if it were Duaner Sanchez or Elmer Dessens, or somebody like that, out there pitching the top of the ninth inning?

“You have to use the guy unless he comes and tells you, ‘Hey, I definitely need a day off.’ Or, in the case like today, he hasn’t come and done that either. Yet the prudent thing to do is, knowing where you’ve had him from a workload standpoint the past few days ... he doesn’t get a chance to have an opinion today.”

Gagne is 1-3 with a 5.54 earned-run average in August. Since having pitched three innings Aug. 1 in a 2-1 victory over San Diego, Gagne has a 7.20 ERA. He has given up 15 hits and eight earned runs in 10 innings.

Gagne said the outing against the Padres had nothing to do with current problems. Tracy said he would have done nothing differently, considering the importance of the win in the National League West race.

Tracy altered the bullpen rotation after setup man Guillermo Mota was traded to Florida and made more changes because Darren Dreifort, who succeeded Mota as the primary setup man, is sidelined for the season.

Gagne has had to adjust without traded catcher Paul Lo Duca, whom he had worked with since their days in the Dodger farm system. He now works with former backup catcher David Ross and Brent Mayne, acquired July 31 from Arizona.

“It’s an adjustment,” Gagne said. “Everybody knows that in this game it’s about two brains.

“It’s perfect when two brains work together. Then you get new ones and you’ve got to work.”

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The Dodgers hope that Brad Penny, sidelined because of a nerve problem on his pitching arm, could resume throwing Tuesday, team trainer Stan Johnston said. There is no timetable for Penny to be activated from the disabled list.... Hideo Nomo had a rehabilitation start for triple-A Las Vegas in an 8-7 victory at Salt Lake. Nomo gave up eight hits, three walks and four earned runs, and struck out eight in four innings.