Ishii Throws Only Grapefruits to Mets

The disappointment was evident on Kazuhisa Ishii’s face Sunday after the Dodgers suffered their first Grapefruit League defeat, 8-3, to the New York Mets at Holman Stadium.

Ishii had hoped for a strong exhibition debut after working out hard in the off-season and making a major mechanical change in his delivery, but he said there was nothing encouraging about his rough, 1 2/3-inning outing.

“I didn’t pitch well today, so of course, I’m going to get frustrated,” Ishii said through an interpreter. “What I’ve been working on in practice, I wasn’t able to do that in the game.”

Pitching in relief, Ishii (0-1) gave up five hits -- including a two-run home run to Mike Jacobs -- six earned runs and four walks while again struggling with his command. The Mets loaded the bases four times in the sixth against Ishii.

The left-hander, who entered with a 3-2 lead, failed to make it out of the seventh.

“With this one chance that I had to pitch today, and not being able to do what I do in practice, I felt bad that I kind of wasted that opportunity,” Ishii said. “But I am throwing well in practice. If anyone judges me on my outing today, I can’t blame them. All I’m going to try to do is keep working.”

Pitching coach Jim Colborn attributed at least some of Ishii’s problems to working in relief, which “was not the best situation for him.” But that’s what starters have to do sometimes early in exhibition play.

“This isn’t the end of the world and it tells him where he’s at,” Colborn said. “It’s a barometer to see how well he’s mastered his [new] form. At times, he had it.”

Manager Jim Tracy preached patience.

“Kazuhisa obviously wasn’t very good today,” said Tracy, whose team is 4-1. “But it’s his first time out and he’s working on something mechanically. He can take it back to the drawing board and work on some of the things that he felt weren’t going right.

“As we’ve said, he’s not a new item to our league anymore. They’re going to make him throw the ball over the plate. They’re not going to chase quite as much as they have over the course of the past couple of seasons.”

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Hideo Nomo’s second start was better than his first.

Nomo worked 3 2/3 innings, giving up six hits and two runs on solo homers. The right-hander walked one without a strikeout.

In the clubs’ exhibition opener Wednesday, Nomo gave up five hits and three earned runs in two innings.

“He was fine,” Tracy said. “He was sharper today, obviously, than he was his first time out. He gets through 3 2/3 and you could see Hideo starting to do this.

“His split was better, his fastball command was better. You’ll continue to see him sharpen each time he goes out there. I’ve watched it for three springs.”

Nomo was satisfied. “It was better than last time,” he said through an interpreter.

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No. 2 batter Cesar Izturis was three for three. ... Closer Eric Gagne, the 2003 National League Cy Young Award winner, is scheduled to make his spring debut Tuesday against the Montreal Expos.