Season Ends on a Reserve Note

The Dodger-Giant game began at 1:12 Sunday afternoon. It ended at 2:06.

At that instant, the message board in right field flashed word that the Houston Astros had defeated the Colorado Rockies to win the National League wild-card spot.

With the Giants eliminated from postseason play, the game took on the appearance of a spring afternoon in Holman Stadium with reserves replacing starters on both sides. In all, 35 players got into the game, 16 for the Dodgers.

The Giants, largely because of five home runs -- Pedro Feliz (22), Marquis Grissom (22), Ray Durham (17), Deivi Cruz (seven) and Jason Ellison (first) -- won, 10-0.

The winner was Jason Schmidt (18-7), who struck out nine in six innings to give him 251 for the season, surpassing Juan Marichal’s 248 in 1963, previously the franchise record since the club moved to San Francisco in 1958.

The loser, perhaps in more ways than one, was Kazuhisa Ishii (13-8). Hoping to demonstrate his worthiness for postseason work, Ishii instead gave up five runs in five innings, three of them earned, while surrendering three home runs.

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Dodger Manager Jim Tracy announced after the game that four players -- infielders Joe Thurston and Jose Flores, outfielder Chin-Feng Chen and left-hander Scott Stewart -- will not be on the postseason roster.

That still leaves 29 names, including right-hander Brad Penny, who is not expected to pitch again this season because of a bruised nerve in the biceps on his pitching arm. The roster must be down to 25 by Tuesday.

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The Dodgers will add about 1,600 seats to Dodger Stadium during the off-season by bringing the dugouts out 15 to 20 feet into what is now foul territory, said Howard Sunkin, a Dodger vice president. The dugouts will then be aligned with the club dugout seats.

The club will remove the rubberized track that runs around the ballpark, and replace it with a traditional dirt track.

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First baseman/outfielder Shawn Green sat out Sunday’s game because of a bruised right shin, the result of a foul ball he hit Friday night. He is expected to play Tuesday.... Sunday’s Dodger Stadium attendance of 54,968 brought the final season total to 3,488,283, third highest in franchise history.... There will be a Dodger rally at 6:30 tonight at The Grove at Third Street and Fairfax Avenue, including Dodger and city officials and former players.