Trouble Runs Deep for Penny

Brad Penny had his big toe stepped on trying to thwart last weekend’s altercation between Milton Bradley and Jeff Kent.

Thursday, the Dodger starter had his pitches stomped on by the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies, owners of the worst road record in the major leagues, took advantage of an erratic Penny at Dodger Stadium, hitting three home runs in a 5-4 series-clinching victory.

It wasn’t the best of days for the Dodgers, who are trying to put the Bradley-Kent feud behind them while keeping their fading hopes of repeating as National League West champs alive.

The day began with Bradley, who was nowhere to be seen, put on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Tuesday, because of an 80% tear of the patella tendon in his left knee.

And although the mood around the organization was that Bradley would not be back this season, or possibly not even welcomed back next year, he is getting a second opinion on the knee today in Cincinnati from Dr. Timothy Kremchek.

Dodger management, meanwhile, has been more than second-guessed by fans.

With 35 games remaining, the Dodgers (57-70) have lost more games than they did in winning the division with a record of 93-69 last season. They also fell 6 1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres and a season-worst-tying 13 games under .500.

The Rockies (49-78) are only 16-43 away from the friendly confines of Coors Field after taking two of three at Chavez Ravine.

Penny (6-8) surrendered only four hits, but three left the park and he needed 113 pitches to get through six innings. He was charged with all five runs while walking four and striking out eight.

“Tonight was the best I’ve felt arm-wise in a long time,” Penny said. “The toe’s never bothered me.”

Dustan Mohr’s solo home run in the second gave Colorado a 1-0 lead, and the Rockies extended it to 4-0 in the third.

With two out in the inning, Penny walked Cory Sullivan and Todd Helton. Matt Holliday followed with a towering three-run home run to center field, a leaping Jayson Werth coming up just short of catching the ball at the wall.

After the inning, Penny and rookie catcher Dioner Navarro were seen having an animated discussion in the dugout.

Asked if the discussion turned heated, Navarro shook his head.

“Not at all. We were trying to figure out what pitches to throw the rest of the game,” Navarro said. “He made great pitches, but all the home runs, they just put good swings on the ball.”

The Dodgers, who scored once in the third when Oscar Robles’ double drove in Jose Valentin, loaded the bases with two out in the fourth with Penny stepping to the plate.

Rather than hit for him, Dodger Manager Jim Tracy let Penny hit and he bounced into an inning-ending groundout.

“It’s early,” Penny said, “you can’t use the bullpen there.”

On his next pitch, Penny surrendered a solo homer to Aaron Miles, and the Dodgers trailed, 5-1.

Tracy defended his decision to stick with Penny.

“He pitched two innings beyond that,” Tracy said.

Indeed, the Dodgers had their chances later, scoring a run in the fifth on Werth’s two-out single, and two more in the sixth, when pinch-hitter Antonio Perez drove in Navarro and Oscar Robles singled home Valentin.

But the Dodgers, who would strand 10 runners, again left the bases loaded, Olmedo Saenz and Werth striking out against Colorado reliever Scott Dohmann.

Saenz was the first of 11 straight Dodgers to go down to end the game.

“All things aside, our offensive opportunities were there,” Tracy said. “We simply had the stage set and failed to get the base hit.”