Carter Struggling to Gain Control

Lance Carter called his father in Bradenton, Fla., with an urgent message. Drive to his house and grab the videotapes, the ones of Carter’s 26 saves in 2003 and his solid relief work for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays the last two years.

Package them up and send them to Los Angeles. When the Dodgers return from their three-city trip, the tapes will be waiting for pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and bullpen coach Dan Warthen to review.

Maybe they would find some answers. Carter’s control seemed to have deserted him. He was falling behind hitters, then grooving the ball. In his last two outings before Tuesday night, he faced only two batters each time, with identical results.

One walk, one hit, one manager hustling to the mound to remove him.

In 7 2/3 innings, he had allowed 10 hits, four walks and five runs. That’s not what the Dodgers expected when they acquired him along with Danys Baez for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany.

He was better Tuesday, holding the Astros scoreless in the 12th and 13th innings, although he walked two.

“I’ve got to relax,” he said. “I’m pressing more and more. I’ve been a little too analytical. I’m trying to make the perfect pitch.”

Honeycutt said Carter’s tempo and rhythm have been off, that he is rushing his delivery, which causes his hands to separate late.

“Everything after that in the delivery is an adjustment to catch up with his body,” Honeycutt said. “He needs to go back to basics. Maybe the video will help with that.”

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The optimism that surrounded Cesar Izturis’ seemingly fast recovery from reconstructive elbow surgery has been tempered. Any talk of him re-joining the team in May has ceased and now it appears that everyone would be happy if he is able to begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment before June.

Izturis had been throwing 180 feet but experienced soreness and cut back to 120 feet. He is building back in 10- to 20-foot increments and won’t get back to 180 feet for about two weeks.

“At 180 feet he was actually stressing the elbow area, which was fine,” trainer Stan Johnston said. “It’s part of the process, part of getting the graft to mature. If he doesn’t stress it, it won’t fully mature.”

Izturis did not accompany the Dodgers to Houston but is expected to rejoin the team Friday in San Diego.

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The eight putouts by J.D. Drew were two short of the National League record set by Bill Nicholson in 1945 and three short of the major league record set by Tony Armas in 1982.

Drew left the game in the ninth as part of a double switch. His replacement in right field, Jose Cruz Jr., made one catch on a line drive by Preston Wilson with one out and the bases loaded in the 12th inning. Normally the ball would have fallen for a single, but Cruz was playing shallow with the score tied.