Penny Gets His Money’s Worth

Brad Penny’s heat couldn’t be measured by a radar gun or a thermometer. He was hotter than the blistering Southern sun, hotter even than the torrid Dodgers hitters who staked him to a seven-run lead after two innings in a 12-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Monday at Turner Field.

He was scream-at-his-manager, bark-at-his-pitching coach, bash-the-dugout-with-a-bat hot.

All Penny needed to qualify for his sixth win was to make it through the fifth inning, which he had done in each of his first 10 starts. Pitching with a sore shoulder, he couldn’t do it, giving up six consecutive hits with one out. The Braves were within 8-5 and had runners on first and third when Manager Grady Little came to the mound for the ball.

Penny threw a tantrum, leaving a trail of harsh words for Little as he stomped to the dugout. He continued to yell in the direction of pitching coach Rick Honeycutt, grabbed a bat and swung at an inanimate object or two before disappearing into the clubhouse.

He missed watching reliever Joe Beimel get Adam LaRoche to bounce into a double play on the first pitch.

“I felt that move was the difference in the game,” Little said.

Penny had cooled by the time the clubhouse opened but was still frosty toward his manager.

“The first jam I get into all year and I don’t get a chance to get out of it?” he said. “I don’t appreciate not getting the chance with a three-run lead to finish the inning. [Little] knows how I feel.”

Penny’s fastball lacked its normal velocity and he attributed it to shoulder pain. He said the injury occurred during the fifth inning of his last start, against the Colorado Rockies.

“They wanted me to go back out there and I couldn’t because my shoulder was hurting,” he said. “I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

Little and Honeycutt wanted him to stay in the game against the Rockies, but he asked out after 104 pitches even though he was pitching a shutout. It irked him that five days later he was pulled two outs from a victory, having thrown 70 pitches. He has been the Dodgers’ best pitcher this season, entering the game with a 5-1 record and 2.31 earned-run average.

Little did not speak to Penny after the incident, preferring to wait until today.

“Penny is a competitor and you can’t fault anyone for that,” he said. “The guy has done a great job for us all season. Like any starting pitcher, he wanted to finish the fifth inning and get the victory.”

Wins have been easier to come by for Penny than last season, when he had seven victories and 13 no-decisions in 29 starts. But his thirst for a “W” is no excuse for a public display of anger toward his manager, Honeycutt said.

“I don’t mind the guy being ticked off because he came out of the ballgame, but to have a tirade over it is a different issue,” he said. “It’s not something you condone. It was not a professional way to handle it by any means. When cooler heads prevail, we’ll have a meeting behind closed doors.”

The outburst overshadowed one of the most one-sided Dodgers victories of the season. Rafael Furcal, Kenny Lofton and Nomar Garciaparra led off the first with hits, leading to four runs. The same trio led off the second with hits, leading to three runs and chasing John Thomson after 50 pitches.

Ramon Martinez, subbing for injured Jeff Kent, capped the scoring with a three-run home run in the ninth and had two run-scoring singles. The five runs batted in were a career high.

Rookie Matt Kemp had an eventful second game, scoring three runs and driving in two. He singled twice, hit a sacrifice fly, walked and stole a base. Lofton had three hits and his 11th stolen base.

“We ran the bases extremely well,” Little said.

The euphoria didn’t last long. And although Penny and Little should patch up their rift soon, questions about the pitcher’s health could linger. Penny has also suffered back spasms in the last month.

“He’s had physical issues the last four or five starts and been able to pitch,” Honeycutt said. “He’s got to be honest with us and let us know whether he can go.”

And, Honeycutt seemed to suggest, accept when he’s done.