Bullpen Provides Little or No Relief

If the Dodgers’ bullpen were a car, it would be lurching and coughing, the gas gauge reading empty.

And the ride had been smooth for so long.

Seventh-inning setup man Brett Tomko, for two months a success story as a converted starter, has given up 10 runs in his last three innings, a span of four appearances.

Eighth-inning setup man Jonathan Broxton, who has held opposing batters to a .217 average, had given up runs in his last three appearances before pitching a scoreless eighth inning Wednesday.

Even closer Takashi Saito, with 19 saves and more than twice as many strikeouts as hits given up, proved mortal in his last outing, giving up three runs to the San Diego Padres on Monday before the Dodgers’ home run barrage rescued him.

As for the middle relief, don’t ask. Tim Hamulack, Elmer Dessens, Aaron Sele and others have blown up at an alarming rate, leaving Manager Grady Little with difficult choices when his starters fade -- usually in the fifth or sixth inning.

The game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday was a case in point. Greg Maddux lasted only five innings, and Sele let a one-run deficit stretch to four.

“It’s something we need to get through,” Little said.

How?

“Keep running them out there,” he said.

Little hopes the memorable comeback Monday provides motivation for the relievers.

“It makes their job that much easier,” he said. “We can come back. We are capable of putting up runs quick.”

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Rookie right-hander Chad Billingsley will start tonight despite lasting only one inning five days ago in his first start in three weeks. Little anticipates leaning on the bullpen, and acknowledged it was on his mind as Wednesday’s game unfolded.

“We look forward every once in a while,” he said.

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The Dodgers will hold a public sale of playoff tickets Monday at 10 a.m., with tickets available at Dodger Stadium, by telephone (866-DODGERS) and on the team websites (dodgers.comand losdodgers.com). The Dodgers will sell tickets for games in the division series, priced from $21 to $156, and for the National League championship series, priced from $46 to $206, according to the website.

The Dodgers sold playoff tickets this week to customers who have season tickets this year, made a deposit on them next year, or paid $99.95 to join the Fan Rewards Club. Dodgers spokeswoman Camille Johnston would not say how many playoff tickets already have been sold or how many would be available to the public Monday.

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A San Diego State professor calculated the probability of the Dodgers’ hitting four consecutive home runs at 3.3 million to 1. Jim Lackritz took into account the Dodgers’ plate appearances and home run total this season.... Utility infielder Ramon Martinez is in Puerto Rico because his wife had a baby.... Catcher Russell Martin’s father, Russell, played the national anthem on saxophone.

steve.henson@latimes.com

bill.shaikin@latimes.com