Dodgers’ bullpen provides no relief

The Dodgers can’t catch a break right now. On Saturday, they were the victims of a called-shot home run.

By a pitcher.

C.C. Sabathia doesn’t get to bat much. He works in the American League. In interleague play last year, he got two singles, and he heard plenty about it from his teammates leading up to Saturday’s game.

“I was trying to hit a homer,” he said. “Everybody was all over me, saying I was a singles hitter.”

Sabathia absolutely crushed a fastball, hitting a 440-foot home run in the third inning -- against Chan Ho Park, beyond the right-field bullpen -- as the highlight of the Cleveland Indians’ 7-2 victory at Dodger Stadium. He also scattered five hits over seven innings, striking out 10, for no decision.

The Indians broke a 1-1 tie by scoring six runs in the 11th inning against Cory Wade, Scott Proctor and Ramon Troncoso, the Dodgers’ fifth, sixth and seventh pitchers.

Sabathia would look mighty good in a Dodgers uniform, and in a lot of other uniforms too. He could be the grand prize in the July trading sweepstakes -- except that he might not be traded at all. With two victories in two games at Dodger Stadium, the Indians crept to within 6 1/2 games of first place in the American League Central.

“We’re right back in it,” Sabathia said. “I didn’t think we were ever out of it.”

Sabathia, who can file for free agency this fall, would not even entertain the question of whether he might like to get traded to the National League so he could hit.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s not in my hands. Hopefully, I get a chance to be here with my guys, my friends.”

He’s one of the few legitimate aces in the major leagues, and his career average is .300 over 40 at-bats.

“This is my team,” he said. “I’ve been here my whole life, my whole career. It would be awesome to finish here.”

The Indians are supposed to be finished, but they have a better record than the Dodgers. Sabathia wouldn’t solve the Dodgers’ most pressing problem unless he could play first base on the days he does not pitch; the Dodgers have scored two runs or fewer in 14 of their last 28 games.

“We’ve put a lot of pressure on our pitchers, both our starters and relievers,” Dodgers Manager Joe Torre said.

Park struck out nine in five innings, and Hong-Chih Kuo struck out three in two innings. Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton and Wade kept the score tied through 10 innings, but Proctor replaced Wade with two on and one out in the 11th.

Proctor got no one out. He gave up three hits and two walks. His earned-run average jumped to 6.82. In his last five outings, he has given up nine runs, 12 hits and seven walks in 4 1/3 innings.

“It’s . . . pathetic,” Proctor said. “It’s embarrassing for the team. . . . I’m tired of people making excuses and saying I’m hurt. I’m not.”

Sabathia didn’t even take a practice swing before his home run. He couldn’t find his helmet. But he backed up his boast, and he had the home run ball to prove it.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I’ve been talking a lot of crap in here the last couple weeks about my hitting.”

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bill.shaikin@latimes.com