Tracy Won’t Stop Going to Gagne

Manager Jim Tracy defended the heavy workload he has put upon closer Eric Gagne recently and said the pennant drive was no time to let up.

“When you get to this point of the season, you’re going to use the guy,” Tracy said Saturday. “If you don’t, the first question that’s going to be asked is, ‘Why didn’t you use Gagne?’

“When you get to August and September, you’ll use him in a few different circumstances than you would from April to July.”

The Philadelphia Phillies saddled Gagne with his first loss of the season Friday, knocking him out in the middle of an inning for the first time since May 12, 2003. In the 11th inning Friday -- his second inning of work and seventh in five games -- a leadoff error and subsequent force play were followed by a walk, single, line drive, two-run single and one-run single.

Nonetheless, Gagne worked for the fifth time in six games Saturday, getting a save on one out and three pitches.

Gagne attributed Friday’s poor outing to nothing more than “bad choice of pitches.” He said he felt fine and said, “It’s all about pitch count.”

He made 109 pitches over those seven innings through Friday, including 37 in a three-inning appearance last Sunday. In three of his past six outings, he worked more than one inning.

“We’re riding him pretty hard,” pitching coach Jim Colborn said.

Gagne appeared on four consecutive days twice this season, throwing 75 pitches the first time and 68 the other time. Colborn said Gagne “always feels ready” and suggested the Dodgers might need to fight the temptation to use him so often.

“You have to have the big picture of the season in mind and pace it,” Colborn said. “There’s a toll taken on pitchers. Sometimes, even when they could pitch, you try to skip them.”

Gagne noted his workload was relatively light in the first half. After making 77 appearances and pitching 82 innings in each of the past two seasons, he is on pace for 72 appearances and 82 innings this season. Asked whether he could pitch four times a week to get the Dodgers into the playoffs, he said, “Five. I’m ready.”

Tracy apologized to his players last September after electing not to use Gagne in the eighth inning of a key game against the Arizona Diamondbacks -- Steve Finley hit the game-winning home run off Paul Quantrill -- and the manager now appears committed to Gagne in the clutch as the Dodgers chase their first playoff berth in eight years.

“If you’re going to get beat,” Tracy said, “how can you lose with less than your best guy?”

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Colborn, on Gagne, the defending Cy Young Award winner: “The league is adjusting to him. It isn’t as easy for him. The days of coming in and striking out the side on 10 pitches ... well, they know what he’s throwing. He’s got to make better quality pitches and change his sequences, and he will.” ... Finley missed his third consecutive start because of a sore right hamstring but could return today or Tuesday. “If this were the World Series, I’d be out there,” he said.