Gagne Fends Off Defeat

PHILADELPHIA — One batter.

Ten pitches.

That’s all that stood between the Dodgers and a crushing loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, a loss on a night when the NL West-leading San Francisco Giants already had been beaten.

But with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning at Veterans Stadium, Dodger shortstop Greg Gagne and Philadelphia reliever Ricky Bottalico dueled for nine pitches before Gagne finally stroked the 10th off the wall in right-center field for a three-run double that gave the Dodgers a 5-3 victory in front of a crowd of 21,060.

Pitch One: Fouled off. 0-and-1.

It should never have come to this.

Because of a rainout that forced them to play two doubleheaders in five days, the Dodgers called up 20-year-old left-hander Dennis Reyes from triple-A Albuquerque.

Reyes was rusty, having pitched only three innings in 13 days. His last outing, a week ago Friday, ended in the fourth inning when Reyes, after giving up a grand slam, hit the next batter and was ejected from the game and suspended.

When he warmed up in the bullpen just before Friday’s game, Reyes was wild.

Pitch Two: Called strike. 0-and-2.

Reyes, although he pitched well once the game started, was his own worst enemy.

With Scott Rolen on second base in the fourth inning, Rico Brogna bunted and Reyes attempted to backhand it. He missed and the ball rolled past him. Reyes, confused and uncertain, picked up the ball and tried to throw it to first, only to have it squirt loose and roll to second baseman Eric Young. By the time Young got it to catcher Mike Piazza, Rolen had slid safely home.

“To be honest,” Reyes said through a translator, “I didn’t know what to do. I hesitated.”

That play tied the score after the Dodgers had taken the lead in the top of the fourth when Brett Butler singled home Young, who had tripled over the head of center fielder Midre Cummings.

Pitch Three: Missed for a ball. 1-and-2.

In the Philadelphia seventh, Rex Hudler singled and went to third on Curt Schilling’s single. The Phillie pitcher then stole second, the first steal of his 10-year, big-league career.

With the bases loaded, Mickey Morandini singled to left-center off Reyes to drive in two and put the Phillies ahead, 3-1.

Pitch Four: Missed again. 2-and-2.

Schilling gave up a leadoff double to Young in the ninth and, with one out, an RBI double to Piazza.

At that point, Schilling left, having struck out 12 and walked two.

Pitch Five: Fouled off, protecting the plate. 2-and-2.

On came Bottalico. He walked Eric Karros, got Raul Mondesi on a fly to left and walked Todd Zeile to load the bases.

Up came Gagne.

Pitch Six: Fouled off another pitch, protecting the plate. 2-and-2.

“He swung at ball four. He swung at Ball Five,” Dodger Manager Bill Russell said. “I knew then he was going to get a hit.”

Pitch Seven: High for a ball. 3-and-2.

“I was getting good swings,” Gagne said. “At that point, you are pretty much making adjustments, pitch to pitch.”

Pitch Eight: Fouled off again. 3-and-2.

“I have not been swinging the bat well,” said Gagne, who had been hitless in his 12 previous at-bats with five strikeouts. “I was just trying to hang in there.”

Pitch Nine: Fouled off again. 3-and-2.

“I was seeing the ball,” Gagne said. “I was comfortable in my stance. I just let my body fall into place.

Pitch 10: Fastball down. Gagne doubles.

As the three runners crossed the plate, the dugout erupted in a show of emotion rare on this Dodger team.

“We were pumped up,” Piazza said. “We were excited. We were fired up.”

And why not? When Todd Worrell retired the Phillies in the bottom of the ninth in order for his 32nd save, the Dodgers were only a game behind the Giants.

Earlier this season, Gagne, 35, missing his wife and three kids back in Massachusetts, had considered retiring.

“When I got to my closet [to pack],” Gagne remembered, “God said, ‘You’re not finished yet.’ ”

The same could be said of 10 pitches Friday.