Dodgers Reach New Depths

The fans were restless at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, with boos cascading from every level.

The new kid in town? Jose Cruz Jr. had three at-bats, three strikeouts.

The kid closer? Yhency Brazoban, asked to preserve a tie in the ninth inning, hit the first batter, walked the next two and gave up a mammoth grand slam to Ryan Howard.

And so the Dodgers lost, 9-5, to the Philadelphia Phillies, falling a season-worst 13 games under .500. While the front office talks up the Dodgers’ playoff chances, however remote they might be and however absurd that might sound, the players worry about winning games, or at least playing well.

There is no playoff talk within the clubhouse, second baseman Jeff Kent said.

“It doesn’t serve any purpose to talk about it,” he said.

“Guys read about it. Guys know about it. Talking about it is worthless.”

For the front office and coaching staff, the more immediate issue is whether Brazoban should continue to pitch in the ninth inning, after his earned-run average rose to 6.46 overall and 11.77 since July 1.

Manager Jim Tracy declined to discuss whether Brazoban would remain in his role.

“We won’t talk about that tonight,” Tracy said.

The stinging defeat overshadowed a Hollywood tale. Milton Bradley visited Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, and on the way out of the cancer ward a kid hollered, “Hit a bomb for me tonight.”

Bradley hit a two-run homer. Kent hit a three-run homer.

However, aside from Bradley and Kent, the Dodgers got three hits in 27 at-bats.

“The last thing we need is guys pointing fingers,” pitcher Derek Lowe said. “You won’t see that in this clubhouse.”

And, indeed, there were words of support for Brazoban. The Dodgers lost consecutive games when rookie relievers gave up the decisive homer -- Steve Schmoll on Tuesday, Brazoban on Wednesday.

“When you have a club made up the way we’re made up, because of injuries and circumstances, you go with what you’ve got,” Kent said. “That’s not an excuse. You do the best you can every day.”

With the score tied, 5-5, the Dodgers summoned Brazoban to start the ninth inning.

With his first pitch, Brazoban hit Chase Utley on the leg. Two pitches later, Utley stole second base.

Brazoban then walked Bobby Abreu intentionally and Pat Burrell unintentionally, loading the bases. Howard crushed the next pitch -- a 95 mph fastball that landed 453 feet away, in the rear of the right-field pavilion -- for the game-winning grand slam.

“A lot of games this year have been like that,” Kent said. “You try to shake yourself and say, ‘OK, we need to defend this.’ Before you can come up with a game plan, it’s over. It’s frustrating.”

As first impressions go, Cruz could not have done much worse. The Dodgers acquired the veteran outfielder Tuesday and put him in the lineup Wednesday. He showed up 90 minutes before game time, after a cross-country flight and after batting practice.

He struck out in the first inning, and in the third inning, and again in the fifth.

In the eighth inning, with the count full, he walked.

After the game, Tracy spoke of the Dodgers’ inexperienced bullpen, in which three rookies -- Brazoban, Schmoll and Jonathan Broxton -- and sophomore Duaner Sanchez play key roles.

Alas, there is no pity in the ninth inning of a tie game.

“We needed a stop right there,” Tracy said. “We didn’t get it.”