BY LETTING GAGNE SIT, TRACY DROPS THE BALL.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

Where was Eric Gagne?

Somebody, somewhere, on some planet, please explain. Jim Tracy apparently can't, and it's only his job on the line.

Tracy is as nice a man as you'll ever meet. And he's done a laudable job in getting this anemic-hitting Dodgers team into contention. He's performed similarly with injury-riddled teams the past two seasons.

But he's never been able to bring it home, never punched it in. People watch and wonder whether he can. The team likely will have a new owner next season, and he'll be wondering, too.

A game like Wednesday's in Phoenix could come back to haunt in myriad ways. If the Dodgers miss the playoffs by one game, this will absolutely be the game that cost them the postseason.

Where was Eric Gagne?

It's so mind-boggling. Everyone watching in L.A. on TV must have been left in disbelief, feeling they were caught up in a lost episode of ``The Twilight Zone.''

A 4-0 lead was slipping away in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Todd Martin was kept in, and kept in. He walked Raul Mondesi and gave up a two-run homer to Shea Hillenbrand.

Granted, it all seemed to be happening fast, and with two outs. A camera spotted Gagne standing and stretching in the bullpen. He should have been warming up. This was now his spot.

The left-handed Martin remained in to pitch to left-handed Lyle Overbay, who promptly singled. Right-handed Danny Bautista was next, and I don't care how many left-handed hitters are on the bench, you bring in Gagne.

Yet Martin remained, and on an 0-2 pitch threw a curve that broke too much, hitting Bautista in the foot.

Where was Eric Gagne?

The go-ahead run was now at the plate. This is absolutely Gagne's time. The calendar read Sept. 10. This is when you want the game in the hands of your star. And Tracy has a one-star team.

The Giants want Barry Bonds up in this moment. The Braves want the ball in the hands of John Smoltz. This is when you leave the heroics to your hero.

Tracy was saving Gagne for the ninth? The game was on the line right now. It was just one extra out. Ten times this season, Gagne has pitched more than one inning.

He can't come in the eighth to get one additional out, with a chance for the Dodgers to pull within two games of the tightly packed National League wild card? In the middle of September?

This is the guy Tracy is pushing for the Cy Young and MVP awards. And ``Game Over'' is still in the bullpen? Jaws across Los Angeles dropped.

``The suggestion there is he's completely invincible,'' Tracy said.

Yeah, that's right, at least as close anyone in the history of major-league baseball. In his past 58 consecutive save opportunities, Gagne has saved 58 games. I'll take my chances with my best. You want to win or lose with your best.

Tracy brought in Paul Quantrill.

Brought in Quantrill knowing Arizona's Bob Brenly would counter with Steve Finley. That would be the Steve Finley who was 7 for 9 lifetime against Quantrill. Finley's boat came in, and it was a cruise ship.

Quantrill - who leads the majors in appearances - threw a decent pitch, low and slightly away. Trouble was, Finley is a low-ball hitter. Sat down after going 0 for 8 in the first two games of the series, Finley's eyes got big as beach balls, which must have what he thought he was swinging at.

He crushed the pitch, sending it over the right-center wall for a game-winning, three-run homer.

A game that was in the bag, not just lost, but given away. Gagne never even warmed up.

Before they were called closers, they were firemen; they came in the game to put out the fire. The Dodgers had one going with two outs in the eighth, and the fireman with the greatest two-year run in baseball history was an observer.

Tracy said this season he did not want to pitch Gagne more than four consecutive days, to keep his arm strong for later.

Hey, this is later. This is an almost unexpected September playoff run. There was a game there to be won, and instead, Tracy lost it. You win the games you can, right now. You can't worry about the ninth inning if you don't survive the eighth.

The Dodgers had won six consecutive games, had a chance to sweep the reeling Diamondbacks. And Quantrill was allowed to pitch to Finley because Gagne couldn't get four outs instead of three?

``He saved a game Sunday, saved a game Tuesday, and now you're asking for four more outs (Wednesday) night, and you'll possibly need him (Thursday)?'' an unrepentant Tracy said Thursday.

``There are 18 more games to play. You foresee in the days ahead, even a two-inning stint. It's a Catch-22. You have to balance the scales of using him enough and not overusing him.''

Foresees a two-inning stint but can't get four outs with the game on the line? The more he explains it, the less understandable it becomes.

Truly it has been a wondrous bullpen, but Gagne is the man. And, man, did Tracy miss this one.

Tommy Lasorda had his Jack Clark question, and now Tracy has to hope the season doesn't end with the Dodgers missing the postseason by a game and he's left haunted by his question.

Tracy needs to prove he's the manager who can take the Dodgers to the next level. A new owner will have to be convinced. Stupefying games such as Wednesday's won't get it done and will just leave questions.

Where was Eric Gagne?

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Eric Gagne, middle, is the best closer in baseball, but Dodgers manager Jim Tracy (12) chose not to use him Wednesday.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press