DODGERS' LUCK RUNS OUT IN 9TH BULLPEN BLOWS THIRD CONSECUTIVE LEAD ARIZONA 5, DODGERS 4.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

PHOENIX - Yes, the Dodgers were on the wrong end of a bad call in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday night. That much was made fairly clear by the video replay and perfectly clear by the righteous indignation permeating the clubhouse after the game.

But no, it isn't why they lost, 5-4 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in front of 33,725 at Bank One Ballpark, and it definitely isn't why their bullpen, supposedly one of this team's strongest suits, suddenly can't be trusted.

Left-hander Derek Thompson, who was recalled from Double-A Jacksonville to make his major-league debut, didn't expect to have his name mentioned with established veterans Brad Penny and Derek Lowe by the end of the evening, but Thompson, Penny and Lowe now find themselves bound together by a single, rather dubious thread.

Over the past three games, each has turned in a strong performance. Each either has left with the Dodgers leading or watched the Dodgers take a lead while he still was the pitcher of record. And each has watched the bullpen take all his remarkable work and squander it over the course of no more than one or two pitches.

This time, it was Duaner Sanchez who came on in the sixth inning to protect Thompson's two-run lead, a lead the Dodgers had just taken in the top of the inning on a two-run homer by J.D. Drew and an RBI double by Mike Edwards. Although Sanchez worked a perfect sixth, he fell apart in the seventh. He gave up one run on a groundout after Luis Terrero got a gift triple when Sanchez instinctively threw his glove at a ball Terrero hit over his head.

``I knew (the rule),'' Sanchez said. ``I overreacted on the play. I'm the type of guy who goes on adrenalin. I didn't even realize. I just grabbed my glove and threw it.''

Sanchez then blew the rest of the lead by giving up a two-out home run to Diamondbacks pitcher Javier Vazquez, who was hitting for himself despite the fact he wouldn't pitch the next inning.

``I missed with one pitch in two innings,'' Sanchez said. ``But that's what you get.''

Then, after Kelly Wunsch and Yhency Brazoban got the game to the ninth, Giovanni Carrara (4-2) failed to retire a batter, giving up a leadoff double to Tony Clark, followed by an intentional walk to Shawn Green. Terrero then bunted into controversy.

Carrara struggled to pick up the ball. When he did, he had to hurry his throw, and it hit Terrero in the hand. The slight carom caused Jeff Kent to muff the catch at first, and Terrero was safe, loading the bases with none out in the tie game.

Televised replays clearly showed Terrero running well inside the baseline, on the grass portion of the infield. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy pleaded for the call, but never got it. Moments later, after walking Kelly Stinnett on five pitches to end the game, Carrara shouted words toward the umpire as he walked off the field.

Afterward, all anyone wanted to talk about was the non-interference call on Terrero. Tracy, Kent and Carrara all were especially candid in their postgame remarks.

``Everybody saw it,'' Carrara said. ``The only ones who didn't see it were (the umpires). Everybody who saw that play on TV saw it. That ball hit his hand.''

Carrara also took issue with three of the four balls called to Stinnett. But nothing the umpires did or didn't call has anything to do with the fact that over the past four games, the Dodgers bullpen has given up a combined nine runs over 12 innings - not counting the unearned one Carrara gave up to lose the game, good for a combined 6.75 ERA.

Never mind the fact the Dodgers (25-22) rallied to win two of those games because whatever the result, the performance has been unacceptable.

``I know this, our bullpen is something that has to execute,'' Tracy said.

``You need those guys, but we also made it tougher on them than we really had to because of some missed opportunities due to a lack of execution.''

Tracy was referring to, among other things, a fourth inning in which the Dodgers put runners on second and third with none out on a single by Drew and a double by the sizzling Antonio Perez and failed to score.

Hee-Seop Choi popped up on the first pitch he saw, Jason Phillips struck out, and Thompson grounded to short.

Tony Jackson, [phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Dodgers reliever Giovanni Carrara reacts in disgust after walking in the winning run in the ninth inning against the Diamondbacks Saturday.

Roy Dabner/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DODGERS at ARIZONA

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC