DODGERS NOTEBOOK: THIS TIME, GAGNE GETS RELIEF.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Eric Gagne's strong arm and stronger will make it seem as though he never needs a day off, but Dodgers manager Jim Tracy doesn't want to find his closer's breaking point.

After sending Gagne to the mound for three consecutive nights, Tracy decided to give Gagne the day off Saturday. Gagne told Tracy before the game he felt healthy and ready to pitch again, but Tracy already had made up his mind by the time he reached the stadium.

``I woke up (Saturday) morning with the thought in my mind that we won't venture into it today,'' Tracy said before the game. ``We won't do it. I feel somewhat responsible for him, in the fact that this guy has an awful lot going on for himself and I have no interest whatsoever in cutting it short because we used him too much.

``He feels good enough to do it, but I do think there are times when you have to step in and act in the best interests of Eric Gagne, his career (and) this organization. You have to pull the reins back.''

Gagne, who declined an interview request before the game, threw 40 pitches in a two-inning stint Wednesday, then came back to earn saves the next two nights and threw 17 and 16 pitches, respectively. Gagne had pitched in 12 of the Dodgers' 20 games in August.

Gagne pitched in four consecutive games twice last season, but he never threw more than 1 1/3 innings in any outing and totaled fewer than 60 pitches both times. The 40 pitches Gagne threw Wednesday were seven more than he previously had thrown in any outing during his two seasons as the Dodgers' closer.

``Knowing that we have a rested Eric Gagne at that point,'' Tracy said, ``we can probably do some things with him (later in the season) that we might not do if we continue to push this envelope forward and sending him out there because he says he feels OK.''

--Welcome back: Shawn Green and Fred McGriff returned to the Dodgers' lineup Saturday. Green missed two games with a stiff neck and McGriff had not played since July 4 because of knee and groin problems, though he had been activated from the disabled list Friday.

Green said he had a normal range of motion back in his neck and returned to right field and his normal No. 3 spot in the lineup.

``It's loosened up quite a bit,'' Green said. ``I didn't think it was anything serious.''

--Injury report: Jeromy Burnitz missed a second consecutive game with a strained right groin muscle and his short-term prognosis didn't sound good.

``It's a little better, but I definitely don't feel good right now,'' Burnitz said. ``I can't play right now.''

Kazuhisa Ishii (sprained left-knee ligament) will throw another bullpen session today, and if all goes well, Ishii will throw to batters Wednesday in Houston. The earliest possible day for Ishii's return to the rotation would be Saturday against the Colorado Rockies.

``We're very encouraged by his bullpen session and very encouraged by the way he felt (Saturday),'' Tracy said.

--Sad day: Dodger Stadium flags flew at half-staff and a moment of silence was observed in honor of former major-league great Bobby Bonds, who died Saturday morning. Tracy and Bonds were teammates with the Chicago Cubs in 1981, Tracy's first season as a player and Bonds' last.

``He treated me like I was a major-league player,'' Tracy said. ``He was wonderful to me. To watch that man do some of the things he was able to do, even at the end of his career, that was a very special man.

``My thoughts go out to (Barry), because I'm very aware of the relationship between the two, and I know that he's grieving badly over this.''

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DODGERS vs. NEW YORK 

- Rich Hammond