ONE MORE BLOWN SAVE BY BRAZOBAN DODGERS LOSE 10TH-INNING LEAD PHILA. 5, DODGERS 4.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA - Dodgers manager Jim Tracy gave his closer, Yhency Brazoban, a vote of confidence before Tuesday's game, saying it was unfair to consider removing the rookie from such a pressure-packed role based solely on the game Brazoban had blown in a non-save situation two days earlier.

A few hours later, after Brazoban took exactly three pitches to turn a one-run lead into a 5-4, 10-inning loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 29,349 at Citizens Bank Park, his managerial support system didn't seem nearly as strong.

Armed with a 4-3 lead created when Jayson Werth drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk from Billy Wagner in the top of the 10th, Brazoban jogged in from the bullpen and, with the second pitch he threw, gave up a triple off the out-of-town scoreboard in right to Pat Burrell. With Danny Sandoval running for Burrell at third, rookie first baseman Ryan Howard hit Brazoban's next pitch far over the center-field wall, and Brazoban again trudged dejectedly off the field.

The blowup came on the heels of the three-run homer Brazoban gave up to San Francisco's Michael Tucker in the ninth inning Sunday, when he was brought in to preserve a 1-1 tie.

The first question Tracy was asked after the game, in light of the fact Brazoban is 0-3 with one save and an 18.71 ERA (nine earned runs, 4 1/3 innings) in six July appearances, was whether it was time to re-examine the closer role and whether someone else might be better suited to holding it down until Eric Gagne returns, possibly next spring.

``That's not something I'm going to sit here and talk about (right now),'' Tracy said, offering a response far different from how he answered the same question in the afternoon.

Tracy blamed Brazoban's latest failure on poor pitch location. At least one other person who was asked didn't have such a definitive answer.

``I don't know (what went wrong),'' catcher Jason Phillips said. ``It all happened so fast.''

Brazoban (2-5) has one supporter in pitching coach Jim Colborn.

``Even though he only threw three pitches, I try to judge him on his velocity and his aggressiveness,'' Colborn said. ``I really didn't see anything lacking. My recommendation is that if we get a lead (tonight), he should be in there (to close).''

Ultimately, that decision is Tracy's, not Colborn's. And although no one would say it - publicly nor privately - it is clear Brazoban's teammates are growing tired of his increasing inability to succeed in a role that requires a certain constitution.

Beginning with the game he coughed up June 18 in Chicago, when White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski capped a four-run ninth with a walk-off homer, Brazoban has allowed 14 earned runs in his past nine innings.

The only good news for the Dodgers (41-52), who fell 11 games below .500 for the first time since September 1999, was that Glenn Hoffman returned to the third-base coaching box for the first time since suffering a concussion when he was hit in the head by a ball during batting practice June 15. That and the fact division-leading San Diego also lost.

With the third-place Dodgers 8 1/2 games back in the National League West and offering little reason to believe this sinking ship can be saved, scoreboard-watching seems a bit silly.

The Dodgers went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, stranded 11 baserunners and left the bases loaded twice - the last time in the top of the 10th, a point at which the vaunted Wagner (3-1) was working a second full inning for just the second time this year, was clearly tiring and was struggling to throw strikes.

``You have to look at the opportunities we had early in the game,'' Tracy said. ``I'm not suggesting we should have gotten a hit every time. But a hit here or a hit there would have opened up the game. We kept letting them off the hook.''

The game began with Oscar Robles' first career home run, a no-doubter that caromed off an advertisement hanging from the second-deck facade in right. That lead was gone by the bottom of the first, but Brad Penny pitched well, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out eight in six innings.

Giovanni Carrara, Wilson Alvarez, Steve Schmoll and Duaner Sanchez then shut out the Phillies for three more innings. Thanks to Brazoban and the lack of clutch hitting, it wasn't enough.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Yhency Brazoban trudges off the field as Pat Burrell, left, heads home on a walk-off homer by Ryan Howard, right.

(2) Ryan Howard connects for a two-run, 10th-inning homer off Yhency Brazoban that lifted the Phillies.

George Widman/Associated Press

Box:

(1) DODGERS at PHILADELPHIA

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) DODGERS ALMANAC 

(5) BROTHERLY FLUB