Mattingly's mound error costs Dodgers a win

Only heaven knows how George Steinbrenner would have reacted to the wild events surrounding Don Mattingly, Joe Torre, the umpires and the opposing manager if it had been the Yankees involved Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

A statement, angry words, a shake-up, perhaps all that and more might have been in store when The Boss was in his prime. Instead, this was the Dodgers and the Giants, but with a very popular former Yankee stuck in the middle.

Mattingly has been Torre's hitting coach with the Dodgers since July 2008 after being passed over for the Yankees' managerial job in 2007. He became the most famous big-league personality since Alex Rodriguez to step on the pitcher's mound and cause a stir.

The seemingly innocuous action lit the fuse to a series of events: The Dodgers lost their sixth straight game, talk resumed about Torre's future with them, and Mattingly's suitability to remain the manager in waiting in Los Angeles - or elsewhere - could be in jeopardy.

Mattingly was acting manager after Torre, bench coach Bob Schaefer and pitcher Clayton Kershaw were ejected in what had been an old-fashioned Giants-Dodgers brushback affair.

With the Dodgers leading 5-4 in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out, Mattingly visited All-Star closer Jonathan Broxton for a strategy session. Remember, the rules allow one visit an inning per pitcher. Two trips by the manager (or coach) and the pitcher must be replaced.

"I just wanted to let the infield know we were going to play back," Mattingly told the Los Angeles Times. That was his first visit. He then took a few steps onto the infield grass and paused as first baseman James Loney, still in the mound area, asked him a question. Mattingly turned back and re-entered the dirt area of the mound. That's a no-no.

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"I kind of turned around," Mattingly said. "I didn't realize I was even off the dirt, but obviously I was. I kind of had a feeling [it was a second trip] because [plate umpire] Adrian Johnson was yelling 'No, no, no. You can't go back,' as I turned to talk to James. It cost us a chance to win the game."

Giants manager Bruce Bochy immediately protested to Johnson, and under rule 8.06, it was determined that Mattingly had made two visits and Broxton had to leave. George Sherrill was brought in, and the Giants rallied for three runs and a 7-5 victory.

No one on the Dodgers argued the call, but afterward Torre complained that Sherrill was not given unlimited warm-up pitches. Mattingly said crew chief Tim McClelland told him that Sherrill could have as many as he needed, but Johnson stopped him after eight.

Torre, 70, is in the final season of a three-year deal with the Dodgers. He's been mentioned as a possible successor to Lou Piniella, who is leaving the Cubs after the season. "I don't want to rule anything out,'' Torre said last night, "but at this point in time I'm certainly not thinking of going anywhere else.''

Three Dodgers suspended.Kershaw appealed a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting Aaron Rowand with a pitch. Kershaw retaliated after the Giants' Tim Lincecum hit Matt Kemp. Torre and Schaefer each was suspended one game, and Torre sat out last night.