Dodgers Draw Blank Again, Lead Down to Half-Game

No elaboration was necessary, for once. Kirk Gibson, the outspoken slugger who is always ready to filibuster, whether the Dodgers are going well or badly, summed up the current state of the club in a single, all-encompassing word:

Terrible.

The Dodgers, unable to overcome faulty pitching by just-returned starter Don Sutton and an almost nonexistent offense against left-hander Danny Jackson, were beaten by the Cincinnati Reds, 6-0, Tuesday night before 32,824 fans at Riverfront Stadium.

All you really needed to know about this latest defeat, which slashed the Dodgers’ National League West lead over second-place Houston to a half-game, was Gibson’s assessment.

But, given that their lead has dwindled 7 1/2 games since mid-July, Gibson felt compelled to expound a little more on the club’s numerous problems. After all, they have lost 3 straight and 9 of their last 12.

“You look at every aspect of our game, and it’s terrible right now,” Gibson said. “Everything’s going against us, from A to Z. How to get out of it, I don’t know. But I don’t feel like it’s the end of the season. . . .

“We’re fortunate to be playing as poorly as we are and still be in first place. Maybe it will do us good to get out of first place and get something to fight for again.”

If the Dodgers’ combination of poor pitching and lackluster offense continues, first place will probably not be the Dodgers’ domain for much longer.

Sutton’s performance--rated poor by Manager Tom Lasorda and encouraging by Sutton--was only part of the Dodgers’ downfall. Jackson easily shut out the Dodgers, the second straight time they have been shut out.

The Dodgers say they are befuddled by their lack of hitting and concerned about the starting pitching spots occupied by Sutton and Shawn Hillegas. But they offered no solutions or excuses, either.

For four innings, Sutton kept the Dodgers relatively close to the Reds while waiting for the offense to show up. Sutton (3-6) gave up two runs, one coming on Paul O’Neill’s bases-empty home run in the fourth.

In the later innings, Sutton gave up a three-run home run to Bo Diaz in the sixth and a run-scoring double to Barry Larkin in the seventh.

It didn’t help Sutton that Jackson allowed only four singles and struck out eight. Only two of the Dodgers’ putouts were hit to Red outfielders.

“We’re just not hitting the ball,” Lasorda said. “I wish I knew why not.”

Concerning Sutton, Lasorda was even more curt.

“He gave up six runs,” Lasorda said. “I wouldn’t rate that a good outing.”

Pitching coach Ron Perranoski was kinder, saying that Sutton did what he was asked by giving up only two runs heading into the sixth inning.

“If we win, 4-2, you guys will say he pitches a hell of a game,” Perranoski said.

But, Sutton eventually faltered. Diaz’s home run, coming on a 3-0 slider, was Sutton’s worst mistake of the night. He acknowledged that, but said he was encouraged by his outing and by the fact that his elbow did not hurt.

“This is my longest outing (seven innings), so the rehabilitation must have worked,” Sutton said. “Nothing broke. Maybe I should have done this rehab in March.”

Sutton is winless since May 14, and speculation persists that the Dodgers will try to acquire a pitcher or call up one from the minor leagues to replace either Sutton or Hillegas in the rotation.

But Sutton defended himself.

“I’d like to think the effort is better than what the bottom line said,” Sutton said. “But this is a bottom-line business. In a low-scoring game, with the other guy (Jackson) jerking the gem, it doesn’t matter whether you give up two, five or six runs. It would have taken a shutout to beat him.”

Which again brings up the matter of the Dodger offense.

Pedro Guerrero broke out of an 0-for-15 slump with a fourth-inning single to center. But John Shelby went hitless and is 3 for 18, and Alfredo Griffin went hitless and is 1 for 14. Even Gibson and Mike Marshall, the hottest Dodger hitters of late, combined to go 0 for 8 against Jackson.

“When you look at the games we’ve lost,” said Gibson, concluding his oratory, “we realize we’ve been giving them away. I don’t know how to stop that. Maybe it’s time for some soul searching.”