Gross Does Nothing to Ease the Doubts : Dodgers: Fans boo new pitcher in his debut after Padres get to him in the first two innings. San Diego goes on to a 6-3 victory.

It was your typical tacky homecoming.

Kevin Gross, making his first start for his hometown Dodgers Saturday, stumbled into the room, told a few bad jokes, and then left early.

The evening went every bit as badly as critics feared, as Gross gave up five runs in 1 1/3 innings in dragging the Dodgers to a 6-3 loss to the San Diego Padres before 47,793 at Dodger Stadium.

Signed to a $6.4-million contract this winter despite a losing career record, saddled with doubting fans this spring when he went 0-4, Gross was rained with boos by the time the game was six batters old.

“I definitely wanted to throw the ball a lot better than that in a game like this,” said Gross, who grew up in Diamond Bar and Fillmore. “I just wasn’t sharp.”

Gross pitched so poorly, he was relieved in the second inning by Tim Crews, who missed Friday’s game with a stomach flu and was uncertain whether he could work.

But the Dodgers quickly needed their long reliever, as Gross had given up six singles and a double. Gross starts the season with an earned-run average of 33.75, even worse than his spring ERA of 7.00.

His teammates aren’t feeling much better after losing for a second consecutive night to a baffling young pitcher. This time it was Eric Nolte, who won his first major league game in nearly four years, since Aug. 29, 1987.

Nolte, a former UCLA pitcher who was 2-11 with an 8.58 ERA for triple-A Las Vegas last year, breezed through a lineup lacking Eddie Murray. He gave up only two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The insult to the Dodgers was worsened when Mike Maddux, who pitched briefly and ineffectively for the Dodgers last season, entered the game for the Padres with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth inning and recorded his first save since April 5, 1989.

Maddux retired pinch-hitter Murray on a sharp grounder to first base to end the eighth, then retired pinch-hitter Lenny Harris on another sharp grounder down the first-base line with one out and Brett Butler on first in the ninth.

Speaking of poor homecomings, Darryl Strawberry is still hitless after two games at Dodger Stadium. He went 0 for 4 Saturday including blowing a chance for a dramatic hit as he flied out to deep center field against reliever Rich Rodriguez with runners on first and second in the eighth inning.

Strawberry is also hitless in his last 11 at-bats, dropping his average to .133. Brett Butler, also hitless Saturday, is in the middle of an 0-for-10 slump.

And who would have thought that after four games in 1990, the Dodgers would be looking for their first home run? Last season, they averaged a home run every 1.3 games.

“I’m just not getting enough of the ball yet,” Strawberry said. “When I was younger, maybe I would worry about times like these. But everything still feels good, I am still feeling aggressive, everything is going to be fine.”

The good news for the Dodgers is that Murray, who missed his third consecutive start with his sore hip, is going to attempt to return to the lineup today.

The bad news for Gross, who had not pitched in a game since spring training in Vero Beach, is that he has to wait five days for redemption.

“I’m the kind of pitcher, I need to get out there and work as much as I can,” Gross said. “I have only had two starts in two weeks, so I’ll be glad to get back out there and get some kind of consistency.”

The first three Padre hitters lined or looped singles off Gross, loading the bases. A fly ball by Fred McGriff scored the first run.

Gross then he gave up a ground single to right field by Benito Santiago to score another run. Jerald Clark, who had reached base eight consecutive times against the Dodgers before he was struck out in the ninth inning by Jim Gott, singled to left to make it 3-0.

Gross struck out Jim Presley, and after intentionally walking Shawn Abner to load the bases, struck out Nolte to end the inning.

But as quickly as he found his rhythm, he lost it again in the second inning when he walked the first batter, Bip Roberts, on four pitches. Tony Fernandez then lined a double into the left-field corner and, even though Roberts was thrown out at home plate, Gwynn then singled home Fernandez and Gross was finished.

At that point, many may have been wondering about the whereabouts of Fernando Valenzuela, one of the pitchers who was either released or sent down to make room for Gross.

A Mexican League expansion team in Guadalajara has reportedly offered Valenzuela a $1-million contract, but Valenzuela is still looking for work.