Martinez Opens Door for Giants, Who Prevail, 8-6

For the first time this season, the Dodgers made it through an entire game without committing an error.

But that’s only because it’s difficult to make plays on balls hit over outfield fences, or into outfield gaps, or down outfield lines.

After being betrayed by the defense for the first six games this season, the Dodgers’ pitching staff was responsible for its own downfall this time, in an 8-6 loss to the San Francisco Giants before 24,035 Tuesday night at Candlestick Park.

After Dodger pitchers had given up only 14 runs in the previous 54 innings, starter Ramon Martinez allowed six runs in three innings Tuesday. Then reliever Tim Crews gave up two runs in three innings.

Besides raising the staff earned-run average from 2.33 to 3.19, they raised the blood pressure of their teammates by wasting two offensive rallies that appeared to give the Dodgers momentum.

The Dodgers took a 2-1 lead with some inspirational baserunning by Mike Sharperson in the second inning, but what happens? Martinez allows a three-run homer by Steve Decker to cap the Giants’ five-run third inning.

The Dodgers closed the gap to 6-4 with some inspirational pinch-hitting by Chris Gwynn in the fourth inning, but what happens? Crews allows a two-run homer by Will Clark in the bottom of the fourth.

“When you are down and then score some runs . . . but then they score some runs right away, it’s like, Ohhh ,” said Gwynn, who lined Mike LaCoss’ first pitch down the left-field line in the fourth inning for a two-run single, the Dodgers’ first run batted in by a pinch-hitter this season.

“To keep momentum in this game, you have to be able to shut the other guys down,” Gwynn said. “We just weren’t able to keep any momentum.”

Late last season that momentum was easily sustained, but this year the Dodgers’ spirit has repeatedly stalled after victories in their first two games. With a 3-4 record, they are plagued by three-for-20 slumps by both Brett Butler and Darryl Strawberry, who has yet to hit a homer run in 24 at-bats this season.

They are also plagued by the loss of Eddie Murray, who hit .382 against the Giants last year but missed a sixth consecutive start Tuesday with a sore hip.

“Sure, it’s early, it’s not the end of the world, but these games are important because they are games within our division,” Gwynn said. “Look at what Cincinnati did last year by getting off to such a good start. They never looked back. A good start means something.”

Tuesday they were plagued by a terrible start from last year’s best Dodger pitcher, Martinez, who entered with a 15-game win streak against National League West teams.

The hits Martinez allowed included the home run by Decker, a double into the left-field corner by Robby Thompson, and line-drive singles by Kevin Mitchell and Matt Williams.

It dropped his record to 1-1, and represented his first loss to a West team since the Giants defeated him on Sept. 21, 1989.

But it was a typical Martinez loss, who seems to be either spectacular or terrible. In his six losses last year he allowed 28 runs in 28 innings for a 9.00 earned-run average. In his 20 victories, he had a 1.67 ERA.

“I have days like this sometimes,” Martinez said, shaking his head.

Martinez’s and Crews’ mistakes hurt even worse in the eighth inning, when the Dodgers battled back once more for two more runs after Lenny Harris bunted for a single and Strawberry doubled to right field.

Dave Righetti replaced LaCoss and allowed the runs to score on grounders by Kal Daniels and Mike Scioscia. He retired Sharperson on a grounder to end the inning, and the Dodgers went down quietly in the ninth for Righetti’s first save as a Giant.

The end was particularly satisfying for Giant fans, who have regularly booed Butler, a former Giant, in this series. The game ended when the new Dodger center fielder struck out, looking, while Righetti spun and pumped his fist to the sky.

About the only attractive thing the Dodgers showed Tuesday was a little determination, in the person of Sharperson, who was hit in the shoulder by a pitch from LaCoss in the second inning, shortly after Martinez had hit the Giants’ Thompson.

Sharperson yelled at LaCoss and trotted to first. He moved Scioscia, who earlier singled, to second base.

Alfredo Griffin then hit a potential double-play grounder, but Sharperson took out Thompson at second base with a ferocious body block, forcing Thompson to throw the ball wildly and allowing Scioscia to score on the error.

Sharperson ended up on third base, from where he scored on Martinez’s suicide-squeeze bunt. That briefly gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, but with Martinez struggling, it did not last.