Dodgers Lose Again and See Visions of ’92

There was a look in Tom Lasorda’s eyes that said he had heard the question, but needed a moment to answer.

Could he live through another season like the last?

Lasorda looked around a little, then answered calmly: “I don’t know. I really can’t answer that.”

That’s how bad last season was, and this one is looking similar. The last-place Dodgers looked the worst they have in 19 games during a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies before 53,030 who packed Veterans Stadium on Sunday. The Dodgers have lost six consecutive games on this trip to fall to 6-13. That’s a winning percentage of .316.

“No, last season is not going to happen all over again, but I would like this to end quickly,” Orel Hershiser said.

Other than the club’s bullpen, which was supposed to be the weak part of the team, nothing is working.

“Nobody is more frustrated than all of us,” said Darryl Strawberry, who is batting .185 with three home runs and seven runs batted in, including one Sunday.

“No. 1, we are not a slop team, we have a lot of experience with a great deal of pride. We just came in and have had a horrible first month. But we have a long way to go and we are going to fight through it.”

The team also occupies the cellar in National League batting, and when one player does break out of a slump, it isn’t enough.

“Yes, I’m happy that I am starting to hit, but I would rather go 0 for nine and win,” said Tim Wallach, who scored the Dodgers’ second run during the seventh inning on a groundout. “We started off like this a couple of times in Montreal, and it takes something that sparks the team, like a clutch hit, and you turn around. But everything about us has been inconsistent--our defense, our hitting, our pitching--and you can’t win like that.”

After suffering through 99 losses last season, indications are that the Dodger front office might not sit back and wait through this season. There is already talk about replacing Eric Davis in left field and Jose Offerman at shortstop.

In Davis’ case, the longer they wait on him to turn around at the plate, the more the Dodgers pay. Davis, who is batting .236, is guaranteed $1 million, plus he can earn up to an additional million if he remains on the roster. That breaks down to $5,494.51 per day.

Waiting in the wings are two outfielders in triple-A Albuquerque, Raul Mondesi and Billy Ashley, whom the Dodgers are high on.

Offerman has played well in the field but is batting .167. Meanwhile, the club is keeping a close watch on Kevin Elster, who is signed to a minor league contract. It was expected that Elster would make the club as Offerman’s backup if he comes back well from shoulder surgery. But that situation could reverse itself.

“We have to keep battling and hope and pray that things will start to fall our way,” Lasorda said. “It has to get better, it must get better. It will get better.”

Sunday’s misery started with a struggling Tom Candiotti (0-3), who gave up five runs and lasted only three innings. Phillie starter Tommy Greene (2-0) held the Dodgers to four hits through seven innings.

“There has been a lot of talk about how there has been no hitting, but a lot of the problem is due to the starting pitching,” Candiotti said. “We need to shut down the other team the first time through the lineup, and it’s going to be hard for us until the starters begin putting up three or four innings of zeros.”

The first four innings took nearly two hours to play and the fourth inning seemed to last forever. By then, the Phillies led, 5-1, and the Dodgers were into their third pitcher. Steve Wilson, who relieved Candiotti, started the fourth by fielding a grounder and throwing it about 15 feet over first baseman Eric Karros’ head. As the inning wound on, Offerman made his third error of the season when he missed a pop fly to load the bases. Pedro Martinez came in and struck out Pete Incaviglia, who had hit a two-run homer during the third inning.