Dodgers Can’t Solve Darwin

The Dodgers talked about it Tuesday afternoon when they arrived at Dodger Stadium. It was the topic of conversation during batting practice. They discussed it on the bench before the game.

The division-leading San Diego Padres, who must spend the next two months without injured first baseman Wally Joyner, are in trouble.

If they’re ever going to take advantage of the Padres, it is now.

So what happens?

The Dodgers make Danny Darwin look like a Cy Young candidate, losing 3-0 to the Pittsburgh Pirates to remain five games behind the Padres.

Dodger starter Hideo Nomo (6-5), pitching before a paid crowd of 29,576--the second-smallest Dodger Stadium crowd to see him pitch--also lost his second consecutive home game for the first time in his career.

Perhaps a bigger concern is the sudden drop of velocity in Nomo’s fastball. Scouts clocked Nomo’s fastball at 85 to 86 mph, about five mph slower than usual. Nomo said his shoulder felt fine, but after leading the league in strikeouts last season, he has recorded only one double-digit strikeout game this season.

“There hasn’t really been a big change,” said Nomo, who yielded seven hits and three runs in six innings, striking out seven. “I’m sure they [opposing hitters] have some type of data on me. I’ve been studying them too.

“If I’m throwing well, I’m sure they won’t hit any of my pitches.”

The trouble, of course, is that the Dodger offense continues to struggle. One bad inning--like the fourth inning when the Pirates scored three runs including a bases-loaded walk--and the Dodgers are finished.

The Dodgers have scored only one run in their last 23 innings, and that was courtesy of New York Met third baseman Jeff Kent’s error in Sunday’s game. The Dodgers’ last earned run was scored in the fifth inning Saturday on Mike Blowers’ solo home run.

Remarkably, since Blowers’ homer, the Dodgers are batting .130 with only one extra-base hit.

Darwin, 40, only made matters worse.

The Dodgers managed to produce only four singles off Darwin in the first eight innings. Only twice did they ever reach second base. Only once did they reach third.

The closest they came to scoring occurred in the sixth when No. 8 hitter Juan Castro led off with a double into the left-center gap. Milt Thompson pinch-hit for Nomo, and grounded to second, advancing Castro to third. But Roger Cedeno struck out looking and Todd Hollandsworth grounded to second.

Darwin, breezing along through eight innings, including a four-pitch eighth inning, went into the ninth with a chance for his first shutout since Aug. 18, 1993, and only his second since 1987.

Yet, Cedeno opened the ninth by hitting a hard grounder toward first base. First baseman Jeff King knocked the ball down, but was unable to make a play, enabling Cedeno to reach first. Pirate Manager Jim Leyland, taking no chances with the left-handed hitting Todd Hollandsworth due up, lifted Darwin and summoned left-hander Dan Plesac.

Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda countered with pinch-hitter Mike Busch. Busch drew a full-count, and then flied out to right fielder Orlando Merced. Cedeno, who was doubled off first base in the first inning, barely beat Merced’s throw to first.

Now, with Mike Piazza up, Leyland went to the bullpen again and brought in right-handed rookie Francisco Cordova. Cordova got ahead of Piazza, 1-2, but then then threw three balls in a row and walked him. That brought up Eric Karros. He had two singles off Darwin, but this time, lined out to left fielder Al Martin.

Pirate pitching Coach Ray Miller then went to the mound to remind Cordova that Raul Mondesi is a free swinger and there’s little need to throw strikes. Mondesi then grounded out to shortstop Jay Bell, ending the night of futility.