Dodgers Go Down Quietly to Reds, 2-1

It has become more entertaining than Oprah. More provocative than Geraldo. Juicier than Ricki Lake.

Visiting teams with inquiring minds come into Dodger Stadium with the same question:

What is wrong with the Dodgers?

The Dodgers, managing to make even the Cincinnati Reds forget their problems, were stymied again Friday, losing, 2-1, to the Reds, in front 35,197 at Dodger Stadium.

The Reds, who came into town with the worst record in the National League, whose owner faces a lengthy suspension, and with rumors swirling that they soon must cut their payroll, are wondering who really has the problems.

The Reds’ last visit to Dodger Stadium was in October in the first round of the National League playoffs. Considering the Dodgers’ young talent, the Reds had every reason to believe the Dodgers would be a World Series contender for a long time.

Who would guess eight months later the Reds would have the league’s worst record (22-31) and actually be in better position than the Dodgers?

Cincinnati is four games out of first place in the NL Central.

The Dodgers (31-30), heavy favorites to win the National League West title, are 5 1/2 games behind the first-place San Diego Padres for the division title and four games behind the Montreal Expos in the wild-card race.

The Dodgers have mystified even themselves with their struggles. Their defense has been superb this season. Their pitching is the best in baseball outside Atlanta. But, oh, that offense.

With the ball flying out in record numbers this season, and every ballpark looking like Coors Field, the Dodgers continue to play in the dead-ball era. They have the lowest on-base percentage in baseball, the worst slugging percentage and have been limited to two or fewer runs in 22 of their 61 games.

“The most frustrating part for all of us is that we feel we should be a better offensive club,” said Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president. “We just haven’t shown that with consistency. The weakest part of our team, if you analyze it, is our on-base percentage. . . .

“I think we’re headed to where I felt we’d be headed, and that’s a dogfight. If we avoid serious injuries, we should have every opportunity to be in postseason play.”

Ismael Valdes was the latest Dodger starter to watch his effort wasted. He gave up only six hits and two runs in seven innings, but it might as well have been 20 runs.

The Dodgers came to the plate seven times with runners in scoring position and not once did they hit the ball out of the infield.

“Sometimes you hit, sometimes you don’t, sometimes you face good pitching, sometimes you give up two runs and you lose,” Valdes said.

“But most of the time you win.”

Valdes (6-4) was superb except in the fourth inning. Barry Larkin led off with a single to center. Catcher Eddie Taubensee executed the hit-and-run to perfection, slapping a single to left while Larkin took third. Hal Morris followed with a single to center, scoring Larkin and advancing Taubensee to third. Bret Boone, who would later hit two doubles, drove home Taubensee by grounding out to former Seattle Mariner teammate Mike Blowers.

The Reds had two runs, and that was all that was needed.

“He pitched a hell of a ballgame, but you can’t win unless you pitch a shutout,” Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda said. “When you give up two runs, you should win a ballgame.”

The Dodgers finally mounted some offense once John Smiley left the game after seven innings. Smiley is 3-0 with a 1.61 earned-run average against the Dodgers the last two seasons.

Reliever Lee Smith, discovering Angel fans in the stands, entered the game in the eighth to the chorus of boos. He immediately got into a jam with runners on first and second with two out, but struck out Raul Mondesi.

Blowers averted the Dodgers’ fifth shutout in the ninth with a leadoff homer on closer Jeff Brantley’s first pitch. Brantley shrugged it off and struck out pinch-hitter Milt Thompson looking, pinch-hitter Chad Fonville swinging, and pinch-hitter Dave Hansen looking.

Brantley stepped off the mound and threw his fist into the air. The Dodgers, losers of three of their last four, put their heads down and quietly walked into the clubhouse.

“It is frustrating to come out here every day and struggle,” second baseman Delino DeShields said. “No one wants to fail. Everyone is trying to pick each other up. It’s just not happening.”