Dodger Defense Proves Generous

The Dodgers have no explanation for this phenomenon.

They no longer can blame Jose Offerman.

They no longer can blame Roberto Kelly.

They no longer can blame the Dodger Stadium infield.

They are falling apart defensively and are clueless as to why.

The San Francisco Giants may be in the worst tailspin of any team in baseball, losing 21 of their last 26 games, but who’s laughing now after they beat the Dodgers, 5-4, Friday night at Candlestick Park?

During the horrid span, the Giants have defeated the Dodgers in three of their last four games, dumping them out of first place in the National League West.

The Dodger defense, praised for its vast improvement earlier, is now resurrecting bad memories.

The Dodgers committed two more errors, were assessed with another passed ball and have made 17 errors in their last nine games.

“You don’t criticize errors,” interim Manager Bill Russell said. “You criticize mental mistakes--things that happen and go on you get upset about. Things that shouldn’t be happening this late in the season.”

The victim Friday night was Dodger starter Tom Candiotti, who yielded only one earned run in 4 2/3 innings, but left the game behind, 5-3.

The Dodgers were leading, 3-1, in the fifth inning after home runs by Raul Mondesi and Todd Hollandsworth and a run-scoring groundout by Mike Piazza. Considering that Candiotti had given up only two hits, the Dodgers (51-47] were cruising.

Instead, the fifth inning turned into a nightmare in their fifth loss in their last seven games.

Rookie Giant outfielder Jacob Cruz, appearing in only his second game, led off the fifth with a towering home run over the right-center-field fence for the first hit of his career.

Starter William VanLandingham struck out, Marvin Benard bounced out for the second out and Robby Thompson hit a grounder to shortstop Greg Gagne for what appeared to be the third out.

Oops, Gagne instead threw the ball into the dirt, past first baseman Eric Karros, allowing Thompson to reach second base.

Then Matt Williams hit a routine grounder to Gagne. Oh-oh. This time, he bobbled it, dropped it and Williams was safe.

“When you’re out there throwing that many pitches and trying to get extra outs, that’s tough,” Candiotti said. “We really haven’t played that well since the [All-Star] break.”

With two runners aboard, Candiotti faced Barry Bonds, who made the Dodgers pay. Bonds drove a 1-and-0 pitch, and the hit appeared to go over the right-center-field fence for a three-run homer. Instead, the ball was ruled in play by umpire Wally Bell, scoring Thompson and Williams and fueling a vigorous debate.

Shawon Dunston followed with a run-scoring single up the middle for a 5-3 lead. And when Tom Lampkin hit another single, Russell pulled a despondent Candiotti.

Considering the Giants’ first run scored on catcher Mike Piazza’s passed ball, Candiotti was dealt a cruel hand of fate.

The Dodgers, though, did little to help their own cause. They scored but three runs against VanLandingham, and in the ninth inning, loaded the bases with no outs against Giant closer Rod Beck.

Then Delino DeShields grounded into a double play, scoring Gagne and cutting the deficit to 5-4. Now with pinch-runner Juan Castro on third with two outs, Piazza stepped to the plate.

Giant Manager Dusty Baker gambled and opted to pitch to Piazza instead of walk him intentionally. It paid off when Piazza hit a soft fly to center field.

The double play ruined what had been a good night for DeShields, who had three hits, stole three bases, but also got picked off third base in the first inning.

“I’m starting to get going again,” said DeShields, who also took the league stolen-base lead with 33. “I want to stay in L.A. more than ever now that Shaq [O’Neal] is coming to town.

“I want to hook up with Shaq.”