Dodgers Drop Ball Again in New York

Defense hasn’t typically been among the Dodgers’ problems this season, but it was Sunday.

They committed two errors in the third inning against the New York Mets, leading to five unearned runs in a 9-3 loss in front of 33,843 at Shea Stadium.

Errors by third baseman Adrian Beltre and center fielder Raul Mondesi helped the Mets blow the game open by taking a 6-1 lead. Left-hander Brian Bohanon (4-7) was the victim, dropping to 2-3 since being traded from the Mets to the Dodgers.

The loss kept the Dodgers 5 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League wild-card race.

New York’s Armando Reynoso (2-0), making his second start of the season, gave up an unearned run in seven efficient innings. Reliever Turk Wendell struggled in the ninth, giving up run-scoring doubles to Eric Karros and Beltre, but closed the game.

The Mets got their second victory in the four-game series, despite another mediocre performance by Mike Piazza against his former teammates.

In five plate appearances Sunday, Piazza had an infield single and a run-scoring sacrifice fly. After three games, the all-star catcher is batting .090 (one for 11) with one run batted in against the Dodgers.

He has grounded into two double plays, stranded six runners and been booed intensely by fans.

But the Dodgers gave New Yorkers reason to cheer.

“We didn’t catch the ball and we also didn’t hit it very well, and that’s usually not a good combination,” left fielder Jim Eisenreich said. “It was just one of those games where a lot of things go wrong, and a lot really went wrong today.”

Not at the start.

The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on Gary Sheffield’s two-out, run-scoring single to center field. Then they collapsed.

New York tied the score, 1-1, in the bottom of the inning on Piazza’s one-out sacrifice fly to right. That stirred some applause in the crowd, but the booing of Piazza continued throughout the game.

“It’s just something you have to accept,” said Piazza, whose 12-game hitting streak ended in the series opener. “The fans have the right to do it, but you can’t get caught up in that. You have to focus on your job.”

The Dodgers quickly lost their focus in the third.

Reynoso reached first to open the inning when Beltre couldn’t handle a hard grounder to third, committing his eighth error in 33 games. Leadoff batter Tony Phillips, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, walked to put runners on first and second.

Edgardo Alfonzo hit a line drive to center that Mondesi dropped while trying to make a running catch. Mondesi’s fifth error in 107 games loaded the bases.

Still, Bohanon remained confident.

“I felt we could get out of it,” he said. “I always feel I should be able to get out of innings like that. But I made a couple of pitches that I shouldn’t have, which cost me.”

The Mets scored their first run in the inning on a sacrifice fly by John Olerud, taking a 2-1 lead. After Piazza grounded out and the runners advanced, Phillips and Alfonzo scored when Brian McRae singled through the middle, putting the Mets ahead, 4-1.

Butch Huskey completed the big inning with a two-out, two-run home run--his 12th--and the Dodgers were done.

“McRae’s hit was the big one,” Bohanon said. “He went down and he got that [changeup]. If I get him there, we get out of the inning just giving up one run. Then Huskey hit that [cut fastball], and that was that.”

Bohanon worked through the sixth against the Mets, who traded him July 10 for middle reliever Greg McMichael. He gave up five hits and six runs--one earned--with three walks and two strikeouts.

Rookie right-hander Mike Judd pitched the final two innings after being scratched from starting in Saturday’s 2-1 loss. Judd gave up five hits and three runs in his second appearance of the season since being recalled from triple-A Albuquerque on July 23.

“The bottom line is that we didn’t catch the ball, and we didn’t put much offense together,” Manager Glenn Hoffman said. “But at least Bohanon got us six innings so that we could save our bullpen, so that was encouraging.”

Hoffman needed something to feel good about.

* RANDY HARVEY

New Met Tony Phillips (above) is getting a second chance. C2

* TIME’S RIGHT

Tim Wallach enjoys managing Class-A team. C5