Chicago Just Isn’t Nomo’s Kind of Town

Pitching has been the centerpiece of the Dodgers’ master plan, and that foundation has served them well for decades.

They have developed many quality starters and relievers--helping to stock other teams’ rosters in the process--and they annually are among the National League leaders in earned-run average.

This isn’t an organization accustomed to being in the middle of the pitching pack.

But so far this season, that’s exactly where the Dodgers have been.

Their struggling pitching staff had another mediocre performance Wednesday afternoon in the Cubs’ 5-0 victory before 24,245 at Wrigley Field.

Dodger starter Hideo Nomo (2-6) didn’t pitch poorly, but he didn’t take command when he needed to. He lost his control in the Cubs’ three-run sixth, and he was chased after Cub starter Kevin Tapani walked to open the seventh.

Middle reliever Brad Clontz held to form in his eighth-inning appearance, getting hit hard as his ERA continued to increase.

And in an ongoing role reversal, the Cubs received an outstanding outing from Tapani.

He pitched a three-hitter against his former team, striking out nine and walking two. Tapani (6-2) didn’t allow a runner to advance to third, as the Cubs won their fourth straight and eighth of nine.

The Dodgers, shut out six times last season, have been shut out five times in their first 45 games.

And Manager Bill Russell’s once-outstanding pitching staff is in disarray. He plans to take swift action to correct the problems--as soon as the causes are determined.

“We’ve got a lot of proven guys, guys with a lot of ability, but they’re not getting it done,” he said. “Right now, [staff ace] Ramon [Martinez] is the only one of our starters who is pitching with any consistency.

“We have guys who are supposed to go out there and get us [seven innings], and Ramon is the only one doing it. It’s just hard to figure out.”

Especially for the guy who supervises the group.

“It’s puzzling,” pitching coach Glenn Gregson said. “You hope it’s a temporary thing, and you just try to weather the storm. But clearly, we have some guys who have to step up individually.”

The numbers tell the story.

After Wednesday’s loss, the Dodgers’ team ERA is 4.11. That ranks ninth in the 16-team National League.

The Dodgers finished second to the Atlanta Braves with a 3.62 ERA last season, and led the league with a 3.46 ERA in 1996. More troubling, however, is the disappointing starting rotation.

Big things were expected of the five-man group, but Martinez often has worked alone.

No. 2 starter Chan Ho Park has pitched at least five innings in only five of 10 starts, and No. 4 starter Ismael Valdes has been reluctant to challenge hitters. Fifth starter Darren Dreifort, who in his previous start earned his first victory in five decisions, is struggling to establish himself in his first season in the rotation.

And then there is Nomo.

The Dodgers’ No. 3 starter returned to the scene of the worst performance in his professional career. He gave up eight runs (seven earned) and walked five in only two-thirds of an inning in an 8-1 loss here April 18.

Nomo was better this time--although that didn’t require much.

He gave up three runs and six hits--including Henry Rodriguez’s 10th home run--in six-plus innings. But he walked four, and struck out six, while throwing only 55 strikes in 101 pitches.

The Cubs gave Tapani, who pitched for the Dodgers in 1995, all the support he would need in the sixth. Mickey Morandini, who tripled to open the inning, came home on Sammy Sosa’s fly ball.

After Mark Grace’s one-out single, Rodriguez homered to right-center on a 3-and-0 count.

Mark Guthrie pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Nomo, and Clontz came in with one out in the eighth. Clontz, who has pitched poorly throughout May, gave up two runs and four hits, including two doubles. His ERA increased from 4.95 to 5.66.

“You know there’s going to come a time when one or two guys are going to struggle, but we’ve got a collection of guys who have kind of slumped,” Gregson said. “We’re eventually going to get them back on the right track, but it’s not going to happen overnight.”

It hasn’t so far.