Dodgers: 2 Ways to Lose

The Dodgers were confident they could make a run at contender status and possibly more when they began their homestand against the Colorado Rockies.

They were riding a four-game winning streak coming out of the all-star break and won four of six on the road to start the second half.

But all that talk of momentum was silenced Thursday after the Dodgers made a long day’s journey back to the National League West cellar by losing 4-1 in the afternoon and 12-11 in the evening in the first split doubleheader in Dodger Stadium history.

The two losses, coupled with Wednesday night’s defeat in the series opener, put the Dodgers on the short end of a sweep for the fifth time this season.

“I thought coming home was what we needed,” Dodger outfielder Gary Sheffield said after the first game Thursday. “I thought we could go out and be even more aggressive than when we were on the road. But it seems like we took a step backward.”

Unfortunately, some fans had to pay twice to see the Dodgers’ descent to the bottom of the standings because the club charged separate admissions rather than treating fans to a traditional doubleheader.

An announced crowd of 34,231 attended the scheduled first game. And an announced 30,907 were there for the second, a makeup of an April 11 rainout.

Those who came to both saw the Dodgers start the day a game ahead of the Rockies, spend four hours in the afternoon tied for last place, then claim the distinction as their own in the evening.

The Dodgers left for Arizona immediately after the nightcap and it wasn’t a moment too soon, especially for pitcher Chan Ho Park.

On Thursday, he dropped to 0-5 at home after the Rockies held the Dodgers to a season-low three hits in the first game.

Park (6-8) gave up three runs, six hits and registered a season-high nine strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings.

“Nine strikeouts doesn’t help if you feel bad because you lose,” said Park, who surrendered a two-out solo homer to Dante Bichette in the sixth that broke a 1-1 tie.

Colorado left-hander Bobby Jones (5-8) pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up a game-tying solo home run to Angel Pena in the second inning, a single to Pena in the fifth and a double to Sheffield in the sixth. But that was all the Dodgers could muster as Jerry Dipoto, Mike De Jean and Dave Veres shut them down the rest of the way.

“It’s going to be a long day,” Dodger Manager Davey Johnson said after the game while contemplating the three-hour break before the start of the next one.

Johnson’s premonition proved correct.

The Rockies, apparently thinking they were back at Coors Field, pounded five home runs among their 13 hits in the second game, offsetting a 15-hit performance by the Dodgers, including Eric Karros’ 21st and 22nd home runs and five hits by Mark Grudzielanek.

Rookie Jamie Arnold made his second career start for the Dodgers. And it was nothing like his first when he stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Carlos Perez and earned a victory by giving up one hit in 6 2/3 scoreless innings May 5 at Montreal.

Against the Rockies, Arnold gave up seven runs and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings, including two-run homers to Jeff Barry and Vinny Castilla.

Still, the score was tied, 6-6, when he gave way to rookie left-hander Onan Masaoka thanks in part to Karros’ two-run homer in the first and sacrifice fly in the second.

But Masaoka (1-2) gave up four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings, including a two-run homer to Henry Blanco and a solo shot to Todd Helton. Blanco also hit a solo homer against Alan Mills in the seventh, giving the Rockies a 12-8 lead.

Karros’ solo homer against Dipoto in the eighth pulled the Dodgers to within, 12-11.

Veres came on to pitch the ninth. With two out, pinch-hitter Todd Hollandsworth singled to right and Grudzielanek followed with a single to center, putting runners at first and third for Sheffield.

But Sheffield hit a bouncer to Castilla, who threw to second for the force play that ended the game and gave Veres his third save of the series and his 18th of the season.