It’s Last Place That Dodgers Expected to Be

It took 73 games for the Dodgers to finally land where they have been headed for weeks: last place in the National League West.

The Dodgers hit rock bottom in the division Sunday night with an 8-7 loss to San Francisco, although they played well overall in winning two of three games at 3Com Park.

Starter Chan Ho Park failed to help the Dodgers remain a step ahead of the red-hot San Diego Padres because he again failed to pitch effectively. Park (4-6) was pounded for seven hits and six runs before Manager Davey Johnson removed him with two out in the fourth inning.

Park continued to struggle with his command in 3 2/3 innings, throwing only 46 strikes in 84 pitches. His earned-run average increased from 5.14 to 5.54. He kept pace with Ismael Valdes in in homers allowed, giving up two to tie Valdes at 19.

“I am disappointed with him,” Johnson said of Park, who was too distraught to speak with reporters. “I expect more from him, and I don’t know what I can do.”

Johnson has experienced that helpless feeling often with this team.

The Dodgers almost overcame another poor performance by Park, twice rallying late to pull within a run. They scored four runs in the seventh to cut the Giants’ lead to 7-6, the big blow being a three-run home run by Gary Sheffield.

Todd Hollandsworth hit a one-out, solo homer against closer Robb Nen in the ninth, stirring concern in the Giant dugout. Nen had suffered his fourth blown save in the Dodgers’ 7-6, come-from-behind victory Saturday. The hard-thrower held on this time, earning his 19th save when Adrian Beltre popped out to end the game.

San Francisco (41-35) avoided being swept by its in-state rival and ended a losing streak at five games before a crowd of 42,530. But the Giants probably were more pleased about pushing the high-priced Dodgers (34-39) into the division basement.

That’s where the Dodgers currently reside, and an $80-million payroll and lofty expectations haven’t helped them avoid their unenviable position.

“Before the season started I wouldn’t have, I don’t think anyone would have, expected this,” reliever Alan Mills said of the ballclub that is 8-15 in June. “But with the way we’ve played, no, this isn’t a shock.

“But we just played three games really well against the Giants. We won’t be in last place for long if we continue to play like this.”

The Dodgers trail San Diego by one-half game. The Padres are the hottest team in the major leagues, having won nine in a row. They have swept the Pirates, Dodgers and Rockies, respectively, in their last three series, and the Dodgers are headed south next.

The teams begin a three-game series at Qualcomm Stadium on Tuesday, and one can only imagine how giddy Padre General Manager Kevin Towers will be that night. Towers has been open about his disdain for the Dodgers and General Manager Kevin Malone, who angered Towers by making tongue-in-cheek comments about the rebuilding Padres during spring training.

At the very least, things should be interesting.

“I don’t think of us as being in last, I think of us as being 7 1/2 games out of first,” closer Jeff Shaw said. “No, I never thought we would be [in this position], but it has been a combination of a lot of things.

“We haven’t hit or pitch very well on a consistent basis at times. But with the way we played [against the Giants], that’s something that we can build on. That’s what we have to look at.”

The Dodgers were last in last place on April 24, 1996. They haven’t been this low in the division this late in the season since June 21, 1995.

Ironically, the Dodgers qualified for the playoffs each time. They won the division title in ’95 and earned the wild-card berth in ’96.

The Dodgers, however, acknowledge that the postseason is the last thing on their minds at this point.

“We just have to keep playing hard,” said Sheffield, who hit his 16th homer in the seventh. “Things are tough sometimes, but that’s when you have to work harder. We can’t worry about anything except keeping that effort going right now.”

That’s the reality of last place.