Dodgers Are Just Fading Away

First, the good news: the Dodgers didn’t commit any errors Monday night.

Now the bad news: it didn’t matter.

The lifeless Dodgers made the mind-numbing Montreal Expos look positively thrilling in front of 32,053 as the cascades of boos emanating from the stands became more frequent as the Expos’ 4-1 win became more apparent.

The Expos (53-68) began the game having lost nine of 10 games. The Dodgers (62-61) have now dropped 11 of their last 15.

With the loss, the Dodgers fell nine games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West while dropping to 29-30 at home.

Montreal starter Dustin Hermanson (9-11) ended a personal four-game game losing streak with the win.

Hermanson went 8 2/3 innings, giving up one run and eight hits. He struck out two and walked two.

Scott Strickland struck out Adrian Beltre on a check swing to end the game and pick up his fourth save.

Dodger rookie Matt Herges, making his third start since being converted from a reliever, dropped his third consecutive decision to fall to 8-3.

Herges equaled a career high with six innings pitched but gave up four runs and seven hits. He struck out four and walked five, one intentionally.

Adding to the Dodger woes: Manager Davey Johnson will undergo surgery this morning at Centinela Hospital Medical Center for a slight tear to his left rotator cuff.

“Herges pitched OK,” said Johnson, who plans to be at tonight’s game.

“They kind of bunched some hits on him. We didn’t bunch much of anything on Hermanson.”

Said Herges: “When I needed to make a pitch, I didn’t.

“On a night like this, when the other guy is dealing, you have to do something to keep your team in the game,” Herges added. “I didn’t.”

“I’m glad we won the game,” Expo Manager Felipe Alou said.

“I’ve already forgotten about that last hit [to ruin the shutout].”

The Expos got on the board first.

Light-hitting shortstop Orlando Cabrera jumped on a letters-high 1-and-0 fastball from Herges, sending it into the first row of bleachers in the left-field pavilion. The solo shot was Cabrera’s ninth home run of the year and gave the Expos a 1-0 lead.

The Expos made the score 2-0 in the fourth on Lee Stevens’ soft one-out single up the middle, scoring Milton Bradley, who had singled and stole second base.

The Dodgers threatened in the fifth.

But with two out and runners on second and third, Tom Goodwin hit what he thought was a foul ball off the plate.

Plate umpire Phil Cuzzi disagreed, calling the two-foot nubber fair, and when Montreal catcher Michael Barrett threw to Stevens at first for the out, the threat was over.

In the ensuing Montreal at-bat, the Expos padded their lead with two more runs.

Herges walked Jose Vidro to lead off the sixth before Vladimir Guerrero hit a flare to right in front of Shawn Green, who seemed to float to the ball. Guerrero, hustling toward second base, tested Green’s $84-million arm. Guerrero won.

Geoff Blum’s sacrifice fly to center scored Vidro before Cabrera picked up his second RBI with a single, bringing Guerrero home to make the score 4-0.

The Dodgers ran themselves out of an inning in the eighth.

With one out and Goodwin on first with a single, Mark Grudzielanek laced a one-hopper down the first-base line that Stevens knocked down before tagging the bag for the inning’s second out.

Strangely, Goodwin tried to get back to the bag instead of heading to second and was tagged out by Stevens, ending the inning.

The Dodgers finally scored with two out in the ninth when Todd Hundley singled home Eric Karros.

The one bright spot Monday: catcher Todd Hundley threw out three would-be base stealers, tying a career-record.

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TOP PICK SIGNED

The Dodgers have agreed to terms with top draft pick Ben Diggins. Page 4