Dodgers Have No Defense as Pinch Comes to Shove

By JASON REID

Sept. 13, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

PHOENIX —

Add poor defense to a long list of problems that should be addressed in the upcoming Dodger make-over.

The Dodgers are statistically the majors’ worst fielding team, which they displayed again Tuesday night in a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks before 32,102 at Bank One Ballpark.

They committed two errors that contributed to three unearned runs, overshadowing rookie Luke Prokopec’s solid effort in his first start and Dave Hansen’s major league pinch-hit record.

Hansen’s seventh pinch-hit home run--a seventh-inning, three-run shot that tied the score--established a new single-season mark, and Prokopec was effective before leaving in the fifth because of a pitch count.

The Diamondbacks also got a key infield pinch-hit from David Dellucci, providing the go-ahead run in the eighth.

Byung-Hyun Kim (6-5) pitched a scoreless eighth in relief of starter Curt Schilling, and Matt Mantei a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

The Dodgers (75-70) dropped to 2-3 on the trip. The second-place Diamondbacks (77-66) remained 8 1/2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West, and 4 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the wild-card race.

At least the Dodgers’ defense helped someone.

“We should have been in command, we should have been in the driver’s seat, but a couple of errors cost us,” Manager Davey Johnson said. “You can’t give a good team like that extra outs. It will cost you every time.”

Prokopec, 22, chose joining the Dodgers over playing for Australia in the Sydney Olympics.

The Australian national team might have provided better support defensively.

Beginning play Tuesday, the Dodgers had the league’s lowest fielding percentage at .977 and they led the majors with 126 errors.

They made it 128, helping the Diamondbacks take a 4-1 lead in the fifth.

Prokopec worked three scoreless innings Sept. 4 in his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and wasn’t bad in his first start.

“I thought he threw great,” catcher Todd Hundley said of Prokopec, who pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up six hits and four runs--only one earned. “He’s got a great arm and a bright future. A real bright future.”

Hansen tied the score with his eighth homer overall in the seventh against Schilling, hitting a first-pitch slider over the right-field wall.

He had been tied for the record with Johnny Frederick, who had six pinch-hit homers for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932.

“On a personal level, I guess I think about it, but I don’t dwell on it,” Hansen said. “In pinch-hitting, you can’t get too high or too low.”

The Dodgers had a sinking feeling in the eighth.

Matt Mieske ran for Steve Finley after Onan Masaoka (1-1) hit Finley with a pitch on his left hand leading off the inning.

Enter Matt Herges. Mieske advanced to second on Danny Bautista’s sacrifice bunt and third when Hanley Frias flied out.

Dellucci, hitting for Kelly Stinnett, hit a slow roller through the middle that shortstop Alex Cora fielded off-balance. Cora tried to set himself but couldn’t and his throw to first was late as Mieske scored the go-ahead run.

“I expect to make those plays,” said Cora, whose fourth-inning error contributed to an unearned run. “When I caught it, I was off-balance, and I didn’t want to throw it away. I took an extra step to get set, he was hustling all the way up the line, and that was the difference.

“It’s one of those plays when you make it it’s ‘Wow, what a great play!’ When you don’t, you feel like I feel right now.”

The Dodgers have had that feeling often.

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In a Pinch

Dave Hansen hit his seventh pinch-hit homer of the season, breaking a 68-year-old major league record:

* 7 Dave Hansen, Dodgers, 2000

* 6 Johnny Frederick, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1932

* 5 Joe Cronin, Boston Red Sox, 1943

* 5 Butch Nieman, Milwaukee Braves, 1945

* 5 Gene Freese, Philadelphia Phillies, 1959

* 5 Jerry Lynch, Cincinnati Reds, 1961

* 5 Cliff Johnson, Houston Astros, 1974