Dodgers Stifled by Stingy Lefty

Frank Robinson, major league baseball’s vice president of on-field operations, stunned the Dodgers early Thursday when he hit Marquis Grissom with a six-game suspension and $3,000 fine.

Left-hander Mark Mulder of the Oakland Athletics took advantage of the woozy Dodgers and got the knockout later in the evening.

Mulder, one start removed from throwing a complete-game one-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks, was almost as impressive against the Dodgers in a complete-game, 6-0 victory in front of 18,292 at Network Associates Coliseum.

Not exactly the way the Dodgers envisioned themselves starting the second half of the season.

“There’s not a whole lot to say other than the fact that you have to give a lot of credit to Mark Mulder,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “Up until the eighth inning, we didn’t hit a ball hard against him.”

Tracy compared the left-handed Mulder to lefty Mike Hampton of the Colorado Rockies.

Mulder (10-6) gave up six hits while striking out seven and walking one in an efficient 107-pitch outing.

Mulder, 23, became the first Oakland pitcher to throw consecutive complete games since Kenny Rogers on Sept. 5 and Sept. 11, 1998. Mulder is also the first A’s pitcher to throw consecutive shutouts since Bobby Witt threw three in a row June 23, June 28 and July 3, 1994.

“He had a pretty good outing his last start [against Arizona on July 6],” said Dodger first baseman Eric Karros, who was one for four with a double and struck out looking twice.

“So it’s not like we got shut out by somebody who doesn’t have potential.”

When Mulder walked Paul Lo Duca with two out in the third inning, it was Mulder’s first base on balls in 84 batters. Last season, he averaged four unintentional walks per nine innings. This season, he has issued 26 unintentional walks in 128 1/3 innings.

“The thing I was most pleased about,” Mulder said, “was I only walked one guy.”

Dodger starter Terry Adams (4-3) showed potential early but lost for the first time as a starter after giving up four runs and 12 hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one. Ten of the hits came with two out.

Adams was locked in a scoreless duel with Mulder but couldn’t close the deal with two out.

Five of the A’s six runs were scored with two out.

The A’s were a combined 12 for 19 with two out.

“They just put up a string of hits at a good time,” said Adams, who was making the eighth start of his career. “Every time I’d get two outs on them, it seemed like they’d step it up a notch.”

Adams, however, said his focus remained the same.

“With two outs I’m pitching aggressively and going after them and if they hit it in a good spot, that’s their good luck,” he said.

“They hit the ball in a good spot. I didn’t really change anything [in my approach].”

Oakland’s Ramon Hernandez was three for three with two doubles and two runs batted in while Jeremy Giambi was three for five with one RBI.

Miguel Tejada hit his team-leading 20th home run in the seventh inning against Dodger reliever Al Reyes . There were two out when Tejada hit a 1-and-1 pitch over the left-field wall.

The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the fifth after three consecutive two-out singles scored Johnny Damon, Jeremy Giambi driving him in for his 20th RBI.

Oakland scored three more two-out runs in the fifth against Adams.

After Ron Gant and Eric Chavez singled with two out, No. 9 batter Ramon Hernandez doubled down the first-base line, scoring both runners.

Damon then doubled into the right-center gap, driving home Hernandez and giving Oakland a 5-0 lead.

Dodger left-handed reliever Jesse Orosco replaced Adams to start the seventh and struck out the left-handed Giambi brothers, Jeremy and Jason, before being replaced by Reyes, who gave up Tejada’s homer.

Mike Fetters was responsible for the final Oakland run in the eighth inning, giving up a lead-off double to Hernandez, who scored on Frank Menechino’s one-out sacrifice fly to center.

Grissom, whose penalties were levied by Robinson because of his contact with an umpire in an argument July 4, is eligible to play until his appeal is heard. Grissom was 0 for 4 as the Dodgers’ designated hitter.