Not Much Has Changed for Dodgers

How many bases-loaded opportunities could the Dodgers squander in one game?

The answer Friday night was three, after the reeling team wasted that many in a 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. That might change at any moment, as the Dodgers seemingly redefine ineptitude on offense daily.

“It’s really ... what can you say about it anymore?” leadoff batter Dave Roberts said. “You look at the opportunities we’ve had this year, and we haven’t been able to do the job, but three times? It’s definitely ... it’s just frustrating.”

A crowd of 37,951 endured a 1-hour, 26-minute rain delay at the start of the third inning to watch teams at opposite ends of the National League offense charts complete the opener of a three-game series.

Atlanta fans have grown accustomed to offense being as good as it gets from the league’s most productive team.

They finally witnessed how the other half lives, watching the Dodgers leave the bases full in the first, sixth and eighth while being shut out for the ninth time in a season players acknowledged is becoming demoralizing.

The Dodgers, who had only four hits against five pitchers, were especially frustrated in the eighth when home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg called a strike on what appeared to be an inside 3-and-1 pitch to Adrian Beltre, who grounded into an inning-ending double play on the next pitch.

“It missed the catcher by a foot and a half -- the ball almost hit [Beltre],” catcher Paul Lo Duca said. “It changed the whole complexion of the game, but that’s just the way our luck is going right now.”

Jeromy Burnitz was ejected for arguing the call.

The loss dropped the Dodgers (54-54) to .500 for the first time since they were 20-20 on May 13. They fell to 1-6 on what players said was a make-or-break, nine-game trip, and are seven games behind Philadelphia in the NL wild-card race.

Players aren’t the only ones frustrated.

“It’s a very similar story,” said Manager Jim Tracy, whose club has averaged one run per game on the trip.

“We had many more chances to score runs tonight than they did. We had the bases loaded three times tonight. We had a golden opportunity in the eighth inning with one out.”

Greg Maddux (10-8) escaped the initial bases-loaded jam. The four-time Cy Young award winner pitched five scoreless innings to improve to 4-0 in his last six starts. Three relievers held the lead for closer John Smoltz, who worked a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 41st save.

Maddux worked two innings after the rain delay, but his Dodger counterpart wasn’t given the option.

Tracy decided the break was too long to risk sending back Hideo Nomo (12-9) into the game. The team’s co-ace wanted to return after pitching two innings and giving up Andruw Jones’ 26th home run in the second -- a solo shot that left Nomo with the loss -- but he was overruled by Tracy and pitching coach Jim Colborn.

“I wanted to pitch,” Nomo said through an interpreter, “but it’s the manager’s decision for me not to pitch.”

The Braves, who had only seven hits, scored their second run against left-hander Wilson Alvarez in the fourth on Robert Fick’s run-scoring double.

The Dodgers had chances for more.

Trailing, 2-0, in the sixth against left-hander Ray King, the Dodgers stranded three when Alex Cora struck out looking.

Burnitz walked with two out and advanced to third on Lo Duca’s single. King walked Beltre on four pitches. The situation appeared suited for Tracy to turn to the recently acquired Robin Ventura to hit for Cora.

Ventura and Cora each bat left-handed and Cora has a higher average (.318) against lefties than Ventura (.194). However, with the game seemingly on the line, isn’t that the type of role Ventura was brought in to fill?

“It didn’t seem right to just throw him up there in that situation in his first at-bat,” Tracy said of Ventura. “Especially when you look at the fact that, to this point, he has not overwhelmed left-handed pitching. And Cora is hitting .318 against left-handers.”

King struck out Cora on three pitches.