Dodgers Throw Hard but Carry a Weak Stick

The Dodgers finally acknow- ledged their problem and took steps toward recovery, bringing in veteran outfielders Jeromy Burnitz and Rickey Henderson to help improve the offense.

They’re last in the National League in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, walks, home runs, runs, runs batted in and total bases. In the first half, the Dodgers had a lower batting average (.244) and scored fewer runs (328) than every team except the Detroit Tigers.

Left fielder Brian Jordan is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery and center fielder and leadoff batter Dave Roberts has been slowed because of recurring hamstring problems, but the Dodgers also struggled at full strength.

“It definitely wasn’t pretty,” said All-Star catcher Paul Lo Duca, who leads the team with a .307 batting average.

“Everyone was very frustrated with the way we played, and it was hard to figure out at times. We know we’re much more capable as a group, but it just didn’t work out that way.

“Fortunately, our pitching staff has been incredible. They carried us and really kept us in this thing.”

Dodger pitchers were at the other end of the chart.

They lead the majors in earned-run average (3.07), starters’ ERA (3.48) and relievers’ ERA (2.14).

But impressive pitching wasn’t enough to avert a 5-15 slide before the All-Star break. The Dodgers (49-44) trail the first-place San Francisco Giants by 7 1/2 games in the National League West after being tied atop the division as recently as June 22, and Burnitz and Henderson might not be enough to lift the group.

And even pitching is a concern as the Dodgers resume play tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

Fifth starter Darren Dreifort is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery again, and the comeback of ace Kevin Brown has stalled because of an abdominal strain.

General Manager Dan Evans is under fire for assembling the ineffective lineup, and the Dodgers have missed the playoffs in their first two seasons under Manager Jim Tracy, who would rather avoid a disappointing three-peat.

“The way we played in the first half, we’ve definitely put pressure on ourselves to really pick it up now,” said right fielder Shawn Green, expected to carry the biggest load. “But we still have games remaining to try and get it right.”

Biggest First-Half Surprise: Talk about a short list.

No one was especially surprising in a positive way, but starter Kazuhisa Ishii showed mettle.

The left-hander had a titanium plate inserted into his head after a line drive fractured his skull last Sept. 8 in a start against Houston, but the traumatic incident hasn’t sidetracked him this season.

Ishii is 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 18 starts. He is fourth in the NL in ERA, 10th with 102 strikeouts and has the sixth-lowest opponents’ batting average at .217. He leads the league with 71 walks but has a knack for avoiding big innings.

Biggest First-Half Disappointment: So many candidates, so little space.

A) Green.

B) Third baseman Adrian Beltre.

C) Infielder-outfielder Daryle Ward.

Answer: C.

Green has struggled under the weight of being the team’s only major run producer in the prime of his career.

The Dodgers still have not filled the hole opened when Gary Sheffield was traded to the Atlanta Braves, and after carrying the team in a 42-homer, 114-RBI season in 2002, Green wore down in the first half (.255, 10 homers, 45 RBIs).

And now the Gold Glove outfielder has become a target of fans who question his effort in the field.

Beltre continues to confound scouts who rave about his athleticism and “tools,” struggling through another first half (.225, six homers, 33 RBIs). Despite the fact he has emerged as arguably the league’s best defensive third baseman, this figures to be his last season in Los Angeles if Evans and Tracy remain in their positions.

And that brings us to Ward, who has redefined the team’s concept of “disappointing” in only 49 games.

The Dodgers had high hopes for Ward after acquiring him from the Houston Astros in January for minor league pitcher Ruddy Lugo, but things haven’t progressed as they expected.

The affable Ward is batting .179 with no homers and only eight RBIs while receiving a salary of $1.35 million.

Tracy’s patience is wearing thin, and Ward might have fewer opportunities to impress because of the presence of Burnitz and Henderson.

Defining Moment: Starter Odalis Perez spoke his mind June 29 after the Angels completed a three-game interleague sweep with a 3-1 victory at Edison Field, saying publicly what many in the organization had been whispering for weeks:

* “If we keep playing the way we’re playing, there’s no way for us to go nowhere.”

* “We need to start producing, or get some other players to produce, because all the pressure’s on the pitching staff ... and that’s not fair.”

* “The trade deadline is coming. If we don’t make a move, we’re going to waste this season like last season. If we don’t score runs, we don’t produce, we’re not going to win.”

Instead of acknowledging Perez was right, the Dodgers briefly ostracized the talented young left-hander for breaking ranks and expressing his feelings about a situation spiraling out of control.

Lo Duca summed up the mood in the clubhouse, saying, “If you’re going to pop off in the paper, then you’ve got no guts.”

Others had made similar off-the-record comments, and apparently it would have been fine with the Dodgers had Perez done that too.

At This Pace: The Dodgers will finish last in the league in batting and runs for the first time since 1987.

That group hit .252 and scored 635 runs. The current edition is at .244 and 328, so there’s still some catching up to do.

Reasons to Be Excited: The bullpen, led by second-year closer Eric Gagne.

The group feeds off the energy of the All-Star right-hander, who has improved on his phenomenal first season.

Gagne (1-3, 1.99 ERA, 31 saves) has converted 39 consecutive saves spanning two seasons, and leads major league relievers with 76 strikeouts in only 45 1/3 innings. Guillermo Mota, who has thrown 18 2/3 scoreless innings, would be a closer on many teams, and setup men Paul Quantrill and Paul Shuey are as good as it gets.

Now, if the offense could only provide more leads.

Reasons to Be Concerned: Again, space is an issue.

The Dodgers hope Burnitz and Henderson inspire a revival on offense, but that might be asking too much of them.

Despite his resurgence, Brown is on the disabled list for the seventh time in five seasons in L.A., including six times since March 2001. He’s as stubborn as ever, but at 38, Brown doesn’t recover quickly these days.

Perez (6-7, 4.25 ERA) has struggled to control his emotions and regain the form that made him a 15-game winner last season.

Moves to Ponder: Evans already has made two moves, but he’s still waiting on the team’s No. 1 trade target: Florida Marlin third baseman Mike Lowell.

The Marlins supposedly have taken the All-Star off the market, but the Dodgers are keeping close tabs on the situation. Pittsburgh Pirate outfielder Brian Giles is high on their list as well, but the Pirates’ price is too high at the moment.

See You in September: If Brown remains in the rotation (at top form), Perez keeps his cool, Henderson discovers the fountain of youth and Green ignores the criticism and starts having fun again.

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*--* NL WEST RACE Team W L GB San Francisco 57 37 -- Arizona 52 42 5 Dodgers 49 44 7 1/2

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Dodger Ball

Comparing the Dodgers at the All-Star break this year to last year:

*--* Category 2003 2002 Record 49-44 54-34 Runs per game 3.5 4.4 Doubles 158 169 Homers 59 86 Walks 228 231 Strikeouts 556 507 Steals 46 46 Avg 244 263 OB% 304 319 SLG% 359 415 H/9IP 7.5 7.8 BB/9IP 3.2 3.1 SO/9IP 8.2 7.1 Saves 34 34 ERA 3.07 3.56

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