Not Off to a Flying Start

Dodger Stadium sparkled for another opener as new owner Frank McCourt unveiled his team to family members, friends and Dodger fans.

The show was less impressive than the stage as the San Diego Padres pounded Hideo Nomo in an 8-2 blowout victory before a disappointed sellout crowd of 53,850.

The largest crowd to ever attend an opener at the stadium -- including McCourt’s 40-member contingent from Boston -- watched as the Padres broke open the game with a six-run fifth inning against Nomo on Phil Nevin’s two-out grand slam and Jay Payton’s two-run shot two batters later.

The Padres’ power display produced a 7-0 lead, stunning the Dodgers as the fans’ mood quickly turned cold on a picturesque day at Chavez Ravine.

“You have to keep things in perspective,” said Manager Jim Tracy, on the hot seat in the final year of his contract. “This is the first game of 162, and the first day of 183 over the next six months. We must keep that in perspective and build on the positives.”

Nomo’s outing wasn’t among them.

He was booed off the field after retiring Ramon Hernandez for the final out in the fifth, continuing to struggle after going 1-4 with an 8.13 earned-run average in spring training.

On Monday, Nomo gave up seven hits and seven earned runs in five innings for a 12.60 ERA. The right-hander, who underwent off-season shoulder surgery, threw only 10 more strikes (43) than balls (33).

“I think he’s still trying to get a little of his velocity back,” said Nevin, who sent a 1-and-1 pitch into the seats in the left-field corner for his seventh grand slam.

Scouts covering the Dodgers in spring training said Nomo’s velocity had not returned. Nomo downplayed that issue, though he said he’s not sure what’s wrong.

“My past two, three years, my speed hasn’t really changed that much,” Nomo said through an interpreter. “The home run [to Nevin] ... that ball was a little inside. I didn’t want it to be there.

“It’s kind of hard to point a finger to what the actual problem is. It seems I had the same results as in Vero Beach. But I also don’t think I have to change anything.”

The Dodgers never recovered from the Padres’ breakout fifth against Nomo despite getting 15 hits, including a home run from Shawn Green and the impressive debuts of center fielder Milton Bradley (two hits, two walks) and right fielder Juan Encarnacion (three hits, two doubles).

Once again, Padre starter Brian Lawrence befuddled the Dodgers in five solid innings, improving to 8-3 with a 1.94 ERA in 18 games against them.

The Dodgers stranded 15 runners, and Green had an especially frustrating experience despite providing the team’s first run with a solo shot in the fifth and playing well defensively in his new role as first baseman.

The cleanup batter didn’t deliver in the sixth with a run already in and the bases loaded, popping to short to end the threat. There was a similar outcome in the eighth as Green grounded out, stranding two.

“We left a lot of guys on base. I left a lot of guys on base,” said Green, who did not hit a homer in spring training after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery.

“If we keep getting a large number of hits, double digits in hits, we’re going to have a great season offensively.

“It’s a lot different than last year, coming out and always having an opportunity to score. We didn’t capitalize today, but getting all those hits was encouraging. There were a lot of 1-2-3 innings last year, and hopefully that’ll be the difference this year.”

After dismissing their 12-22 exhibition record as meaningless, the Dodgers acknowledged Monday that the lights are on now and things must change.

“It’s important to always have a good start,” said catcher Paul Lo Duca, who went three for four. “There’s that old adage about, ‘Well, they count in September.’ Well, they count in April too.

“We obviously struggled late in spring, and that’s not the way you want to finish whether they matter or not. You still want to get off to a good start, and we need to come out and play well the next couple of games.”