Dodgers Are Totally Stranded by the Reds

A Dodger offense that had garnered widespread acclaim for its game-winning artistry over the first month of the season couldn’t even score an imperfect 10 on Saturday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Pinch-hitter Olmedo Saenz grounded out with a runner on second base in the ninth inning and the Dodgers finished 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position during a 4-0 loss in front of 48,787 at Dodger Stadium that saddled them with a third consecutive defeat for the first time this season.

An offense that had appeared to make significant strides after finishing last in the major leagues in runs scored last season again reverted to its 2003 form, grounding into two double plays and finding seemingly every conceivable way to strand nine baserunners.

Perhaps even more alarming, the offensive collapse is starting to become a trend. The Dodgers have scored only four runs in their last three games but remained two games ahead of the second-place San Diego Padres in the National League West.

The Dodgers put runners in scoring position in every inning except the second and eighth but failed to capitalize each time against Todd Van Poppel and three relievers, who combined on a six-hitter.

“We had our chances,” Robin Ventura said. “It’s one you put out of your mind quickly and come back tomorrow.”

Perhaps the most egregious failure came in the seventh after reliever John Riedling issued consecutive walks to put runners on first and second with nobody out and the Dodgers trailing, 2-0.

Odalis Perez’s bunt attempt bounced directly in front of the plate, allowing catcher Jason LaRue to throw out pinch-runner Jose Hernandez trying to go to third. Jason Grabowski then grounded into a double play to end the inning.

“That’s my fault,” Perez said of the Dodgers’ inability to score in the seventh. “I should have bunted the right way but it was too close to the catcher.”

Said Manager Jim Tracy: “We didn’t get the bunt out there very far. Otherwise we would have had the tying runs on second and third.”

Milton Bradley had reached second with nobody out in the sixth and moved to third on Shawn Green’s fly-ball out in foul territory in right field, but Adrian Beltre popped out to shortstop and Paul Lo Duca struck out swinging.

Perez (2-2) pitched well in eight innings, giving up six hits and four runs -- three earned -- striking out five and walking one. But he contributed to his own demise by giving up a two-run homer to Ken Griffey Jr. in the eighth and committing an error in the fifth that allowed the Reds to score another run.

A stadium security guard stationed in foul territory down the right-field line also didn’t help the Dodger cause.

Ryan Freel ripped a Perez pitch in the third down the right-field line and into foul territory, where the ball rolled onto the security guard’s jacket. Right fielder Green held up his hands in the apparent hope that first base umpire Ed Rapuano would rule the play dead, but Rapuano indicated that the ball was still in play and Freel wound up on third.

“Those guys are part of the field,” said Tracy, adding that the ball remained visible.

Barry Larkin’s groundout to shortstop scored Freel to give Cincinnati a 1-0 lead.

Perez’s error contributed to the Reds’ second run, after Juan Castro singled up the middle with one out and went to second on Van Poppel’s sacrifice bunt. Freel hit a soft grounder to the right of the pitcher’s mound that Perez fielded, but his underhand throw was wide of first baseman Ventura, allowing Castro to score.

“The first two runs they got were freak plays,” Ventura said.