Dodgers See Cooling Trend

The significance of that franchise-best 12-2 start? Well, it sure earned the Dodgers a nice little article in this week’s Sports Illustrated.

Any long-term benefits might be harder to quantify now that the Dodgers have lost six of seven games and coughed up the 4 1/2 -game lead in the National League West that their scorching start afforded them.

The surging Arizona Diamondbacks completed the Dodgers’ fall from first place Wednesday night with a 6-3 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 54,387 at Dodger Stadium.

Luis Gonzalez’s two-run single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning provided the go-ahead runs for the Diamondbacks, who utilized a three-game sweep to knock the Dodgers out of first place for the first time since April 6. Arizona, which stretched its winning streak to six games, leads the Dodgers by a half-game.

The Diamondbacks (14-8) have won four of six games against the Dodgers (13-8), one more victory than they registered all of last season in 19 games between the division rivals.

“We’re not getting any breaks,” Dodger outfielder Milton Bradley said. “All you can do is keep playing.”

Jeff Weaver appeared on the verge of rebounding from a terrible outing in which he was shelled for eight runs against the Colorado Rockies before things unraveled in the seventh with the Dodgers clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Chad Tracy hit a leadoff single and went to third on Koyie Hill’s single to right. Royce Clayton grounded to third baseman Norihiro Nakamura, who ranged to his left to field the ball and threw home to get Tracy for the first out.

But Weaver (2-2) walked pinch-hitter Tony Clark to load the bases and plunked Craig Counsell with a pitch to bring home Hill with the tying run.

Weaver and Dodger Manager Jim Tracy argued that the pitch had hit Counsell’s bat, but home plate umpire Brian Runge, after conferring with the other umpires, awarded Counsell first base.

“He’s notorious for getting hit,” Dodger catcher Jason Phillips said. “I thought it hit the bottom of his bat, but whatever happened, happened. He’s a pesky guy.”

Said Weaver: “I figured there would be a little more reaction if it hit him. That’s what I was going off, and the sound of the bat.”

Tracy then brought in reliever Steve Schmoll, who struck out Quinton McCracken on a 90-mph fastball for the second out. Reliever Kelly Wunsch was not as fortunate, yielding Gonzalez’s two-run single to right that made it 5-3.

The Dodgers put the tying runs on in the seventh with back-to-back walks to bring up J.D. Drew, who had singled twice and doubled in his first three at-bats. Drew launched a long drive off reliever Mike Koplove that center fielder Luis Terrero corralled with a leaping catch at the wall, and Jeff Kent grounded out to end the inning.

“We had a ball get hit to center field that was inches away from putting us ahead, 6-5,” Tracy said. “We can’t be disappointed with the way they’ve played. They’ve played hard. They’ve played smart. They’ve played aggressive. The ball’s just not bouncing in our direction right now.”

The Dodgers had taken a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Drew’s two-run double to right off Arizona starter Brad Halsey, who nearly became a Dodger in the off-season. before a three-team deal involving the New York Yankees and Diamondbacks dissolved.

Cesar Izturis started the rally with a one-out single that extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

Drew finished with three hits and is batting .392 since opening the season in an 0-for-25 funk.

McCracken’s two-out RBI single in the third had put the Diamondbacks ahead, 2-1, before Weaver escaped a two-out jam by striking out Troy Glaus.

Phillips’ troubles throwing out baserunners reached another level in the second when the lumbering Glaus stole second after drawing a leadoff walk. Glaus went to third on Shawn Green’s groundout and scored just ahead of a strong throw by left fielder Jason Repko on Tracy’s sacrifice fly.

Olmedo Saenz tied the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer to left-center.