Dodgers Divulge No Trade Secrets

In the summer of 1958, when the Dodgers were in the throes of a disheartening first season in the Southland after moving from Brooklyn, downcast fans would joke about the interlocking LA logo on the front of the players’ caps.

Los Angeles? Nah, it stood for Lost Again, the joke would go.

These days, with the Dodgers losing more often then they win, they are still in the heat of a divisional race, even after Saturday afternoon’s 9-4 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

Lost Again, indeed.

Still, the interlocking LA painted on the grass behind home plate could easily be replaced by a huge question mark, especially with the non-waiver trade deadline hitting at 1 p.m. PDT today and the Dodgers not showing their hand.

“I don’t have any comment on that,” Manager Jim Tracy said when asked if he would be surprised if the club made any moves. “It’s really not my question to answer.”

Saturday, there were plenty of questions but no answers as the third-place Dodgers (47-57) stayed within four games of the National League West-leading San Diego Padres, and the Central Division-leading Cardinals (65-38) improved upon their NL-best record.

Dodger right-hander Derek Lowe, five days after throwing eight innings of one-hit ball at the Cincinnati Reds before leaving with a blister on his right thumb, was worn out by the big bats of the Cardinals.

It started in the first inning, when leadoff man David Eckstein doubled off the base of the left-field wall (after twice fouling pitches off himself), Albert Pujols doubled into the left-center gap to score Eckstein and Jim Edmonds crushed a Lowe offering 422 feet for his 19th home run and a 3-0 lead before two outs had been recorded.

Lowe (7-11) gave up a two-run homer to John Mabry in the fourth inning and by the time he was finished, he had allowed five runs and eight hits, though he did not walk a batter while striking out three.

He admitted the blister gave him pause.

“It was as bad as it’s been all year,” Lowe said. “We had it covered up so it wouldn’t rip but I could have easily done better.”

Lowe was also pitching to a new catcher, rookie Dioner Navarro, who was recalled from triple-A Las Vegas on Friday. Jason Phillips, who had been the everyday catcher, played first base for the second straight game and both players went two for four.

Said Lowe: “In my opinion, even with guys hurt, [the Cardinals] are the best team in baseball.”

At least the most terrifying offensively, even without third baseman Scott Rolen and outfielders Reggie Sanders and Larry Walker, who are on the disabled list.

St. Louis pounded out 14 hits, and after the Dodgers closed to within 5-4 in the fifth -- Jason Repko singled home Jeff Kent in the second, Kent and Phillips hit solo homers in the fourth and Milton Bradley’s groundout scored Hee-Seop Choi in the fifth -- the Cardinals pounded Dodger reliever Giovanni Carrara for three runs in the sixth.

At the root of it -- Eckstein’s two-out, three-run home run, which was “extremely damaging to us,” Tracy said.

The Cardinals added a run in the eighth against hard-throwing rookie Jonathan Broxton, called up from double-A Jacksonville the day before.

The promotions of Navarro and Broxton came on the weekend of the trading deadline, but what the moves mean to the Dodger roster was not clear. What is clear is that General Manager Paul DePodesta has been unable to swing a deal that would shore up Dodger needs in the outfield and bullpen.

Teams that have what he wants -- most notably the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Devil Rays -- are asking for multiple premium prospects in return for proven players, and DePodesta has been unwilling to part with more than one from a group that includes infielders Joel Guzman and Andy LaRoche, pitchers Chad Billingsley, Edwin Jackson and Broxton, and catcher Russell Martin.

Thus, outfielders Adam Dunn of the Reds and Aubrey Huff of the Devil Rays appear unlikely to become Dodgers by today. The Dodger bullpen is more easily improved from within the organization. Broxton, who hit 96 mph Saturday, is there but the way aging veterans Carrara and Wilson Alvarez are pitching, more help might be needed.

Lost Again?

Left Alone may well be the Dodgers’ new slogan today.

*

Times staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.