Everything Goes Amiss for Dodgers

Umpires miss calls, that’s a given. But when one blown call leads to a blowout, the losing team must take the blame too.

The Dodgers allowed a call that replays indicated was missed by second base umpire Dana DeMuth to escalate into a five-run rally by the St. Louis Cardinals in the third inning Thursday.

As well as the Cardinals are playing, they don’t need the help. They went on to win, 10-3, before an announced 45,656 at Busch Stadium, taking three of four and sending the Dodgers home having lost four of seven on the trip.

“They took advantage of a situation we didn’t really create,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “I don’t make excuses, but I really feel that play was a huge turning point. The situation snowballed because it disrupted our focus.”

Second baseman Oscar Robles took a throw from shortstop Cesar Izturis that appeared to retire Larry Walker on a force play to end the inning. But DeMuth called Walker safe and David Eckstein scored, pulling the Cardinals even, 2-2.

Tracy argued, and afterward said DeMuth had told him Robles “missed the base.” DeMuth, interviewed in the umpires’ locker room, said he had ruled that Robles touched the base with his heel but removed it before he’d “secured control of the ball.”

Jeff Kent watched from the dugout, significant because normally he would have been playing second base. Kent had sat out only two innings in the first 33 games and was given the day game off because the Dodgers had finally acquired a backup when they purchased Robles’ contract from the Mexican League four days ago.

The Dodgers were convinced that had the veteran Kent been at second, rather than the rookie Robles, the same call wouldn’t have been made.

Said Kent: “Looking at it again [on replay], you had to scratch your head. It didn’t look pretty, and maybe that’s why the call was made. But that shouldn’t make a difference.

“I hope the umpires’ decisions aren’t based on veterans versus rookies. It could put into question every call an umpire makes.”

Center fielder Milton Bradley said, “If that’s Jeff Kent, I don’t think that happens. Who really steps on the bag anyway?”

Pitcher Jeff Weaver, watching from the dugout, was ejected by DeMuth.

“I told him it’s the easiest play in baseball to call, and he blew it,” Weaver said.

DeMuth said he didn’t realize Robles was a rookie. For his part, Robles, who was one for 10 in the series, felt as if he’d let his new team down.

But his new team let down after the play.

Right-hander Derek Lowe (2-3) fell apart, giving up three consecutive singles. The third, by John Mabry, led to a throwing error by right fielder J.D. Drew that allowed a run to score. And the fifth run of the inning scored on a passed ball by Paul Bako.

“There were plenty of opportunities for me to execute a good pitch in a five-run inning,” said Lowe, who gave up 10 hits in five innings.

“I had to keep pitching, and I didn’t.”

Lowe’s last appearance at Busch Stadium was the most memorable game of his life. He went seven scoreless innings in Game 4 of the World Series, completing a sweep that enabled the Boston Red Sox to win their first championship since 1918.

“You can’t even compare the two,” he said. “One is Game 4 of the World Series and the other is Game 30-something of a new season.”

It isn’t too early for the Dodgers to judge what it would take to achieve something as special as the Red Sox did last season. They know they probably must find a way to beat the Cardinals (22-12), who eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs last season.

“No matter how you look at it and what road you take, you’re going to have to go through St. Louis to win a World Series championship,” said Bradley, who hit his eighth home run in the second inning.