Dodgers’ Silence Is Defining

It was as if every eternal optimist, every glass-half-full guy, every last Dodger who believed the West could be won in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary was thunderstruck by the same thought at the same time.

It ain’t happening.

Not after the San Francisco Giants beat the Dodgers in their last at-bat for the second day in a row, this time winning, 2-1, Saturday at SBC Park despite a strong pitching performance by Jeff Weaver.

Yes, the 1951 New York Giants trailed the Brooklyn Dodgers by six games and won 11 of their last 12 to force a three-game playoff, leading to Bobby Thomson’s famed shot-heard-’round-the-world home run.

But the only sounds heard around the visitors’ clubhouse Saturday were whispers of frustration and groans of aggravation. The loss was the Dodgers’ 81st, meaning they can’t post a winning season for the first time in Manager Jim Tracy’s five seasons.

“It’s a shame that a guy who pitched as well as Jeff Weaver did has to absorb a loss,” Tracy said. “When you get three hits and one run, it’s difficult to win.”

Weaver (14-10) pitched a complete game, giving up five hits, walking none and throwing only 93 pitches in eight innings. But with rookie Willy Aybar’s first home run his only offensive support, Weaver searched for reasons other than a divisional race for the Dodgers to remain motivated.

“We have a lot of young guys trying to prove themselves,” he said. “If this takes the air out of them, if this takes the wind out of their sails, they’ve got a lot coming to them.

“We all have a lot of reasons to show up every day and play hard.”

Hitting the ball hard is an entirely different challenge. And one that appears uncommonly difficult for the Dodgers (67-81). They couldn’t generate much against Jason Schmidt, who nearly bowed out before throwing a pitch because of a groin injury.

“I tweaked it on my last warmup pitch, but it’s too embarrassing to walk off the field in that situation,” Schmidt said. “Basically I just played catch with Mike [Matheny].”

Schmidt, who gave up only Aybar’s home run and a single to Dioner Navarro in five innings, marveled at how easy it was to retire the Dodgers without his best stuff.

“One would pop it up, one would hit a ground ball,” he said. “It was fun in a way. I was literally playing catch.”

The Dodgers’ Nos. 2 through 6 hitters were one for 17. The only hit was a single by Olmedo Saenz to begin the ninth. But with one out, Navarro grounded into a double play.

How frustrating was it? Giant reliever Tyler Walker (4-4) got the victory without retiring a batter. He came on with two out in the eighth, and Antonio Perez was thrown out trying to steal with Saenz at the plate.

And one day after the winning rally started with a leadoff walk, a cut fastball by Weaver grazed the jersey of leadoff batter Dan Ortmeier in the eighth. Ortmeier moved to second on a bunt and scored with two out on Omar Vizquel’s single.

“It just tipped his shirt,” Navarro said. “It’s the way things are going.”

Two innings earlier, it appeared the Dodgers might benefit from a break after an error by second baseman Jeff Kent on a potential double-play grounder left runners on first and second. A bunt moved them up, and with two out Ray Durham hit a fly near the right-field foul pole that first base umpire Tony Randazzo called a home run.

Weaver was beside himself, Tracy dashed from the dugout and even mild-mannered Oscar Robles ran over from shortstop to dispute the call. The umpires huddled and reversed the decision, and Durham grounded out to second, keeping the score 1-1.

“They got the call right, and as a result, we lose on a two-out base hit,” Tracy said.

It won’t get easier today. Moises Alou, who has been out with a groin injury, and Barry Bonds are scheduled to be in the Giant lineup together for the first time.