Dodgers Hit Nothing but Skids

A few not-so-fun facts for the Dodgers to ponder while coming to grips with their first three-game home sweep at the hands of the hated Giants in 20 years, a midweek mashing completed with San Francisco’s 3-0 victory before 32,064 in Dodger Stadium Thursday night:

* The Dodgers, who thought a balanced lineup with more speed and contact hitters would generate more offense than last season, are batting .136 (12 for 88) as a team and averaging 0.67 runs in three games.

* The Dodgers have not scored in 24 innings, a streak dating back to the third inning of Tuesday’s season opener, and they were outscored, 24-2, in three games against San Francisco.

* Gary Sheffield, the malcontent who was traded to Atlanta because the Dodgers couldn’t stand any more of his verbal outbursts, is batting .462 with three home runs and seven runs batted in for the Braves.

It may be too early for the Dodgers to panic, but it’s not too early to have some serious concerns about a team with a $102-million payroll and an offense that could file for bankruptcy.

“We’re three games into the season, we’re not 25 or 30 games in,” Dodger Manager Jim Tracy said. “I never like to lose, but I don’t anticipate tweaks or any kind of major overhaul after three games. That’s not a real good message to send to your ballclub as a guy in charge.”

The Dodgers gained one moral victory Thursday--they kept Giant slugger Barry Bonds in the park, no minor feat considering Bonds had ripped four home runs and driven in nine runs in the first two games.

They also got their first decent start of the season, as 23-year-old left-hander Odalis Perez threw five shutout innings, striking out six, before being touched for three runs in the decisive sixth.

But rookie right-hander Ryan Jensen gave up three hits in seven shutout innings, Felix Rodriguez threw a scoreless eighth and Robb Nen a scoreless ninth for his first save, as the Giants swept the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since Sept. 24-26, 1982.

Jensen also kept pace with fellow pitchers Livan Hernandez (two hits, two runs, one RBI Tuesday) and Russ Ortiz (two-run homer Wednesday) with two singles, including a leadoff hit to center to start the sixth.

Tsuyoshi Shinjo flied to right, and Rich Aurilia singled sharply to center to put two runners on for Bonds. After a visit from Dodger pitching Coach Jim Colborn, Perez plunked Bonds in the right shoulder with his first pitch to load the bases.

Reggie Sanders lofted a full-count pitch to deep left for a sacrifice fly and a 1-0 lead. Perez hit J.T. Snow to load the bases, and David Bell followed with a broken-bat single to center, scoring Aurilia and Bonds for a 3-0 lead. Tracy summoned reliever Paul Quantrill, who struck out Pedro Feliz to end the inning.

After suffering lopsided losses (9-2 and 12-0) in the first two games, all Tracy wanted Thursday was to have a chance to make some decisions that would matter.

“Is this lineup going to work? I didn’t know after the first two games, because I did a couple of managerial things in the first two innings, and then all I could do was sit back and watch,” Tracy said. “It’s important to get to the point where we’re playing baseball the way I envisioned in spring training.”

The Dodgers reached that point Thursday, as Perez blanked the Giants for five innings and the offense generated scoring opportunities in the second and third. But a Dodger offense that is supposed to manufacture runs suffered a few breakdowns on the assembly line.

Shawn Green doubled off Jensen to open the second but was stranded when Brian Jordan flied to right, Adrian Beltre struck out swinging at a breaking ball in the dirt and Eric Karros flied to right.

That couldn’t match the third inning for Dodger frustration, though. Mark Grudzielanek opened with a single and beat Jensen’s throw to second on Perez’s bunt, putting runners on first and second.

Dave Roberts advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, but Cesar Izturis followed with a weak grounder back to the mound. Grudzielanek, who broke for home on contact, was tagged out in a rundown by catcher Yorvit Torrealba, who then fired to second to nail Izturis for the final out of the inning.

“It’s not getting scary,” Beltre said. “We’re three games into this, and things are going to happen. Guys are probably trying to do too much. Everyone wants to win, but we just have to start swinging the bats better.”