A COMEDY OF ERRORS POROUS DEFENSE DOOMS DODGERS IN LATEST LOSS N.Y. METS 5, DODGERS 1.

Byline: Rich Hammond  Staff Writer

Standing still, the New York Mets' batters don't inspire a lot of fear. On the run, the Mets are lethal, and their speed, combined with the Dodgers shaky defense, led to a predictable outcome Saturday afternoon.

Given that the Dodgers totaled five hits, even a flawless defensive effort wouldn't have made much of a difference in their 5-1 loss to the Mets in front of 47,096 at Dodger Stadium. That the Dodgers committed a season-high four errors and allowed four stolen bases served to magnify season-long problems.

``When you only get one (run) and you give the opponent a couple (through errors), it gives the opposition a chance to open things up a little bit,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said.

Two of the errors were made by Cesar Izturis, the National League's defending Gold Glove winner at shortstop, and one led to a run that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning. Both errors came on slow infield choppers hit by Jose Reyes, who had two steals Saturday.

``Everybody knows he runs good,'' Izturis said. ``You don't have time to sit back and make plays. ... I'm human. It's a part of the game. I try to make those plays, and I didn't today.''

Miscues by Izturis are few and far between, but the Dodgers' inability to throw out baserunners is on display every day. Jason Phillips, who lost his everyday catching job to 21-year-old rookie Dioner Navarro this month, made his first start behind the plate since July 27, and it didn't go well.

The Mets had four steals in five attempts against Phillips, who has thrown out just 13 of 87 runners this season. Saturday's effort actually raised Phillips' caught-stealing percentage from 14.6 to 14.9.

The real damage was done in the second inning, when Ramon Castro and Gerald Williams hit back-to-back solo home runs off Dodgers starter D.J. Houlton, but Phillips allowed the Mets' fifth run in the ninth inning when he threw the ball into left field while trying to throw out Williams at third.

``I don't have anything to say,'' Phillips told reporters after the game. ``You're wasting your time.''

Even Phillips' one successful throw didn't work so well. In the fifth, the Dodgers correctly called a pitchout with Reyes on first. The throw to Izturis easily beat Reyes, who stopped and headed back to first, but first baseman Olmedo Saenz dropped the throw from Izturis and Reyes went safely into second.

Reyes gave the Mets a 3-0 lead one out later when he scored on David Wright's single.

The four steals gave the Mets a league-high total of 112 for the season and continued the frustration for Phillips, who had spent parts of the past two weeks working with coaches on his throwing technique.

``(The Mets are) not going to be shy against anyone who is pitching or catching,'' Tracy said. ``They're going to run.''

The Dodgers didn't have enough baserunners to even have a running game. Mets starter Jae Seo extended his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 20 2/3, until the seventh inning, when Oscar Robles led off with a walk and scored on Saenz's double to the gap in right-center.

The Dodgers' only other scoring opportunity came in the first, when Jeff Kent grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and third.

CAPTION(S):

photo, 4 boxes

Photo:

Dodgers' pitcher D.J. Houlton, left, has a conversation with catcher with Jason Phillips after giving up back- to-back home runs in the second inning.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. NEW YORK METS 

- Rich Hammond

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC