CAN'T CATCH MARLINS PENNY LOSES FIRST MEETING VS. OLD TEAM FLORIDA 6, DODGERS 2.

Byline: Tony Jackson Staff Writer

For the first time since being traded to the Dodgers last summer, Brad Penny took the mound against his former club on Monday night. He did so at a distinct disadvantage.

The Florida Marlins, after all, have a dangerous lineup with speed at the top, power in the middle and the ability to score runs in any number of ways. Penny, on the other hand, pitches for the Dodgers, whose lineup is riddled with individual slumps, question marks and an inability to score runs that borders on the ridiculous.

The result was all too predictable and all too familiar, a 6-2 loss to the Marlins before 46,632 at Dodger Stadium in a game that effectively was locked up after Miguel Cabrera's two-run homer in the top of the first inning.

Penny was decent, but not especially good. The Marlins had at least one hit in each of his six innings, including by the leadoff hitter in five of those innings. Penny did avoid further damage by getting a pair of double-play grounders and picking Paul Lo Duca off first base to end the fifth. But the Marlins also scored four runs off him, increasing their lead to 3-0 on consecutive, one-out doubles in the second by Damion Easley and Alex Gonzalez and to 4-1 on Juan Encarnacion's homer leading off the fourth.

But for the Dodgers, this game, like almost all of their games lately, was about a profound lack of offense. Appropriately, their only run through the first six innings scored on a double-play grounder by Jason Phillips with runners on the corners in the second.

One day after mounting repeated threats and failing to capitalize, going 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position in a 5-2 loss to Atlanta, this time the Dodgers couldn't even get that far, at least not until a brief rally in the seventh that ultimately fizzled.

Before that, they got just two runners as far as second base all night, stranding one of them when Cesar Izturis fouled out to end the second.

Finally, with Marlins starter Brian Moehler tiring in the seventh, the Dodgers got something going. But they needed a gift to do that. With one out, Jason Phillips singled to center. With two outs, Oscar Robles batted for Duaner Sanchez and hit a tough, one-hop grounder to second. The ball glanced off Easley's glove, caromed straight up in the air and came down 10 feet to Easley's left, allowing the speedy Robles to reach easily.

Izturis followed with something the Dodgers had to wonder if they would ever see again, that being a two-out hit to drive in a run. But with runners still at first and second and with the sizzling Hee-Seop Choi on deck, Marlins manager Jack McKeon came to get Moehler (2-1), bringing in left-hander Matt Perisho. Dodgers manager Jim Tracy, who in most cases refuses to allow Choi to bat against lefties no matter how well he might be hitting, countered by sending Olmedo Saenz to pinch hit.

Saenz ignited the crowd with a drive that appeared headed for the gap in left-center, possibly tying the game. But Marlins center fielder Juan Pierre, one of the fastest runners in baseball, ran it down, ending the inning and leaving the Dodgers 3 for 21 over their past two games with runners in scoring position.

The Marlins immediately answered with two runs in the top of the eighth off Giovanni Carrara, putting the game on ice.

Since Milton Bradley's game-winning grand slam in the eighth inning on Friday night, the Dodgers (21-17) have scored a total of five runs in their past 27 innings. Cleanup hitter Jeff Kent now is 1 for 16 since Tracy gave him ``a very well deserved day off'' Thursday in St. Louis. The Dodgers offense doesn't figure to get better in the next couple of days, either. Former National League Rookie of the Year Dontrelle Willis starts for the Marlins tonight, with former World Series Most Valuable Player Josh Beckett going on Wednesday. Those two are a combined 12-3 with a 1.73 ERA.

Penny (2-2) was in trouble from the start. He gave up a leadoff single to Pierre to begin the game, and Pierre stole second on the first pitch. Penny then hit Lo Duca, but got Carlos Delgado to ground into a double play. Needing only to retire the dangerous Cabrera to escape the jam, Penny instead gave up a no-doubt, two-run homer into the bleachers in left.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Miguel Cabrera's first-inning homer, a two-run shot, was almost all Florida needed to beat the Dodgers on Monday.

Nick Laham/Getty Images

(2) A groundball gets away from Dodgers shortstop Cesar Izturis in the eighth inning of Monday's loss to the Florida Marlins.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. FLORIDA

- Tony Jackson

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC

(5) STORY LINES