DODGERS FIND ZERO ANSWERS OFFENSE FAILS; GIANTS SWEEP S.F. 3, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

The Dodgers' 3-0 loss to the rival San Francisco Giants on Thursday wasn't the embarrassment of the first two days of the season. It lacked Barry Bonds' personal game of home run derby, and the Dodgers pitching staff didn't get battered as if it were throwing a round of batting practice.

Yet the loss was disturbing nonetheless, as the Dodgers' revamped lineup continued to trip over itself while wasting a strong Dodgers debut by left-hander Odalis Perez.

It might only be three games, but problems run deep for the offensively challenged Dodgers. A lineup promised to be deeper and more versatile than the station-to-station version of the past few seasons is scoreless in 24 innings, has four extra-base hits and the electricity of a blackout.

After registering just three hits Wednesday off Giants starter Ryan Jensen - making his eighth major-league start and pitching a career-high seven innings - and having none after the fifth inning, the Dodgers have 12 hits this season.

Still, despite the Dodgers' first 0-3 start since they began the 1998 season with four losses and a .136 team batting average, manager Jim Tracy isn't thinking about a lineup change.

``When it's a collection like it is right now, you have to be very patient and give them an opportunity to get some things figured out,'' Tracy said. ``We're three games into the season. We're not 25 or 30. We're three games into the season. I'll sleep on it, but I don't anticipate tweaks or any kind of overhaul three games into the season. That's not a real good message to send to your ballclub.''

The Giants swept a three-game series from the Dodgers for the first time since 1991. It also was San Francisco's first three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 24-26, 1982.

``It's an unbelievable start, a great three days,'' Giants manager Dusty Baker said. ``We had unbelievable defense and great pitching.''

The moral-victory aspect is that Bonds didn't add to his four-homer, nine-RBI total of the Giants' first two victories in the series, in which the Dodgers were outscored 21-2.

Bonds went 1 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a Perez pitch in the Giants' three-run sixth inning. Bonds finished the series 6 of 8 with three walks and six runs scored.

By contrast, the Dodgers have two runs scored, six walks and one RBI.

``It's probably guys trying to do too much,'' Dodgers third baseman Adrian Beltre said. ``Everybody here wants to win and probably trying too hard. Probably myself, (Brian Jordan), we're trying too hard.''

On Wednesday, an offense the Dodgers admit must do the little things to survive killed itself.

In the second inning, Shawn Green was stranded at second base after a leadoff double. A leadoff single by Mark Grudzielanek in the third resulted in a botched base-running scenario that ended with a perplexing double play but no runs scored.

It happened with two on and none out. Dave Roberts bunted to move the runners up rather than play for a big inning. Cesar Izturis grounded to Jensen, and Mark Grudzielanek was caught in a rundown between third and home. After Grudzielanek was tagged out, catcher Yorvit Torrealba threw to David Bell to catch Izturis going to second and end the inning.

The Dodgers also wasted a leadoff single from Beltre in the fifth and a leadoff walk by Jeff Reboulet in the sixth. Neither advanced past first.

While the Giants' onslaught the first two games came early - they outscored the Dodgers 8-1 in the first two innings of the first two games - it took time before they got to Perez, who was making his Dodgers' debut.

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Photo:

Odalis Perez pitched well in his Dodgers' debut, but he didn't get any support.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer