DODGERS GIVE NOMO NO O L.A. SHUT OUT FOR THIRD TIME SAN DIEGO 1, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer

SAN DIEGO - A lineup that was questionable at the season's beginning is even more so now after the Dodgers stumbled their way through another dismal offensive evening. They fell to San Diego 1-0 Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium, marking the third time they were shut out in 12 games.

Offensive ineptitude has been overshadowed by a pitching staff just short of brilliant the past 10 games, but after bungling a bases-loaded, no-out situation against Padres starter Brian Lawrence (2-0) in the fifth inning, frustration is becoming apparent.

``The pitching the last nine games has been phenomenal,'' Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca said. ``We probably should be at least 8-1 or 9-0 in those games. They kept us in every game and we just haven't produced. Myself and a lot of other guys, too. It's frustrating. They've carried us. We have not clicked at all as an offense.''

Rather than running off an impressive string of victories, the Dodgers are 6-3 in their past nine games despite a starting staff ERA of 0.69 in that span. In the Dodgers' six losses, they have scored seven runs.

Right-handed starter Hideo Nomo was the latest victim of the Dodgers' hitting woes. Nomo's only blemish was a two-out RBI single by switch-batting D'Angleo Jimenez in the seventh inning. The soft liner to center scored Devi Cruz with the only run.

``It's a shame the way Hideo Nomo pitched that he has to absorb that loss. That's the shame of it,'' Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. ``You can't pitch any better than the way we have in the last nine or 10 games. You can't ask them to do any more than they've done.''

Though Nomo (1-2) was behind many of the hitters, he showed his usual moxie and battled. He allowed four hits, walked four and struck out six behind perhaps his best split-finger fastball of the season.

``I've played a number of years and these types of games are prevalent,' 'Nomo said through an interpreter. ``No matter where I go or which team I play for, my job is to just make sure I shut the other team down.''

Perhaps the Dodgers should have photographed Jimenez's single to better understand the concept of a clutch hit late in the game. It's been a problem with the offense through the first two weeks of the season.

The Dodgers were 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position to drop their season average to .232 (23 of 99) with two homers and 32 RBI. With runners on and two outs, the Dodgers were 0 for 3 against the Padres and are hitting .179 (7 for 39) with three RBI with runners in scoring position.

``Nomo pitched a great game and we couldn't score,'' Dodgers left fielder Brian Jordan said. ``The other guy got out of jams when he had to, but we blew a lot of opportunities. It's kind of frustrating.''

A wonderful display of the Dodgers' deficiency came in the fifth when Lawrence loaded the bases with none out. However, Adrian Beltre grounded to third and Shawn Green was forced out at home. Jeff Reboulet grounded back to the mound and Jordan was forced at home. Nomo ended the inning with a groundout to shortstop.

The Dodgers had another chance to score in the eighth with Green batting against Alan Embree and two runners on with two outs. But Green flied to left and is hitless in eight at-bats against Embree.

``It's been one through nine in the lineup, and you can't really place the onus on one part,'' Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros said. ``We've been getting some base runners. We had some opportunities. We had bases loaded and none out, and we're a team that's going to have to take advantage of that. To pull out one thing and decipher it, that's kind of reaching.''

Now the Dodgers travel to Colorado for the final three games of their nine-game trip, to a ballpark reputed for lofty offensive numbers.

The Dodgers scored a franchise-record 22 runs in one game last season at Coors Field and averaged 7.7 runs. They averaged 4.5 runs per game the rest of the season.

DODGERS vs. COLORADO

Time: 6:05 p.m., Coors Field.

TV/Radio: Fox Sports Net 2; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish).

Dodgers update: Dodgers LH Odalis Perez (0-1, 3.09 ERA) has pitched with poise beyond his 23 years so far, but this will be his first outing in the altitude of Denver. Perez has allowed two earned runs in eight career innings against the Rockies, both coming when he was pitching in Atlanta. Larry Walker is the only Rockies player Perez has faced extensively, and Walker is 9 for 31 (.290) with two homers and eight RBI. Rockies RH Shawn Chacon (1-1, 8.10) was roughed up for eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in an April 5 loss in L.A. Tuesday - Dodgers RH Andy Ashby (1-0, 1.50) vs. Rockies RH Jason Jennings (0-1, 4.50); Wednesday - Dodgers LH Kazuhisa Ishii (2-0, 0.00) vs. Rockies LH Mike Hampton (0-3, 10.26).

- Brian Dohn

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

The Dodgers' Brian Jordan is forced out at the plate by San Diego's Tom Lampkin in a 1-0 loss.

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

Box:

DODGERS vs. COLORADO (see text)