DODGERS STUCK IN NEUTRAL : ST. LOUIS 6, DODGERS 5.

Byline: Tim Brown Daily News Staff Writer

If nothing else, the Dodgers maintained.

They departed Los Angeles 10 days and nine games ago, and lost five of the games, including Sunday's here, by a 6-5 score to the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Even so, the Dodgers persisted in their vague participation in the National League West. They left home in third place and 4-1/2 games behind the San Diego Padres, and returned with the same standing, the same deficit.

``We still haven't put things together,'' said catcher Mike Piazza, who hit his ninth home run and drove in three runs. ``Every time we go forward, we take a step back.''

In concrete terms, the Dodgers won the first two games of this series, only to lose the chance to sweep in a flurry of poor at-bats and relief pitching.

``We can't hang our heads and wonder, `Why?','' Piazza said. ``Look at this club, we're two games under .500 (18-20). If it's any indication, this club hasn't come close to the potential it has. Some clubs don't ever reach their potential. But we don't believe we've put anything together yet.''

They could have been closer to that end, only right-hander Hideo Nomo continued in his aversion to pitching away from Dodger Stadium. He has one road victory and a road ERA of 7.08. Against the Cardinals, losers of 14 of their previous 18 games, Nomo (5-3) pitched two batters into the sixth inning and allowed nine hits, two walks and four runs. He suffered a mild cut on his pitching thumb in the third inning, when the Cardinals scored two runs and left the bases loaded.

Afterward, Nomo spoke only of his inability to command his pitches, the typical flaw in his defeats. Despite the five wins, Nomo has yet to put two quality starts together.

``I'm not frustrated that happens,'' he said. ``But still I'm concerned that my control is bad.''

The Dodgers, as it turned out, were right there at the end, long after Nomo was gone. The Cardinals scored twice in the eighth against Dodgers relievers Joey Eischen and Jim Bruske for a 6-3 lead, and manager Tony La Russa beckoned his old friend, Dennis Eckersley, from the bullpen, for the save.

Unimpressed, the Dodgers scored two runs in the ninth inning, when one more hit would have tied the score.

Pinch-hitter Carlos Hernandez singled to start the ninth and rookie Roger Cedeno singled behind him. Cardinals center fielder Ray Lankford made a sprawling catch of Raul Mondesi's liner for the first out, but Piazza followed with a run-scoring single that moved Cedeno to third. Eric Karros, whose string of hitless at-bats reached an unsightly 27, hit a sacrifice fly. With Piazza on first base, Delino DeShields flied meekly to center field.

On Friday night, the Dodgers defeated Eckersley, whose 331 saves rank fourth all-time, with a 12th-inning run.

``I thought we were going to beat him,'' Hernandez said. ``Mondy's hit, if that ball drops, it's a new game.''

It didn't, so the Dodgers were left to ponder the other possibilities. Piazza hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning to tie the score 2-2. However, he grounded back to the pitcher with two out in the fifth inning and with the bases loaded. He struck out with Mondesi at second base in the seventh inning.

Also, Mike Blowers came up with runners at first and third and none out in the sixth, and struck out. He was 0 for 3 after a two-game benching, and is batting .195. Karros' average has fallen to .183. He said he is not incredulous that the slump refuses to end.

``What happened today, happened yesterday,'' Karros said. ``That has no effect on what happens tomorrow. You keep going out there. A lot of guys have gone through it, if that's any consolation. A lot of very good players.''

Karros recalled that Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell's average hovered around .180 last June, which, he said, ``is about where I'm at right now, in terms of at-bats. I'm aware of that. I gotta keep saying tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then tomorrow, and tomorrow.''

He does not have a hit since the second game of the road trip, May 4 in Pittsburgh, eight games ago. He was 3 for 34 on the trip.

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Photo

PHOTO Dodgers shortstop Greg Gagne is able to leap over St. Louis' Mark Sweeney after he threw to first to complete an unassisted double play, but it was the Cardinals who ended up on top 6-5 on Sunday in St. Louis.

Associated Press