INJURY ADDED TO INSULT DREW HURT AS DODGERS LOSE TO CARDINALS ST. LOUIS 2, DODGERS 0.

Byline: VINCENT BONSIGNORE Staff Writer

A few hours before the Dodgers took the field against St. Louis on Friday, Grady Little was asked if he was worried about J.D. Drew's recent power-hitting slump.

Turns out Drew's lack of home runs might be the least of Little's concerns. The Dodgers' right fielder was knocked out of Friday's game after taking a hard fastball off his right kneecap on a pitch from Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan.

And to add insult to injury, the Cardinals handed the Dodgers their eighth loss in nine games, 2-0, behind a strong performance from Suppan, the former Crespi of Encino standout, and a tape-measure home run from Chris Duncan off Dodgers starter Brad Penny.

As for Drew, he went sprawling to the ground immediately after getting hit by the pitch from Suppan, then limped noticeably to the Dodgers' dugout a few minutes later. He was replaced by Jose Cruz Jr., and his status for the rest of the series is unclear.

Drew's injury was diagnosed as a knee contusion, and he's listed as day-to-day.

If Drew is out for a prolonged period of time, it will be the second major blow to the Dodgers' offense this month. They've already lost second baseman Jeff Kent to an oblique muscle strain, and he's out until at least the first week of August.

As it is, Little has juggled his lineup the past two games - with Drew his most moveable piece - to try to make up for Kent's absence. Drew hit in the No. 2 spot on Thursday against Arizona and batted second again Friday against St. Louis.

Now comes Friday's events, and based on Drew's painful reaction to getting hit, it's doubtful he'll be able to play tonight, if not the rest of the three-game series.

Drew has experienced right knee problems in the past, undergoing surgeries in 2003 and 2002. The veteran outfielder has had a history of injury problems over his eight-year career, playing in 135 or more games just three times while playing 110 or fewer games four times.

Drew is hitting .287 with nine home runs, and ranks second on the team with 54 RBIs.

An assortment of injuries conspired to cut Drew's first season in Los Angeles to a career-low 72 games last year, the major blow coming last July on a pitch from Arizona's Brad Halsey that broke a bone in Drew's left wrist.

At the time of the injury, Drew was batting .286 with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs.

Ironically, in a season in which the Dodgers have repeatedly been bitten by the injury bug, Drew had been one of the few players to stay healthy. He had already played in 85 games this year, and he was a healthy scratch in all the games he missed.

Although Drew is second on the team in RBIs, he's done it while battling a severe power outage the last two months. He's gone 127 at-bats without a home run - his last came on June 1 - and he has just two since May 21.

Nevertheless, his nine home runs rank second on the team to Nomar Garciaparra's 12.

The reeling Dodgers can't afford many more injury problems, especially to one of their top offensive players.

Their return to Dodger Stadium - the first since the All-Star break - came on the heels of a dreadful road trip in which they dropped seven of eight games.

The offense has been particularly lacking. They've scored just 15 runs since the All-Star break, managing more than three runs in a game just once in the past nine games.

The Dodgers hoped a return home would cure the problem, but that wasn't the case over the against Suppan and the Cardinals. Suppan, who entered the game with a 5.52 ERA, held the Dodgers to five hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning on a mammoth home run to right field by Duncan. The blast was estimated at 431 feet and barely missed clearing the bullpen wall.

St. Louis added another run in the sixth inning when Duncan scored on a single by Juan Encarnacion, but the Cardinals missed a chance for a big inning as Brad Penny escaped a one-out, bases-loaded situation by getting Yadier Molina to ground into a double play.

Penny, who left the game in the seventh inning, pitched well except for Duncan's long home run and the shaky sixth inning. He gave up two runs on six hits while striking out two.

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CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Dodgers starter Brad Penny reacts after hitting the Cardinals' Jeff Suppan with a pitch Friday.

(2) The Dodgers' J.D. Drew had to leave the game after he was hit by a Jeff Suppan pitch in the first inning of Friday's game.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

(3) Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan gave up five hits in seven shutout innings Friday against the Dodgers

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

(4) SELE 

Box:

(1) DODGERS vs. ST. LOUIS

- Vincent Bonsignore