ISHII PLACED IN NO-WIN SITUATION NEW YORK 2, DODGERS 0.

Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer

The Dodgers' offense has struggled, this is not news. But this one was perhaps the worst yet, because they wasted another solid outing by Kazuhisa Ishii in the process.

The rookie from Japan did everything he needed by pitching a four-hit, one-run game through seven innings. The Dodgers did nothing except assure Ishii his first loss of his major-league career.

For the second consecutive game and seventh time this season, the Dodgers were shut out. New York's Jeff D'Amico pitched a complete game and the Dodgers managed just two hits for the second night in row in a 2-0 loss to the Mets on Wednesday in front of 31,995 at Dodger Stadium.

Ishii started the season 6-0. Now he's 6-1. He wasn't perfect, but he was good. With this nonexistent Dodgers offense these days, pitchers have to be perfect.

Edgardo Alfonzo scored Jay Payton on an RBI groundout in the first inning to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. Mo Vaughn hit a solo home run off reliever Giovanni Carara in the eighth inning to make it 2-0.

These days, a one-run lead over the Dodgers is all the safety net a team needs.

The Dodgers had both their hits in the second inning Wednesday and have scored just two runs in the past 31 innings. The last time the Dodgers scored a run was on seldom-used Jeff Reboulet's single in the 13th inning of a 3-2 victory Monday night.

The Dodgers have just four hits in the past 18 innings.

A position-players-only meeting before the game couldn't help this Dodgers offense. Everyone from manager Jim Tracy to general manager Dan Evans insists the offense will get better, and that they aren't hitting the panic button yet.

The Dodgers were shut out on Tuesday after Mets pitcher Pedro Astacio threw a two-hitter. It was the same story Wednesday.

Ishii wasn't dominant - as usual. But he was customarily effective, striking out four in seven innings. He also walked four and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. Ishii threw 103 pitches, 62 for strikes.

Vaughn, the former Angels first baseman who sat out last year with a biceps injury, homered on a 2-1 breaking ball off Carrara in the eighth inning. Carrara got Mike Piazza to strike out on a breaking ball for the first out before Vaughn's homer.

In the fifth inning, a Cesar Izturis throwing error sent Rey Ordonez to second base, and Ishii walked D'Amico. Roger Cedeno hit into a fielder's choice to send Ordonez to third, and Ishii loaded the bases by walking Joe McEwing on four pitches.

Ishii, however, made Piazza pop up in foul territory to Paul Lo Duca on the first pitch, ending the threat.

Japanese television reporter Shinsuke Kano said Ishii has become an even bigger star than when he was pitching in for the Yakult Swallows in Japan. It took success in America for him to become a superstar overseas. Winning will do that. He's the only pitcher since division play began in 1969 to start and win his first six appearances.

``In Japan, sometimes he pitched very good and sometimes he pitched no good,'' Kano said of Ishii. ``Now he's only good, good.''

Kano said Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki is the biggest baseball star in Japan, followed by Hideki Matsui, who plays in the Japan League. Kano said Matsui is comparable to Sammy Sosa or Barry Bonds popularity-wise because he's a home run hitter.

Mets right fielder Jeromy Burnitz left the game with a bruise on his left elbow after getting hit by an Ishii pitch in the sixth inning.

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Photo:

(color) Kazuhisa Ishii allowed one run in seven innings Wednesday but picked up the first loss of his major-league career.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer