OFFENSE GONE AWOL DODGERS MANAGE ONE RUN ON THE HEELS OF A SHUTOUT ST. LOUIS 2, DODGERS 1.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

ST. LOUIS -- It is said that statistics don't lie, but that doesn't mean they don't bend the truth now and then.

For example, take these Dodgers.

Before Saturday's game, a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in front of a sellout crowd of 46,068 at the new sweat box known as Busch Stadium, the daily packet issued by Major League Baseball showed that the Dodgers led the National League in batting average and were second in runs scored.

After the game, at which point the Dodgers had scored three runs in 33 innings since the All-Star break, it was evident that those numbers were a tad misleading.

Not surprisingly, the Dodgers lost all three games. Even less surprisingly, they looked largely overmatched in the process.

Now facing the gloomy possibility of a four-game sweep to begin the second half, the Dodgers' offensive production in the series thus far has consisted of the following: a two-run homer by Nomar Garciaparra in the third inning of the opener and a two-out fly ball by J.D. Drew in the first inning of this one that, in all honesty, should have been caught by So Taguchi, who misjudged it into an RBI double.

In between, the Dodgers were victims of Chris Carpenter's complete-game, two-hit shutout. It was a nifty performance to be sure, but it only accounted for nine of the 31innings in this series in which the Dodgers have failed to score.

Through the first three games, they are batting a robust -- emphasis on the second syllable -- .165 as a team. That's 19 hits in 115 at-bats.

``We're hitting some balls hard, but they're right at people,'' said Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra, who went hitless for the second game in a row on the heels of a 22-game hitting streak. ``Guys are having good at-bats. But there is a difference between being frustrated at having good at-bats and not coming through, and being concerned. If we keep taking good at-bats, we have a good chance to be better.''

As forgettable as it was, this game will be remembered for a double play that didn't happen in the bottom of the 10th inning. With David Eckstein on first, John Rodriguez at the plate and the inimitable Albert Pujols, who already had tied the game with a sixth-inning homer, on deck, Rodriguez lined sharply to shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Furcal then fired toward first, where Eckstein had no chance to get back. For a split second, the throw went behind Eckstein's back, causing Garciaparra to lose sight of it. It wound up ticking off Garciaparra's glove and rolling in to foul territory, allowing Eckstein not only to get back but to then take second base.

With first base open, reliever Danys Baez then walked Pujols intentionally.

``(The play) didn't matter that much,'' Dodgers manager Grady Little said. ``Pujols wasn't going to hit anyway. He wasn't going to be the guy to beat us.''

Perhaps not, but the inning would have been over if Eckstein had been doubled off.

``He is out if I make a better throw,'' said Furcal, who was charged with his 19th error.

Instead, Eckstein subsequently came home on a bloop single by Scott Rolen that fell a few feet in front of hard-charging left fielder Andre Ethier. That handed Baez (5-5) a hard-luck loss on what the official scorer ruled was an unearned run.

But in fact, the Dodgers didn't so much lose this game in the 10th as in the eighth. That was when they loaded the bases with one out on nothing more than a lucky infield single by Drew and consecutive walks to Jeff Kent and Ethier by Adam Wainwright.

Wainwright, who had pitched out of similar trouble in the 10th inning of Thursday night's 14-inning marathon, struck out Cesar Izturis and got Toby Hall to fly weakly to right.

The Dodgers (46-45) went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Drew's single, a slow roller that trickled past Wainwright and under the glove of second baseman Hector Luna, was the Dodgers' only hit after the sixth inning.

The Cardinals have won six consecutive games. Four of those victories have come in extra innings, and three of them have been credited to reliever Braden Looper (6-1).

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CAPTION(S):

3 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) The Dodgers' Nomar Garciaparra winces after being hit by a pitch from Cardinals starter Jeff Suppan.

Elsa/Getty Images

(2) Dodgers first baseman Nomar Garciaparra can't handle a wild throw from shortstop Rafael Furcal in the 10th, keeping the inning alive.

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

(3) PENNY

Box:

DODGERS AT ST. LOUIS

- Tony Jackson